Episode 90

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Published on:

4th Dec 2024

90: The Massacre of Marketing: Challenges Facing Modern CMOs - with Emma Clayton, The Mary Poppins for Marketing Functions

In this episode of "Women in B2B Marketing," host Jane Serra chats with Emma Clayton, a seasoned CMO, consultant, and bestselling author. They discuss the evolving role of the CMO, emphasizing the challenges faced by modern marketers in a rapidly changing landscape. Emma highlights the need for strategic marketing over short-term tactics and stresses the importance of hiring qualified marketers. The conversation also touches on the significance of curiosity and understanding customer needs. Both speakers advocate for a strategic approach to marketing, aiming to build meaningful connections and deliver value to customers.

Emma and Jane discuss:

  • The evolving role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in the current marketing landscape.
  • Challenges faced by modern marketers, including unrealistic expectations from organizations.
  • The perception of marketing and the qualifications of marketers, highlighting a lack of formal training.
  • The impact of hiring practices on marketing effectiveness, particularly the trend of hiring sales-focused individuals for marketing roles.
  • The importance of a strong marketing strategy in driving business success, especially during scaling.
  • The need for alignment between marketing teams' skills and the overall business strategy.
  • The significance of understanding the customer journey and building genuine connections with customers.
  • The role of social media in shaping marketing practices and its potential to promote mediocrity.
  • The necessity of prioritizing strategy over execution in marketing efforts.
  • Advocating for a shift in how marketing is perceived and valued within organizations, emphasizing its strategic importance.

Key Links:

Guest: Emma Clayton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-clayton-bebrilliant/

Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/


Brilliant Teams by Emma Clayton: https://www.amazon.com/Brilliant-Teams-Emma-Clayton/dp/191577179X

CMOs on Boards: https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/cmos-on-boards


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About the Podcast

Women in B2B Marketing
A weekly podcast dedicated to motivating marketers at all levels in their careers through real-life stories. Our goal is to inspire listeners to achieve more, strive for success, and feel a sense of understanding and community.
Women in B2B Marketing is a weekly podcast dedicated to motivating marketers at all levels in their careers through real-life stories of victory and defeat, challenge and triumph. Our goal is to inspire listeners to achieve more, strive for success, and feel a sense of understanding and community.

This is a place where CMOs, VPs of Marketing, and all strong women B2B marketing leaders discuss their top tactics, strategies, and tips for building teams, leveraging trends, and ultimately rocking their marketing careers - however that looks to them.

Leading marketing teams everywhere from fortune 500s to startups and challenger brands, these women share their stories of rising to the top - and how they overcame any obstacles that came their way.

Made by and for women, insightful for all.

Podcast Host: Jane Serra, 17+ years in B2B marketing across all industries from SaaS to Marketing Agencies and International Outsourcing.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninb2bmarketing/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/womeninb2bmktg

About your host

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Jane Serra