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Top Issues For Marketers In 2022

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What are the top-of-mind issues for marketing leaders heading into 2022? Below, I share thoughts from a number of different CMOs.

Bruce Hershey, CMO Piper’s Scratch Pizza Shop (former CMO, Tailored Brands)

“Attracting new customers and retaining them by leveraging digital and traditional tactics that are supported by a seamless loyalty program that provides a richer customer experience.”

Lou Paskalis, President and Chief Operating Officer of MMA Global

“I believe the industry is facing the greatest opportunity – and imperative - we’ve ever had to restore trust in the digital ecosystem. Cookie deprecation, regulatory activism, rising consumer expectations have all conspired to make 2022 the year of “consent-based marketing solutions.” Marketers are waking up to the fact that they are accountable for the actions of their solution providers, whether we’re talking GDPR, CPRA or, perhaps most importantly, in the court of public opinion and they are clarifying their expectations about the quality of the permissions that they expect their vendors have in hand. The future of our business, could and should be seen as “consent first” and we have an opportunity to clean sheet how we cultivate permission by providing consumers greater incentives, transparency and controls in exchange for the ability to examine their non-PII behavioral data for insights to deliver better experiences.”

Christine Purcell, Chief Marketing Officer, Twin Health

“We are an ambitious brand, establishing a new category to provide truly personalized healthcare by creating a dynamic digital twin of each person’s unique metabolic system, enabled by the world’s most advanced technology. Top-of-mind for me is pioneering this new space altogether. I am looking to reimagine how healthcare is marketed today, speaking to people’s hearts and minds, and ultimately empowering people to reverse and prevent chronic metabolic disease. This bridges brand and growth. We approach our work simultaneously through the left and right sides of our collective brain — being diligently strategic and beautifully creative.”

Zeynep Inanoglu Ozdemir, CMO, Palo Alto Networks

“I think what is top of mind for any cybersecurity executive this year is ensuring more businesses and organizations are protected against cyber threats. After a year where we saw cyber attacks showing up regularly in news headlines, taking down critical infrastructure and resulting in data breaches impacting hundreds of millions of people, we all have to think about what role we play to move the needle in an industry that has to catch-up with attackers. I see myself as an engineer gifted with the ability to simplify and communicate complex concepts - and I know that is one of the most critical things we need to do around cybersecurity right now. Reduce the noise, increase the signal so that people truly understand the state-of-the-art in cybersecurity technology and how it can protect them. As marketers, we have an important role to play: to deeply understand and communicate the cyber risks that exist to the organizations of the world and help them make the right decisions to address them. I am a big believer in credible marketing, marketing that is first and foremost about enlightening the customers and providing hard evidence for them to consider. Second is about selling products and services.” 

Mollie Spilman, CRO, Oracle Advertising & Marketing

“Like many leaders today, I am really focused on our talent – how we recruit the best team, how we retain our top folks, supporting employee engagement in our D&I initiatives, ERGs (employee resource groups), and other ways we can empower them to bring their whole self to work. And of course, having an amazing team is aligned with putting in place more programs that put our customer’s needs at the forefront to bring them the right solutions and services to address their biggest pain points.” 

Marina MacDonald, CMO, Red Roof Inn

“In the wake of the last two years, the marketing function at Red Roof has evolved, but the basics are still top-of-mind. For our team, that would have to be the efficacy of our omnichannel marketing messages – seamless touchpoints with guests and prospective guests as they move down the funnel. Our marketing is entirely guest centric. I want to make sure that as the channels and the technology evolve, we stay consistent across the spectrum. Are our emails telling the same story as the consumer mobile app? And is the app aligned with social? Guest-focused, channel appropriate and consistent. That’s what is first for me as we start a new calendar year. For example, this past quarter, we doubled down on our efforts to drive downloads of our free app to help customers stay informed on the latest happenings and offers. A multi-channel push that included a $1 donation for each download to the American Cancer Society resulted in more than 3,000 downloads in a 14-day period. It’s key for us to message not only offerings but also continue to remind our guests our commitment to community and organizations through our Room in Your Heart program. We will continue to focus on these integrated efforts as we look ahead.”

Doug Zarkin, CMO, Pearle Vision

“At the core of our 2022 marketing focus is the continued growth of our patient base. With that comes a requirement to continue to enhance the patient experience earning the trust they have in our eye care experts and the eventual goal of driving a true personalize perfect pair at their neighborhood Pearle Vision.”

Gretchen Garrigues, Former global CMO at Manulife, First Data (Fiserv), and GE Capital

“A key priority is building better digital experiences and more authentic, inclusive, and purpose-driven marketing to drive growth. In 2022, high-growth brands will use purpose not just as part of their brand messaging, but also to inspire how their business delivers products and services as well as to articulate a set of values to guide employee decision-making. As CMO, driving that transformation means building trust and requires the use of data, analytics, and customer insights to cut through all the noise, creating a holistic and authentic purpose that resonates with customers and employees alike. I saw this come to life during my tenure as EVP and Global CMO for Manulife when we launched the 133-year-old company’s first purpose-driven global rebranding, resulting not only in increased brand awareness but also in mobilizing our 35,000 employees and 100,000 agents increasing engagement to 94%.”

Josh Cole, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, TITLE Boxing Club (former CMO, Sky Zone)

“Top of mind for me are the mental health challenges weighing on so many people in our communities — high stress, anxiety and worse — and how we can channel resources to help. These challenges are manifesting themselves in many ways, from increased rates of disorderly conduct and aggression (such as the widely-discussed airplane passenger unruliness) to the soaring rate of teen depression that sparked the recent public advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General. The mental health issues are relevant to businesses because they impact both customers and team members, especially those on the front lines of consumer-facing service industries. A key priority for my team and me is to create programs, experiences and customer-service interactions that promote mental wellness and a positive sense of community.” 

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