Fiderion Highlights 2007 Marketing Trends
December 26, 2006– ATLANTA -- Fiderion, a retained executive search firm with deep experience recruiting Chief Marketing Officers for financial services and technology companies, recently hosted a CMO roundtable event in Atlanta to discuss and debate the future of marketing. Many of the top marketing professionals in the city attended the dinner discussion, which was moderated by Echelon Marketing President Don Neal.
Fiderion Managing Directors Rob Gallagher and Todd Stratton highlight a few noteworthy comments that address why hiring qualified marketing professionals will remain a key challenge for global corporations in 2007. Your next CMO will wear a pocket protector. “Year after year we’ve seen a 50 percent increase in marketing positions that require quantitative and research expertise. The most highly sought-after marketing professionals today started in one of the heavy mathematical disciplines, like engineering or finance, and moved into marketing later in their career. Companies today are looking for marketing scientists who can research, build, test and prove their marketing ideas. It is all about achieving bottom line results,” said Fiderion Managing Director Rob Gallagher. In fact, many of the marketing executives at the event agreed that the title of Chief Marketing Officer is truly evolving to one of Chief Growth Officer.
B2C experience still trumps B2B, but B2B is gaining ground. “The increasingly blurred line between B2B and B2C marketing will get even more pronounced,” according to Todd Stratton, who noted that marketing standards in B2B are inching higher as marketing targets in B2B demand the same quality they see as consumers. “In the past, there was a gap in B2B marketing standards compared to B2C marketing, and a general feeling that B2B materials did not need to meet the same high standards. This is definitely no longer the case as B2B communications are on par with their B2C counterparts,” said Stratton.
Time is the ‘Currency of the 21st Century.’ “What used to be measured quarterly is now measured in hours or minutes, and the shorter gestation period requires hiring talented individuals who think and act quickly to achieve strong results,” Gallagher said. “My advice is to focus on finding people who work with the same technologies and resource levels to which you are accustomed. Think about the impact of hiring someone for your team that does not use a Blackberry, instant messaging or Microsoft Excel, for example. The candidate’s use (or non-use) of technology tools will greatly impact their effectiveness and therefore your team’s.”
Bring your checkbook. Hiring qualified marketing professionals with analytical backgrounds is a challenge that will get worse before it gets better. In addition, the marketing executives at the event also spoke at length about retaining and motivating the young, analytical professionals who are clearly from a new and independent generation. The competition for these individuals is fierce. “We are seeing hedge funds and other financial service firms woo top analytical marketing talent with lucrative compensation packages,” said Stratton.
For further information, contact Rob Gallagher or Todd Stratton at 404.995.4700 or visit our website at www.fiderion.com.
.