*** To download the full white paper, go to http://bit.ly/13cMhHV *** In this briefing, 300 corporate executives lend insight on the core issues in marketing and communications functions in 2013. We look at: 1) Customer-Centricity 2) Multi-channel marketing and comms 3) Building unique customer experiences through better personalisation and insight 4) Internal convergence between the marketing and communications department. This is part one of Incite's new briefing on the core issues for marketers and communicators in 2013. To download the entire briefing, go to http://bit.ly/13cMhHV

1. IncIte
Join the conversation at
facebook.com/InciteMC@InciteMCwww.inciteMC.com
The Marketing AND
Communications Community
Tough questions, insightful answers
The 4 Key Issues of 2013:
Predictions for
Marketers and
Communicators

2. Convergence between Marketing and Communications Functions
3Join the conversation at facebook.com/InciteMC@InciteMCwww.inciteMC.com
The 4 biggest issues in 2013 – according to 300
of your peers
As part of the run up to the 2013 Incite Summits, we asked 300+ marketing and communications executives about
the key issues they see impacting on their roles in 2013.
A complicated future
The first observation is quite how complex both roles will become in 2013 - and, significantly - the surprising level
of harmony in the predicted key issues over two normally quite distinct job functions.
Biggest
Impact on
Marketing and
Communications
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The four most important topics, as you’ll see in the chart above, are:
1. Customer-centricity: Specifically, in this case, getting closer to the customer and understanding them better.
What’s more, evolving the business so one’s customers are able to have a meaningful impact on business practices,
strategy and future goals/products. This is quite clearly the most significant impact on roles in 2013 - across both
functions. An enormous 46% of all respondents picked this as their top priority in 2013.
2. Multi-channel marketing/communications: Linked closely to the previous issue, multi-channel marketing
focuses on how to integrate multiple marketing/comms channels to ensure they work in concert for an impactful,
effective, and pervasive marketing campaign. A significant 22% picked this as top priority
3. Building unique customer experiences through more personalisation/segmentation/better consumer
insight: Striving towards providing your customers with a personalised, engaging and unique relationship with
your brand. Companies are beginning to do this through the increased segmentation made possible by social
media/big data profiling, and by the proliferation of marketing/communications channels and platforms. Evidently,
from the popularity of this option, it is a challenge that executives have not overcome completely. 10% picked this
as top priority

3. Convergence between Marketing and Communications Functions
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4. Internal Collaboration: Focusing on more efficient internal collaboration between marketing and
communications, to ensure that the company speaks with a unified voice, shares insight and responds better to
consumers.7% picked this as top priority - which is significant in itself, but more so when one considers that 24%
of Communications execs said this was priority #1, and only 5% of marketers. More on that below.
Customer centricity has never been more alive
What issue
will have
the biggest
impact on
your role
in 2013?
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20%
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50%
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measurement
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‘Customer Centricity’ is not a new term. It has been around for several years. For the more overzealous of marketing
‘gurus’, it’s already dead, actually.
Not according to our corporate respondents. For them, customer centricity is going to be the biggest impact on
their role in 2013. Not 2008. Not 2010. 2013.
Why the discrepancy?
Marketing and Communications service providers/agencies have something to sell. It’s understandable that they
want to move on from any new development as soon as they can - the next big idea may well be even more
lucrative.
But corporations themselves move at a slower pace. They focus on what actually impacts on their business - and
their bottom line. Things that work, not things that are new.
There have been many, many buzzwords bandied around for the last few years - glocal, solomo, gamified to name
but three. It is significant that, in the company of many other more ‘traditional’ and ‘recognisable’ issues, ‘customer
centricity’ is still picked by more than twice as many of our corporate respondents as anything else.
This is the year, it seems, for customer-centricity to truly come to life.

