Ten years ago, you wouldn't find a CMO in most companies.
As "the new kid on the block," the CMO often finds it hard to fit in and measure up to the C-suite's old-timers.
According to venture capitalist Tim Kopp, while CMOs are true mavericks, they all boil down to seven types—and no one type has all the skills needed to lead most brands today.
The seven types are:
The Thought Leader. This CMO can create a product category and evangelize for it. They're storytellers, speakers, and visionaries.
The Growth Hacker. This CMO "goes deep into Excel spreadsheets to drive bottom-up demand-gen programs," Kopp says. They often come from marketing ops or finance.
The Product Marketer. This CMO is fluent in tech-speak and adroit in pricing, packaging, messaging, and analyst relations.
The Brand Marketer. This CMO understands how to develop a brand's look and feel. They often come from B2C companies.
The Growth Hacker. This CMO "goes deep into Excel spreadsheets to drive bottom-up demand-gen programs," Kopp says. They often come from marketing ops or finance.
The Product Marketer. This CMO is fluent in tech-speak and adroit in pricing, packaging, messaging, and analyst relations.
The Brand Marketer. This CMO understands how to develop a brand's look and feel. They often come from B2C companies.
The Strategist. This CMO is "great at understanding where the company’s solution fits in the market, what key strategic moves to make, and how to approach important decisions." They're especially good at driving strategic partnerships.
The Culture Builder. This CMO knows how to engage employees in the mission of the business and rally teams to achieve departmental goals.
The All-Around Athlete. This CMO is the ideal type, "but good luck finding one," Kopp warns. They know enough to be dangerous in every area of marketing, but can only make things happen when they hire people who compensate for their weaknesses.
