Marketing role shift seen with increasing global competition

Marketers should position their companies as solutions providers and not product vendors, experts advise

Marketing

By Allie Sanchez

Chief marketing officers (CMOs) are under pressure from increasing global competition and the demand to change the way prospective clients and existing customers access information, Kaon Interactive president and CEO Gavin Finn said in a report.

Finn further explained that other factors are bearing down on CMOs to reimagine their marketing technology solutions to communicate competitive differentiation, cut sales cycles, and improve overall strategy.

He added that CMOs who leverage marketing technology use it to deploy cost effective solutions that deliver “consistent and compelling articulation” of what makes the company different from its competitors at every contact point, regardless of the presence of a representative.

The secret, Finn said, is to be perceived as a solutions provider rather than a product vendor. Marketers must earn the confidence of their clients in their ability to provide solutions to their needs, specifically to make them see the value of a company’s solutions in the context of a customer’s specific requirements.

This challenge is further exacerbated by the dynamism in the corporate purchasing process, Finn noted. Marketing professionals must initiate “meaningful dialogue” with prospects, irrespective of their function and role in purchasing process.

Finn concluded that marketing professionals are now expected to contribute to a company’s bottom line, and should be able to recommend investments that lead to measurably improved sales and cost reductions.
 

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