Every year, CMO.com asks its network of top marketers and mavens to forecast what the coming 12 months might look like. Of the 75-plus responses we received for our 2017 compilation, five main themes stood out. We present them to you here.

1. believe it is urgent.
Believe customer
experience to be
central to their role.
2017 PREDICTIONS
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION,
CX TOP THE LIST
83%
29%
Marketing Art & Science
Leadership & Management
Customer Experience
Digital transformation is a priority for most brands today, but
what does a digitally transformed business actually look like?
Above all, it has all the earmarks of a company that
takes customer experience seriously—at least according to
responses from the majority of 75+ marketers polled for this
year’s predictions. But wait, there’s more! A few other
categories made the top of the list, all of which are presented
here in five buckets, in order of importance. Some key data
points and a few salient quotes add a bit of color and flavor.
MARKETERS
Will pay more for
customer experience.
86%
BUYERS
On track to exceed
CIO tech spend in 2017.
Marketers see customer experience as the most
exciting opportunity they’re pursuing.
1 IN 5
We’re past having a digital team off in the corner speaking
a different language and executing on their own agenda.
Embrace that the lines, in many cases, no longer exist.
Technology Strategy
Place technology at the heart of planning. The agility and
feedback that comes from smart digital investment delivers
the smooth customer experience demanded today.
Brand Strategy
In a world driven more and more by technology, don’t get impersonal and
lose sight of making emotional connections with your audience through
your unique brand voice. You can do so and still grow brand affinity.
The lines between digital, traditional media, and data marketing
are blurring. CMOs need to look for ways to marry art and
instinct with science and data.
Make customer experience the lifeblood of the company.
As the only function at the intersection of every customer
interaction, marketing is well-positioned to lead the
transformation from a reactive customer service mindset
to a customer-obsessed organization.
Marketing leaders—those who are increasing sales and
market share—are:
3x as likely than
“laggards” to use data for
their decisions.
2x as likely to rely
on their own
creative capabilities.
3X 2X
MORE THAN 80%
MARKETING EXECUTIVES
Need to restructure
marketing to better
support the business.
Click here to read CMO.comʼs annual predictions article,
What CMOs Must Nail In 2017 To Succeed In The ‘Experience Business.’
https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/05/09/importance-of-brand-strategy-data-and-customer-experience-have-grown-at-highest-rate-for-marketers/
https://econsultancy.com/blog/66687-three-insights-into-b2b-marketing-from-our-trends-report/
http://www.superoffice.com/blog/customer-experience-statistics/
http://marketeer.kapost.com/stats-on-internal-alignment-that-will-change-how-you-work/
http://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2016/11/15/gartner-marketing-budgets-on-the-rise-as-cmo-mandate-grows.html
http://www.wfanet.org/en/press/press-releases/purpose-is-increasingly-important-to-building-brands-say-global-and-local-marketers-
http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/the-math-the-magic-and-the-customer.aspx
Ann Lewnes EVP AND CMO, ADOBE
”
Jim Berra SVP, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL
”
John Dillon SVP, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, DENNY’S
”
Jonathan Simmons CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, ZONE
”
CMO MARKETING
TECHNOLOGY SPEND
88%
Agree that purpose will
be increasingly important
to building brands.
MARKETERS
Marie Gulin-Merle CMO, L’ORÉAL USA
”