Recent Posts by Dan Steiner

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but that’s easy to forget when the CFO is blowing up your inbox with requests for a leaner marketing plan. How can CMOs defend their operating budgets, while still maximizing opportunities to defend the balance sheet? The Art of Right-sizing a Marketing Budget Starts with Reassessing How You’re Communicating Value to the C-suite I remember the lean days of the Great Recession – hoping for the economy to come bursting back so I could worry...

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past few years, it’s that David really can take it to Goliath in a 21st century marketplace. Today's Davids are small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) that act as “disruptors,” while modern-day Goliaths that have been swept into the dustbin of economic history include Sears, Toys R Us, and RadioShack. The way that consumers connect with brands, make a buying decision, and receive goods and services is changing. Innovative companies,...

In my previous article, I discussed how CMOs can lead more diverse teams and elevate employee engagement in 2019. Last year around this time, I took a hard look at the ways CMOs can mitigate risks when bringing in outside teams. A fresh calendar year is fast approaching. So, I’d like to dive deeper into ways CMOs can protect both their ideas and talent from falling into enemy hands. And I’ll provide an update on how data security is changing in 2019, which is also creating...

Chief Marketing Officers, you can’t be a chief if you aren’t leading a team, and every CMO knows that creating powerful marketing campaigns is a team sport. CMOs Will Battle the Temptation for Creatives to Job Hop in 2019 In 2019, employers will need to be ready to go above and beyond to compete for the best talent. In the latest BLS report, unemployment remained steady at 3.7%. This is the highest level of employment in America since 1969. This means it has never been easier...

Most millennials prefer texting to talking on the phone, and it’s more and more accepted in all generations. For instance, when you fill a prescription, the pharmacy texts to let you know when it’s ready. Text messages can now be used as evidence in deciding legal cases. What I’m saying is that text messaging now has great potential as a marketing channel.  In the world of marketing, we talk a lot about content marketing. “Content is king!” But what does that mean for...

The job of a CMO has never been more difficult. Consumers are spending a huge part of their lives in a virtual world, powered by digital content and social media feeds. We might be using the same fiber optic cables, but the shape and form of the content we send through these digital pipelines is changing at the speed of light. The social media landscape is changing dramatically. Facebook is losing ground to Reddit among millennials – an interesting trend that was predictable in...

As an outside marketing consultant working in the corporate arena, much of my day is spent chasing down approvals for campaigns, ad schemes and promotions. Even career, in-house marketing gurus struggle at times with the many sign-offs that are needed to move a project forward. Allow me to offer a brief word of advice to companies looking to leverage the fresh perspective of an outside consultant: Please, streamline the approval process as much as possible. Most outside...

CMOs have a tough enough job as it is. The way that consumers interact with their brands is changing at lightning speed. And there’s the constant drumbeat of new technology disrupting traditional advertising channels. To keep up with the rapid pace of change, it’s tempting to broaden the circle and find new perspectives to help create fresh marketing strategies. But, you need to balance this gut instinct with the reality that your marketing strategies are your...

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve witnessed CMOs get bullied into adding “just one more thing” the customer experience during a boardroom meeting. It’s tough to say no. Everyone wants to move the needle and deliver an exceptional quarter, but sometimes the answer needs to be no, or a compromise needs to be made. For example, I consulted for a startup last year that was in the perfect position to disrupt their industry. As the finishing touches were being put on the...