Steve Boehler

As one who interacts with CMOs all the time I can tell you this topic is at or near the top of their collective priority list. And while I am skeptical of those who espouse best practices when it comes to generative AI - only because it is so nascent - I felt compelled to share this particular piece from my fellow CMSWire scribe, Tiffany Holland Why? Glad you asked. I felt compelled for the simple fact I agree with everything Tiffany opined on, which she breaks down into four truths, which are below along with my brief commentary. Do yourself a favor and read her piece. ➡️ Truth #1: Inaction With Generative AI in Marketing Is the Greatest Risk Yes, yes and YES. If I could climb the highest mountain I would and bellow this to the masses below. This ain't the time to "sit this one out" whilst the rest of the world, AKA your competition is taking full advantage. ➡️ Truth #2: Generative AI Offers More Value Than Just Operational Efficiency Tiffany deftly writes of the "narrow view" many CMOs and marketers have of Gen AI, which "offers only short-term benefits and overlooks the true power of machine learning." Dating myself big time here but this reminded me of the late 70's campaign professing that orange juice is not just for breakfast anymore. https://lnkd.in/e95uWbex ➡️ Truth #3: Generative AI Solutions Fails in the Traditional Marketing Model "Generative AI won’t deliver its full potential if organizations try to plug it into outdated operating models." Full Stop! Read and re-read that over and over and over and then, for the love of all things Holy, do NOT blame Gen AI if you do not adhere to this sage advice. ➡️ Truth #4: Ethical Governance of Generative AI in Marketing Is Critical I love that Tiffany saved this one for last because it is THE most important truth, by far. Gen AI and AI in general, is very much akin to the wild west right now; no rules of governance other than those self-imposed. Brands MUST self-govern the way they use Gen AI if for no other reason, it is the ethical thing to do. Please share your thoughts on all of this. I love a good conversation and yes, a debate if need be. Jeanniey John Aakansha Srota Manny Shelly Lou Jeff Raja Ted Lee David Alma Dom Rhonda #ai #GenAI #cmo

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Squeezing the value: This article from Forrester suggests B2B CMO's aren't really expecting much in the way of budget increases next year. https://shorturl.at/FfVks, so getting the biggest bang for your marketing bucks is more crucial than ever. 💲 When KoalaB2B launched back in April, we did so because we believe in the power of #intent #data and its ability to shine a light on early buying behavior. 💳 Intent data is proving valuable to many. ZoomInfo's customer impact report suggests 62% of marketers engage more in-market accounts through intent. https://shorturl.at/4k4TR and plenty of others are achieving increased pipeline results. 🈺 So, if you're looking to maximise your budget and drive targeted leads through intent data then come check out www.koalab2b.com 🐨

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The #generativeAI revolution is currently in full swing. Don't miss out on getting yourself and your team up to speed. Follow these experts to learn more and reach out to Zach Coffin if you are interested in the Caylor Solutions Masterclass Trainings specific for #highered #marketing teams. 1. Dr. Ethan Mollick, Professor at The Wharton School 2. Dr. Jules White, Professor at Vanderbilt University and Coursera Courses 3. Dr. Gil Appel, The George Washington University School of Business 4. Jaime Hunt, CMO at Old Dominion University 5. Dave Hunt, Director Digital Marketing/Creative Director, Old Dominion University 6. Brian Piper, Director Content Strategy, University of Rochester 7. Andrew C., Senior Social Media Strategist, Middlebury College 8. Kyle Campbell, The Education Marketer, UK 9. Raffi DerSimonian, VP and Chief Strategy Officer, ERI 10. Dan Sanchez, AI-Driven Marketer 11. Ardis Kadiu, CEO, Element451 12. Rory Flynn, Midjourney expert and trainer 13. The Higher Ed Marketer (podcast frequently featuring AI) 14. Enrollify (various higher ed podcasts, including Generative AI) Who would you add? Leave your suggestions in the comments! #highereducation #enrollmentmarketing #enrollment

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Dumping your CMO as a scapegoat for lost sales? Think again. In many cases, they're not responsible. As the shortest tenured executive at most companies, CMOs are an easy target. But cutting them may not be the right answer if other leaders are making all the client-side decisions. Perhaps it's time for more companies to consider a Fractional CMO and reevaluate who really owns sales decisions, sales leadership, and client relationships. Often, it's not the CMO's responsibility at all. #CMO #MarketingExecutive #MarketingLeader #CreativeLeader #CreativeExecutive

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By integrating these insights into our lives, we can build a future where truth, innovation, well-being, and empowerment are the cornerstones of our progress.

