Finding and Defining the Chief Marketing Officer in the Organization

Abstract: The environment today is characterized by accelerating change in the marketplace and customers are becoming more and more empowered and demanding. To meet these needs organizations have to become more market oriented and work with the customer to create value. However, at the same time, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) has an unclear role definition with conflicting expectations. Drifting away from strategic influence the CMO role is in a vital state and needs to be redefined in the organization.This thesis will investigate Swedish CMOs from business- to- business and business- to- consumer organizations by describing their situation today, the challenges faced and the future actions and capabilities needed for the role. By utilizing existing literature and in-depth case studies the thesis provides a perspective of finding and defining the CMO in the organization.Analyzing the empirical data it can be shown that there is a degree of discrepancy in terms of which model for the CMO role organizations use. By collaborating with other departments and building cross-organizational relationships, the CMO will gain strategic influence and an opportunity to react to the market. Also, adapting to a strategic and top management mindset with a clear business focus will make the CMO relevant again. From an organizational perspective it will be key to define and scope the work of the CMO.