The Chief Marketing Officer’s Dilemma

CMO's have traditionally been primarily focused on finding new customers and their success is judged on that basis. Fact is, today's business is now more focused on keeping its current customers happy so they don't become the new audience for the marketing department. Marketing will continue to spiral downward if its focus isn't aligned with its company own mix of internal and external needs.

Marketing can have a huge impact on the customer experience without taking over the Customer Service or HR department. In fact, if Marketing can create and change the perception of a company and its product externally – it’s a slam dunk internally. What a concept! Turning employees into company champions thus changing the customer experience – here is the key to success and who can do that better than a company's own marketing group.

Marketing can facilitate the success of internal organizations like HR, Operations, Finance, by partnering with their leaders and utilizing the same marketing techniques that create success externally. Even when things can't be delivered on time, marketing can teach their internal counterparts how to best do damage control and how maintain relationships. If marketing can turn a prospect into a client then they can certainly help work on retaining a client and turn an employee into a champion.

When an external issue is threatening a company the CEO has marketing step in and take charge - the same should take place when an internal issue is threatening the company or its customer base. Marketing can and should do more by simply applying the same principals that it currently uses externally, internally. There would be much less turnover if CMOs were tasked with providing marketing consultation and guidance internally......