In our annual Tech Heads study of B2B marketing and comms execs, we've discovered a series of problems around strategy, competitive pressures, internal priorities and coping with innovation. Marketing and comms execs are so overworked that they routinely work longer than their contracted hours. 77% admit to being stressed, 62% believe that their businesses don't see marketing as strategic in its approach, and 55% spend too much time fixing past problems. In this presentation, we uncover: - The key drivers of marketing and comms execs' stress levels - Ways to re-think, renew focus, disrupt and de-stress - How to get your breath back by becoming slick, smart and strong - How to develop a strategy that aligns with wider business goals

1. 1

2. Businesses are on the
run
63%are under pressure from new,
more agile competitors

3. Businesses are on the
run
61%don’t spend enough time
thinking about the future

4. Businesses are on the
run
57%are just playing catch up

5. So what does that mean for
CMOs & Heads of Comms today?
5

6. CMOs and Comms directors are facing
change from all directions
1. Marketing innovations:
The toolkit is changing
2. Disruptors:
Keeping up with the
competition
3. Business uncertainty:
Less money, more to do

7. Top commercial challenges for
the marketing function in 2017
51%
49%
42%
42%
42%
40%
39%
32%
30%
Keeping pace with marketing innovation
Changes in the competitive landscape
Budget cuts
Bringing new products and services to market
Potential downturn in economy due to Brexit
Differentiating from the competition
Skills and talent acquisition
Budget justification / accounting for performance
Global instability as a result of Trump presidency
7

8. And it’s taking its toll personally
Causes of stress
1. Too much to do
2. Keeping up with competitors
3. Lack of skills
4. Lack of support from the board
Stress compared to last year
Feel more stressed
than last year, 65%
Don't feel more
stressed, 35%
8

9. Challenge 1:
The marketing toolkit is changing
9

10. 51%
see marketing innovation as a major challenge
– the biggest challenge they face
How to do we know what’s innovation and what’s hype?
10

11. Algorithms Vs Art
Marketing is becoming a technology-based discipline
.
11
25%
37% 38%
16%
46%
38%
Commercial Technological Creative
2016 2017
Strongest area of knowledge for CMOs/Comms
Heads

12. 12
55%
52%
45%
42%
40%
36%
34%
3%
Digital customer experiences
Web / mobile development skills
Marketing automation software
Data analysis / forecasting
Programming / application development skills
Digital operations / planning
Social networking (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)
We are not investing
Businesses are striving to create a digital customer
experience
Planned investments
for 2017

13. 13
In businesses where marketing is viewed as strategic,
there is a heightened focus on programmatical
marketing
51%
54%
58%
51%
36% 36% 37%
1%
58%
51%
38% 36%
43%
37%
32%
5%
Digital customer
experiences
Web / mobile
development skills
Marketing automation
software
Data analysis /
forecasting
Programming /
application
development skills
Digital operations /
planning
Social networking
(e.g. Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter)
We are not investing
Strategic Non-strategic
Planned investments for 2017

14. Challenge 2:
Watching the competition
14

15. Who’s going to disrupt my industry?
15
say they are under pressure
from new, more agile competitors
63% say changes in the commercial
landscape are a major challenge
for marketing
49%

16. 16
You Customers Competitors
Who matters more, your customers or your competitors?

17. 17
Customers
Say you’re in a homogeneous market…

18. 18
Customers
How will you know about a disruptor until
they have disrupted?

19. So get to know your customers
and look for the white space
55% of businesses say they need to get better
at understanding their customers.
But in businesses where marketing is seen as
strategic, this rises to 63%.
Customer
19

20. Challenge 3:
Less money, more to do
20

21. Are you getting the most from
your marketing/comms spend?
21
say they need to make
smarter investment decisions
58% need to get more
from their people
58% need to make better
use of technology
57%

22. Of strategic
importance
Something we have to
do to stay in the game
Of fairly low
importance
A bit of a black box
Marketing is undervalued in many B2B businesses
22
38%
26%
25%
10%
Perceptions of marketing and comms in the business

23. Innovation, customer
understanding & skilled
workforce
Smart investment, get
more out of people
& technology
Businesses are looking to be smarter and slicker
What should your business prioritise for improvement?
Intelligence (smarter)
Efficiency (slicker)
Business Culture
(stronger)
23
Strong leadership &
a clear strategic plan
44% 40%
16%

24. 1. We have reached a tipping point in marketing. Technology skills are
now at least as important as creative skills
2. Obsessing about the competition is stressful and won’t stop them
disrupting you. Knowing your customer better is more constructive.
3. Businesses want to be smarter and more efficient. And that means
they need to take a breath and think.
In summary
24

25. Planning: My budgets are
approved too late!
Strategy: We’re not seen as
strategic
Efficiency: We get caught up in
supporting tactical business
needs
Innovation: We lack in-house
skills to use new technology
Culture: We’re too internally
focused
The business operations
lags behind the strategy
Marketing is defined by
activities and output, not
goals
The business expects too
much from internal
resources
Tech moves fast and people
cost money
Intimidated by external
audiences: Competitors &
Prospects
Challenge Cause
Breath-back-
Factor
Build your strategy with contingency
for budget options. Looking ahead
costs nothing.
Create a simple, shareable plan that
aligns marketing to company strategy.
One page!
Stipulate informal SLAs with key
stakeholders and prioritise, prioritise,
prioritise!
Agency partners to bridge the gaps.
Seminars, networks and online
training for in-house team members.
Competitor and customer research,
validated, circulated and embraced.
Solution
Five breath lessons for a breathless business
25

26. Thank you
26