Hiring/Training : What the CMO Wants

Building the next generation of response marketers

CMOs are looking for the best way to reach customers and increase ROI. To do that, they arm themselves with a multitude of marketing channels; many of which are growing and changing rapidly—particularly with the dawn of the digital age. At the heart of all these channels—with, as noted, digital media leading the pack—is direct marketing. Whether you call this approach "direct" or not, these are the principles that enable marketers to quantify ROI. So, how do CMOs decide, in this sea of marketing channels and direct marketing principles, what skill sets they need from their staff?

A Rose By Any Other Name
Let's all agree that there have been changes in the modern direct response and advertising landscape due to the emergence of new channels, as well as the economic downturn during the past two years. The advance of the digital age, with general advertising less relevant and response metrics now the mode of operation, has increased the demand for direct marketing skills.

However, the words "direct marketing" are not so easily identifiable these days, even though the guiding principles have remained the same.

Mention direct marketing to those Millennials (the segment of the population generally considered to be born between the mid-1970s and 2000, also referred to as Generation Y) working in the digital space, and they might say it only applies to direct mail—all the while they are testing and analyzing their latest SMS campaigns.

The Direct Marketing Association itself is thinking of dropping the words "direct marketing" from its name to keep the organization relevant to today's market, and yet the players (i.e., current and prospective members) are still the same.

The point is that it does not matter what you call the process of measurement, analysis and refinement of response-oriented marketing efforts. It's the essence of direct marketing that is important—measurable, accountable, data-driven, one-to-one marketing. Whether your campaign involves mobile, direct mail or any other new channel that comes along, you are still testing, measuring and creating relevancy to reach consumers. And these are the skills to look for in marketing teams so you can be successful in today's competitive multichannel market.

Now, About Those Channels
In addition to being agile and analytical, the marketing team of today also needs to market well across many channels. The digital age introduced new channels—from search engine marketing to mobile and social media. These channels evolve constantly, forcing marketers and customers to adapt quickly.