- 45 CEOs were surveyed about their views and expectations of marketers' responsibilities and performance. - CEOs see marketing responsibilities as moderately important but find that marketers' performance is below expectations, except for defining customer segments which is seen as very important. - Marketers view their own responsibilities as slightly more important than CEOs do but are even more critical of their own performance than the CEOs. - The document provides advice to marketers on how to improve their strategic focus, agility, creativity, analytical skills, and consideration of sustainability to better meet CEO expectations.

1. How do CEO’s think about marketers?
26 september 2013, Dhr. Frank Bekkers, Mobile Vikings

2. 2
45 CEO’s gave their opinion
about
the performance and
responsibilities of marketers

3. 3
•Build consistent brand equities
•Define customer segment(s)
•Check customers' needs
•React fast to changes
•Adapt fast to new expectations
•Define efficient marketing processes
•Define unique value propositions
•Make everyone contribute to brand marketing
•Innovation that reaches new customers/markets
•Increase innovative power of company
•Analytical skills
•Make strategic analysis of the market
•Define KPI’s and improvement plans
•Demonstrate Pragmatism
•Analyze competition objectively
•Appreciate impact of sustainable decisions
•Combine sustainable performance
•Raise awareness of sustainability across company

4. 4
1
1213
2
8
14 3
7
9
15
4
6
10
16
18
5
11
17
-2
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
-2 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Performance
Importance
Focus
1) Build consistent brand equities
12) Define customer segment(s)
13) Check customers' needs
Agility
2) React fast to changes
8) Adapt fast to new expectations
14) Define efficient marketing processes
Creativity
3) Define unique value propositions
7) Make everyone contribute to brand
marketing
9) Innovation that reaches new
customers/markets
15) Increase innovative power of
company
Tangibility
4) Analytical skills
6) Make strategic analysis of the market
10) Define KPI’s and improvement plans
16) Demonstrate Pragmatism
18) Analyze competition objectively
Sustainability
5) Appreciate impact of sustainable
decisions
11) Combine sustainable performance
17) Raise awareness of sustainability
across company
-2 = below
-1 = almost in line with
0 = in line with
+1 = slightly above
+2 = above expectations

5. CEO’s rank marketing responsibilites as
moderately important
Marketers’ performance is below their
expectations
(exception: CEO consider “defining segments” as very important and
value the market analysis)
5

6. 6
1
12
13
2
8
14
3
7
9
15
4
6
10
1618
5
11
17
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
-0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Marketers
CEO's
Importance of Marketing responsibilities
Focus
1) Build consistent brand equities
12) Define customer segment(s)
13) Check customers' needs
Agility
2) React fast to changes
8) Adapt fast to new expectations
14) Define efficient marketing processes
Creativity
3) Define unique value propositions
7) Make everyone contribute to brand
marketing
9) Innovation that reaches new
customers/markets
15) Increase innovative power of
company
Tangibility
4) Analytical skills
6) Make strategic analysis of the market
10) Define KPI’s and improvement plans
16) Demonstrate Pragmatism
18) Analyze competition objectively
Sustainability
5) Appreciate impact of sustainable
decisions
11) Combine sustainable performance
17) Raise awareness of sustainability
across company
-2 = below
-1 = almost in line with
0 = in line with
+1 = slightly above
+2 = above expectations

7. 7
Performance of Marketers
1
12
13
2
8
14
3
7
9
15
4
6
10
16
18
5
11
17
-0.6
-0.5
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
-0.1
0
0.1
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
marketers
CEO's
Focus
1) Build consistent brand equities
12) Define customer segment(s)
13) Check customers' needs
Agility
2) React fast to changes
8) Adapt fast to new expectations
14) Define efficient marketing processes
Creativity
3) Define unique value propositions
7) Make everyone contribute to brand
marketing
9) Innovation that reaches new
customers/markets
15) Increase innovative power of
company
Tangibility
4) Analytical skills
6) Make strategic analysis of the market
10) Define KPI’s and improvement plans
16) Demonstrate Pragmatism
18) Analyze competition objectively
Sustainability
5) Appreciate impact of sustainable
decisions
11) Combine sustainable performance
17) Raise awareness of sustainability
across company
-2 = below
-1 = almost in line with
0 = in line with
+1 = slightly above
+2 = above expectations

8. 8
Marketers see marketing responsibilities
as slightly more important than CEO’s do ...
but they are even more severe on their
own performance than CEO’s are

9. The CEO values segmentation and market
analysis, but not more than that
Marketing seems to be a short term responsibility
where pragmatism is expected
Marketing looks more and better at the past than to
the future
Marketing is not in the lead for innovation
And marketing is not expected to put sustainability on
the agenda
9
DOES MARKETING FAIL?

10. Marketers need a FACTS approach
More strategic focus
More agility in the organization
More creativity in their marketing approach and innovation
More tangibility without losing faith in intuition
More sustainable reflections
10

11. The marketer should re-valorise his responsibilites and
focus on the ultimate goal: customer satisfaction
Concretely:
 we see marketers as cross-departemental INTEGRATORS making all
employees focused on customer satisfaction. He has the total view and can
push for change and improvement
 we see marketers as BRAND BUILDERS, aiming for consistency and granted
relevance
 we see BUSINESS MINDED marketers, looking at the future, able to guide the
necessary organizational changes in a turbulent environment
 we see marketers as the INNOVATORS within the company
 we see marketers as ANALISTS but counting on intuition and profound
knowlegde as well to make decisions
 we see marketers as defenders of a sustainable marketing, contrary to the
unlimited push marketing of the past that has lead to absurd consumption
11