600 marketers worldwide comment on the future of marketing

A big focus is now on building internal customer analytics and digital resource capabilities. Advertising agencies will take a back seat as the "client-side" starts to deploy new marketing performance platforms and build its own internal competencies for improving go-to-market effectiveness and accountability.

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council consists of a network of roughly 4000 invited senior marketers worldwide who share their experience and skills for the benefit of the global marketing community. Approximately 600 members, including Chris Moerdyk, took part in providing data for this project.

Among the top level findings:

• Investing in digital demand generation and online relationship building ranks among the top initiatives being taken to maximize the impact and value of marketing in 2010
• 38 per cent of respondents say they are exploring alternative media and new routes to market, while 62 percent will be crunching customer data to improve segmentation and targeting
• Some 35 percent of marketers expect to initiate or undertake transformational marketing projects to improve go-to-market effectiveness

The 60-plus-page report is now available for download and includes key data points specific to:

• Top accomplishments in the preceding year and management mandates for the year ahead
• How current economic conditions and business factors and forces are impacting plans and budgets
• Breakdown of spend across operational and demand generation activities, along with detailed data about the shifts in where and how marketing dollars are being allocated
• Strategic initiatives and investments to increase marketing efficiency, proficiency and effectiveness

• Evaluation and embrace of digital marketing systems, programs and alternative media channels

Visit http://www.cmocouncil.org/resources/form_2010_marketing_outlook.asp to download the report today. The full report, containing all data, charts, commentary and detailed findings is available for a fee but a complimentary executive summary is also available for download.