We all love CMOs because we all need CMOs. But what happens when the character is a little twisted?
Imagine a marketing expert working for multiple companies, meeting goals and measuring wins on an ad hoc basis. They come in, change your strategy, and put you on the path to success. Adam Walker Many professional marketers are doing this by taking on the role of Chief Marketing Officer at various companies.
Adam is Co-Founder and Head of Marketing and Operations fringe media Some marketers focus on helping startups improve their marketing approach from the start.
As the latest in our industry insights series, I chatted with Adam to discuss his journey of co-founding his own agency and becoming a marketing resource for other growing companies.
Questions we answer in this article:
- What is a partial CMO? How does this position compare to a full-time CMO?
- Why do companies choose partial CMOs?
- How is success determined on a score basis?
- Do some CxO roles have a future?
See the full conversation below:
Partial CMO vs. Full-time CMO
There are many benefits to having a full-time in-house CMO on your team. You might think that if their assets were tied to the company, they would have more of a commitment to the company. Or you may feel that simply having a marketing executive on call creates priceless flexibility.
But what if you’re wrong?
Adam says many companies encounter one of two problems when building marketing leadership. “They either hire a junior or mid-level marketer full-time and think that’s going to solve their marketing problem. It’s not because that person doesn’t have the background and knowledge to actually know what to do.”
Adam went on to describe that companies often decide to work with larger agencies, who will supplement their work with account managers. Eventually, the job will be handed off to a more junior account manager. “Then again, this strategy will fail because there won’t be a senior person overseeing everything.”
When everything is on the line, and neither option is the answer, you need to take a new approach, bring in experienced professionals, and let them take control and essentially reinvent your marketing.
“Part of the benefit for a CMO is access to a very high-level strategy that will help really grow marketing.”
Adam Walker
Co-Founder and Head of Marketing and Operations, Edgewise Media
“Let’s say we’re talking about a company that doesn’t have a marketing team. They can hire one or two full-time employees for that price, and they tend to be generalists,” Adam said. He warns us that generalists lack the ability “to see how strategies should be developed to advance the organization.”
How some CMOs formulate strategies
But with such an ever-evolving foundation, how does one consistently create the right marketing strategy for companies with different needs?
Adam believes that balancing the ad hoc nature of a partial CxO with the consistency of a full-time in-house CxO role comes down to developing the right technology to serve customers.
“I usually spend the first two months learning more about the company,” he said. This involves everything from looking at every marketing channel, looking at lots of social media posts, to looking at the website. “
After two months, Adam usually turns his attention to small changes that make a big difference. “If the marketing isn’t working as well as it should, I can usually find a quick win or two to refine what’s already happening and make it work better.”
While the word “piecemeal” may be scary to many companies, it’s not necessarily a negative for business for the time being.
Adam emphasizes that when a company hires him, he feels completely a part of the company. “When I talk about company plans, I talk about our plans. I’ll provide the high-level strategies you need to grow.”
From there, when the organization found it needed different components to improve its marketing efforts, Adam would bring in people he trusted. “I’ll pull my contacts, I’ll pull my contractors, I’ll pull other agencies. I’ll manage those people for you,” Adam said.
Measure success in points
The job is done, the client is happy, and the contract is over. When a small-company executive like Adam has only been with the company for a short time, how can he determine whether his efforts will last?
For Adam, his approach includes a lot of communication and transparency.
“I try to set very clear metrics. What is the specific goal we want to achieve? Then, let’s talk about how we get to that metric and how we measure success.”
“As long as my clients are happy to have me around, I’ll stay and I’ll continue to help them grow.”
Adam Walker
Co-Founder and Head of Marketing and Operations, Edgewise Media
Adam believes retaining part of the CMO for a year could be the key to seeing an impact on success and return on investment. “Marketing is a machine you build, and it works very slowly,” Adam said. “But it’s growing strongly. So as you gain momentum, it gets faster and faster and gets better over time. It just takes a while to gain enough momentum to really See that growth.”
Score the future of senior executives
So what happens to the role of party leaders? Adam says we’re likely to see more and more senior executives like him across industries.
“If you can get high-quality thinking, high-quality strategy, high-quality leadership and execution from someone part-time, that’s a win for you because you save money,” he explains. It’s a win for you, too.” Because they make money. “
“That’s a pretty big win for both of you, and I don’t see why you wouldn’t do it.”
Adam Walker
Co-Founder and Head of Marketing and Operations, Edgewise Media
If this is the first time you’ve heard of the CxO position, you might be behind. Nearly every executive position has a counterpart. Adam pointed out that fractional CFOs are relatively common. For example, Jenny BloomThe former CFO of MailChimp spent the past two years working on some of the CFO jobs. This is nothing new!
Adam’s advice to you? “Why not give it a try, save some money and buy something of better quality?”
Work part-time for a penny and get full-time results
It’s always hard to try new things, but if you don’t, you never know what greatness it might lead to.
So if hiring for a partially top-level position seems daunting, take the plunge and hire one. Look for someone with a wealth of expertise like Adam who will know what you need before you do it and provide a fresh perspective.
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