CMO Advisory Service

IDC's CMO Advisory Service guides marketing leaders as they master the art and science of marketing. Digital transformation offers CMOs the opportunity to become business growth drivers and architects of the customer experience. Leaders leverage IDC's deep industry knowledge, powerful quantitative models, peer-tested practices, and personalized guidance to advance their operations. Whether seeking fresh perspectives on core challenges or counsel on emerging developments, IDC offers a trusted source of insight.

Marketing Investment and Transformational Operations:

• Planning and budgeting investments in the marketing mix, marketing technology, and marketing operations, accountability, and attribution

Application of New Technology for Marketing

• Guidance on the implications of new and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), customer data platforms, and marketing automation solutions

Delivering the New Customer Experience

• Mapping and responding to the B2B customer decision journey

The Future Marketing Organization

• Organizational design, staff allocation benchmarks, role definition, skill sets, leadership style, strategy, shared services, organizational alignment, and collaboration and change management
• Developing core competencies: Content marketing, customer intelligence and analytics, operations, digital engagement and experiences, sales enablement, emerging technologies (i.e., AI), and loyalty and advocacy

• Benchmarking and Organizational Planning Tools: Peer benchmarks and KPIs support the marketing operations strategy. A custom report compares your organization with a select target group, providing a comprehensive gap analysis with actionable recommendations.
• Competency Research and Frameworks: IDC Perspectives and models guide strategy, operations, measurement, and performance.
• Buyer Insights and the Voice of the Customer: IDC examines buyers' preferences and behaviors concerning marketing practices.
• Peer Networking: The Marketing Leadership Board Meeting meets twice each year to support our clients' efforts in effective transformation and growth. Peer-to-peer calls provide rich discussion on key topics and emerging trends.
• Inquiry Support: There is unlimited inquiry access to practice analysts, ad hoc research from our extensive database, and facilitated member-to-member discussions upon request.

In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

Marketing leaders have progressed competencies such as content marketing, data/analytics, event marketing, and digital programming. However, new requirements continue to be revealed. Capabilities including customer centricity, whole journey–driven content, team-based organizational models, sophisticated marketing automation, and mastery of artificial intelligence are now must-haves. The following are questions that IDC's CMO Advisory Service helps answer:

1. How should I organize my team and invest my budget?
2. What are leaders doing to better engage with customers?
3. How do I develop the next generation of marketing competencies?
4. How can I best use data, intelligence, and AI to drive customer centricity?