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In many discussions of decision-making for a business, multiple contradictory approaches are frequently presented. The most common approach to improve profits is using analytics versus intuition. We prefer the use of complimentary rather than contradictory approaches to improve profitability at an organization. Read this informative blog post for several examples of multiple approaches that also illustrate some key decision-making tools:

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How KPMG’s CMO is promoting Generative AI within the consulting giant by Drew Neisser 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁: "We’ve realized that AI won’t replace humans—but humans using AI will replace those who aren’t." I applaud Lauren Wagner Boyman’s commitment to upskilling the marketing team's AI acumen. This is the necessary step to transform business as usual in an AI world. I'm curious how your company prepares its workforce to incorporate AI into your team members' everyday work.  Comment below ⤵️

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In 60 minutes, I’ll give you a crash course on how strategists can use ChatGPT to write strategy, find insights, and create benefit ladders. I’ll also reveal my 10 best question prompts. Sign up here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gpS8-4Ae

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“The Growth Fairy” - new cartoon and post https://lnkd.in/ga_AK7EW I was struck by an observation from J. Walker Smith, Chief Knowledge Officer at Kantar: “The foundational prerequisite of growth is the courage to grow. Impediments to growth sit within a company itself. Growth is rarely hostage to the marketplace.” I like the idea that a brand is not “hostage to the marketplace” — that marketers can take agency for brand results separate from what’s happening in the outside world. There has always been myth-making and wish-casting in what it actually takes for a brand to grow. Thanks to the work of Kantar and others, we have more data-driven resources to help guide our approach. A few months ago, Kantar released the results of a giant research study into what they believe drives brand growth — an analysis of 6.5 billion global attitudinal and shopper data points from the last 10 years. Kantar’s big takeaway is that “brands that are ‘meaningfully different’ to ‘more people’ command 5X penetration today and real advantage in penetration growth over the next two years.” They expand this into three simple rules for growth: 1) predispose more people, 2) be more present, and 3) find new space. It’s been 14 years since Byron Sharp of Ehrenberg-Bass wrote “How Brands Grow” and famously challenged the idea of “meaningful differentiation”: “Rather than striving for meaningful, perceived differentiation, marketers should seek meaningless distinctiveness. Branding lasts, differentiation doesn’t.” I find it interesting that Kantar reaches a different conclusion than Ehrenberg-Bass on the importance of differentiation. In marketing, like other areas of business, reasonable people can disagree. It’s a reminder that ultimately there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for growth. But it’s all better than placing our hopes on the Growth Fairy. For related cartoons and all the links in this post, click here: https://lnkd.in/ga_AK7EW To sign up for my weekly marketoon email newsletter, click here: https://lnkd.in/gteDRRTd #marketing #cartoon #marketoon

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What an excellent survey conducted by Amárach Research and IAPI - Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland. By diving deep into the CFO's perspective, we have gained valuable insights into the perception gaps that exist and, reassuringly, where we are entirely aligned. It's interesting to see that auditors and law firms are perceived as delivering greater value to the business, highlighting the importance of making ROI a central part of our discussions. This is a critical hurdle for us as an industry. While we deliver huge value to clients, we perhaps haven't showcased this enough. This is a brilliant action point from which we can all learn. Thanks to Gerard O'Neill, Margaret Gilsenan, and Charley Stoney and the team for such an insightful report.

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"In a world of rapidly advancing technology, changing customer attitudes, and unpredictable trends, marketing is evolving at lightning speed. The role of the CMO must also change to fit the changing needs of modern organizations, overseeing not only branding and marketing activities but also business growth and customer experience." If your background isn't heavy in growth, we can help get you up to speed. https://lnkd.in/gHp7xueh

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You nailed it, Marc Appel! Great article articulating the #GenAI adoption journey. I suspect your lions are slightly less aggressive on the upside of the “U” curve. Here’s an image that DALL-E and I generated to commemorate your success.

