EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE

Helena Mah is a CMO Council Advisory Board Member and a senior executive who takes a vision and makes it a reality. She is a transformational leader able to inspire and empower individuals to unlock their potential and innovate to accelerate growth. Currently, in a fractional CMO capacity and as a Management and Business Consultant at Drop of Milk, she is supporting ambitious international Enterprises in the definition of their Business and Commercial strategy, helping them to grow and scale their business, and achieve a higher impact on the market. Mah is driving ongoing business development by better addressing the challenges of and transforming for tomorrow by enabling innovation, tech adoption, and delivery of customer value. Her White Paper, “A Blueprint for Shaping Marketing's Future Impact and Driving Profitable Growth”, published by CMO Council, delves into three key themes that will define the CMO journey in the coming year, and provides actionable insights to help elevate your strategy.

As CMOs, our role is evolving, and it's crucial to not only understand the waves of change hitting us but also to harness them for positive transformation. In the dynamic landscape of marketing, 2024 presents challenges and opportunities that demand a strategic recalibration.

1. Empower Marketing Teams with AI Integration: Riding the Wave of Transformation

In 2023, AI emerged as a powerful force, yet its true impact on marketing remains uncertain. The future success of our organizations hinges not just on technology but on effectively integrating it with our people. Building AI-enabled marketing teams is not about replacing humans but empowering them with technology. This theme calls for action now to prepare our organizations for an AI-enabled future, ensuring a harmonious collaboration between human creativity and technological skills.

2. Redefine Marketing's Significance in a Changing Enterprise: A Call to Rediscover Purpose

Marketing's shine in the digital era is fading, and AI poses new challenges to our role. However, as we did in the 2000s, it's time to find new paths to value creation. We must communicate a clear vision of growth and reposition marketing as a transformative voice within the enterprise. This theme serves as a call to action, urging CMOs to rediscover the purpose of marketing and reaffirm its position within the enterprise as a vital contributor to business evolution.

3. Harmonize Growth Strategies Across Functions: Beyond Technology to Human Collaboration

While technology is a key player, growth still requires human collaboration. In the pursuit of opportunities, social complexity often hinders our ability to scale impact and drive profitability. "Orchestrate Profitable Growth Across Functions" is a rallying cry to confront organizational challenges. This theme guides CMOs in navigating the complexities of scaling commercial impacts, emphasizing the importance of human collaboration to achieve sustainable growth.

We have spent months understanding the overwhelming challenges the CMOs are faced with and the years and decades of first-hand experience addressing those leveraging data and insight into development to define these critical priorities going forward. These are not just challenges; they're opportunities for us to shape marketing's future and the impact we can deliver.

In the face of economic headwinds. Let's embrace these challenges as catalysts for growth and lead marketing into a future defined by purpose, collaboration, and success.

DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER: Shaping Marketing's Future Impact and Driving Profitable Growth