4. Convergence between Marketing and Communications Functions
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Communicators want Marketers. Marketers don’t care
The increased need to
collaborate with the
marketing / comms
department is going to
have the most impact
on my role in 2013
22% communicators 5% marketers
Over the last 8 months, we have been researching the key issues for both the marketing and communications
communities.
Both sets of respondents are united in the need for a more customer-centric approach, for presenting a more
human face to consumers, for communicating in an integrated - and consistent - manner, and for sharing insights
about consumers better internally.
And yet. When asked how important enhanced internal collaboration would be in 2013, 22% of communications
executives said it was their top priority. Only 5% of marketers said the same.
Why?
1. Marketers are already doing as much collaboration as they need
2. Communicators are seen as performing a smaller/less critical role, and thus marketing is less incentivised to
collaborate with their department specifically
3. What else? Your feedback would be appreciated in the comments below
Big data, small impact
While our survey results have come as a boon to those predicting a big year for customer-centricity, they give short
shrift to those talking of big data’s huge impact on corporate marketing and communications/
Put simply, the practitioners don’t agree.
Only 7% of respondents say it’s going to have the biggest impact on their role in 2013. It falls behind not just
customer-centricity, but multi-channel marketing and the ability to deliver more unique customer experiences
through better personalisation/segmentation/customer insight.
While it’s obviously true that the impact of big data is liable to fall far more broadly than on simply the marketing and
communications departments, and equally, that the topic is nevertheless one of the top 7 responses throughout
our research, it’s still a surprising showing. Big data is perhaps one of the most talked about developments of the
last decade, and the potential impacts on business are undeniably vast. But, as suggested above, multi-national
corporations are not known for moving fast. Evidently this new strategic opportunity hasn’t filtered down yet into
the marketing and communications departments.

5. Convergence between Marketing and Communications Functions
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Biggest
Impact on
Communications
Roles in 2013
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6. Secure your place with our ultra-early bird passes
and SAVE $895 on your ticket at www.incitemc.com
incitemc.com #IMCSummit
September 18-19, New York
Your sneak peek into how the Incite 2013 Summit is shaping up!
Map the Future of Multi-channel,
Customer-centric Marketing
and Communications
at a glance: Insight on some of the big issues…AGENDA
The Customer-
Centric Future
Change your
corporate culture to
focus better on the
customer
Moving Customer-
Centric Without
Causing Chaos
Get a customer-centric
internal organisation
that’s simple, not
complex
How To Listen,
So You Can Talk
Back Better
Get more useful
insight about your
customers, and
use it to do better
Communications
Build Unique
Customer Experiences
Manage a complex
Communications
landscape and integrate
many channels to build
one effective stake-
holder experience
Less Silos =
More Success
Break down internal
barriers and get
everyone singing from
the same hymn sheet
we have already confirmed to contributeSPEAKERS
Sony Electronics
Mike Fasulo
Chief Marketing Officer
Aflac
Michael Zuna
Chief Marketing Officer
Sears
Jennifer Dominiquini
Chief Marketing Officer
(Seasonal and Outdoor
Living)
Restaurant.com
Christopher Krohn
Chief Marketing Officer
Arby’s
Russell Klein
Chief Marketing Officer
BASF
Robin Rotenberg
Chief Communications
Officer
MetLife
Claire Burns
Chief Customer Officer
Chobani
Nicki Briggs
Chief Communications
Officer
Ericsson/Coinstar
Nora Denzel
Non-Executive Director
Citigroup
Ben Eyler
Vice-President, Marketing
and Communications
Barnes Noble
Sasha Norkin
Vice-President, Digital
and Channel Marketing
Home Depot
Fred Neil
Vice-President,
Marketing, CRM and
Customer Insights
Diageo
Michelle Klein
Vice-President, Global
Marketing (Smirnoff)
Hewlett Packard
Rob Wait
Vice-President, Marketing
Whole Foods
Bill Tolany
Head of Integrated
Marketing
Yum Brands
Amy Sherwood
Vice-President, Public
Relations and Consumer
Affairs
Sprint
Doug Duvall
Vice-President,
Corporate
Communications
Cardinal Healthcare
Jill LaNouette
Vice-President,
Public Affairs
McDonald’s
Heather Oldani
Head of US
Communications
Nestle
Doug Hawkins
Vice-President,
Public Affairs
Policy (Nutrition)
The Incite 2013 Summit

7. Who are we?
• A community of corporate marketing and communications professionals
• A strident editor of debate
• A tool for you to drive the future of marketing and communications
What do we do?
• We bring together senior marketing and communications executives -
online and in person
• We work with you to ask them the questions you need answering
• We share those answers, and spark a debate
• We help you do better marketing and communications
We incite challenging debate. We find the best corporate
minds. You ask the questions.
COLLABORATE NOW
IncIte
The Marketing AND
Communications Community
Tough questions, insightful answers
Get more at incitemc.com