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Trust is declining. Marketing leaders feel it. Are there large forces at play, or is some of it is our “own damn fault” (h/t Jimmy Buffett). The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer identifies significant skepticism about AI and technology innovation. The public doesn’t fully believe that business leaders can reduce risk and protect information when implementing or using this technology. That’s the larger force: tech marketing teams are attempting to engage and influence an audience with a distinct trust bias. However, closer to home, tech marketing leaders deal with business leaders who are influenced by the, often exaggerated, promise of AI and technology innovation. Firm leaders may believe AI will bring productivity and speed to marketing and are asking marketing teams to do more with less. Sometimes, a lot less. Is that fair? Probably not. But is everything “fair”? Nope. However, as marketing leaders, we must be honest and realistic about impacts, results, and expectations. Here’s how I’ve seen this play out: Firm leader: “We don’t need to invest in strategy and client research because ChatGPT will do that in minutes.” Marketing leader: ....crickets….🦗 Firm leader: “We can increase the quantity of our content, social posts, and ad generation using AI with no additional spending.” Marketing leader: ….crickets….🦗 If unrealistic expectations aren’t discussed and resolved, it creates problems. When unrealistic (but stated) expectations aren’t met, trust erodes. That’s the “it’s our own damn fault” scenario. Marketing leaders must proactively work on trust, even when difficult conversations occur. 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 If you are a marketing leader of a tech consulting firm and want to build trust in this low-trust world, start with these four (4) actions: 1️⃣ Have difficult conversations and avoid leaving unrealistic expectations unaddressed.  2️⃣ Be transparent about intent, plans, budgets, and results. 3️⃣ Put client and firm success above marketing (vanity metrics). 4️⃣ Be consistent, reliable, and honest. #ITconsulting #techconsulting #trust I’m David Smith, a marketing leader for tech consulting firms. How can I help your firm? ➡️ Becoming your marketing leader (fractional CMO). ➡️ Helping you define your marketing strategy and plan. ➡️ Establishing a marketing system to get the results you want.

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Worth a listen and then a contemplation. FutureView thoughts from my friend and inspiring colleague J. Walker Smith about the consumer mindset today based on Kantar insights and Walker's custom blend of additional research. I admit to finding a few surprises in here, and love the simplicity of "BORING" as a construct for how consumers are navigating continued disruption and the always-on frenetic pace. #consumerinsights #customer #brand

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As a CMO, the pressure to drive results and make an impact is immense. And in those times when everything seems to be hitting a dead end, some of the most important things CMOs can do are: ✅ Revisit the company's core vision, mission, and values. By doing so, you realign the entire organisation around its greater purpose. Also, ensure marketing is consistent. Brands have been shown to benefit from a 33% revenue increase when they consistently present their brand values, image, and messaging across all marketing channels. ✅ Double down on making real human connections through your messaging. Gather and share real customer stories, replace corporate jargon with conversational language, and interact through influencers that your audience trusts. Consumers with an emotional connection to a brand stay with that brand for an average of 5.1 years versus 3.4 years. ✅ Tap into the deeper 'why' behind your brand. Consumers trust brands that stand for something beyond just profits. Whether it's sustainability, social justice or supporting local communities, it's your responsibility to discover and activate your brand's greater purpose. But beware of hollow posturing. You must genuinely live those values to stand for them. ✅ Finally, participate in the conversation, both externally and internally. The best ideas come through open dialogue and idea sharing. If you have any other important ideas to share - please add them to the comments; thanks! #marketing #strategy #leadership #strategicmarketing

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Simple and easy to understand way to help teams and leaders make decisions.

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Still need convincing that AI should be in your marketing strategy? ADWEEK just published an eye-opening article with this vital statistic: 75% of CMOs are witnessing AI's positive impact. From optimizing data segmentation to enhancing personalization, AI is revolutionizing our industry. Despite budget constraints, AI helps us achieve more with less. Combining AI with the expertise of virtual assistants ensures that the data-driven insights have a personal touch, making the approach even more effective and affordable. AI isn't just about efficiency; it's about elevating customer experience. Embrace AI and embrace the future of marketing. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/d4YZtaV8 #Marketing #AI #Innovation #CMO #FutureOfMarketing

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Marketing needs marketing! @ed see and I are here at Association of National Advertisers "Masters of Marketing" sharing additional findings to help CEO's and CMO's put marketing at their core growth strategy. Big shoutout to Bob Liodice and Nick Primola for spearheading this important research.

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