So, you want to be a CMO at a large company. Well, be prepared to last only 23.2 months according to Greg Welch, who heads the marketing officer practice for the executive search firm Spencer Stuart, Chicago.

“Welch said there are several things behind the turnover rate. First is that CMOs need to do a better job of communicating with all their peers at the C-suite level, making sure everyone understands what marketing can and can’t do for the entire company.

Next is that CMOs need to expand their role from a narrow definition of marketing to one that helps set the agenda for the entire company. And finally “CMOs need to continue to think strategically and ensure that they are in synch with the CEO’s vision of where the company is heading,” Welch said. “We find that the best marketing leaders are able to not only get aligned with the chief executive, but also are able to serve as one of the chief architects for that vision. The data simply suggests that CMOs are being given less and less time to get it done.”

I agree with Welch’s take. But, we must also believe that marketing itself is not as highly regarded or as well understood by senior manangement as it should be, the CMO’s are not given the time to make things happen (it takes longer than 2 years to turn most Fortune 1000 ships around), sales (the barometer) is usually another department headed by other executives who may not play well with the other children) and finally, please don’t hit me… most marketing execs are not that good at their jobs. I only say this after working with and observing marketers over the past 25 years.

Alice LaPlante writes in an article, “Creative - and Contagious - Marketing“, in the August 23^rd InformationWeek that spending cash on marketing is, well, not a great idea. She cites Steve Jurvetson’s thoughts on “zero cost” marketing.

“Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson doesn’t see any reason for startups to budget funds for marketing anymore.

Indeed, Jurvetson, a partner with the legendary Silicon Valley venture firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson, has one question for companies that do.

Why?

Instead, Jurvetson tells businesses to go for “zero cost” marketing, where customers themselves spread the word about the products and services for sale. “If they have other plans, we wonder what on earth they are thinking,” says Jurvetson, who coined the phrase “viral marketing” back in 1997 in an influential note published in Netscape’s M-Files newsletter.”

Well, I sort of agree. But “zero” is taking this a bit too far. Yes, viral, influentials, word-of-mouth marketing must be considered for every program. But, announcing that paid marketing is dead and dying is just plain wrong. Hey, VC’s that invested in Google are mighty happy with how paid search  advertising is working.

Alice goes on to point to the 75% sales increase of Whish Body Products due to PR and product seeding – vs. advertising. Yes, I get it. Put the product in the hands of “evangelists” and the word will get out. But, she is talking a 75% increase over what? How am I to really tell what this means?

My take: Do whatever it takes. Sample, PR, WOM and pay for play if you have to. There isn’t one size fits all marketing and I find Jurvetson’s comments a bit disappointing in their simplistic view of the complexities of marketing in 2006.

Here is copy from an email from a “fan” of my Podcasts. I love her rant passion and accept the criticism. But, am I really this over the top?

“I’ve been listening to your podcasts, some are great but some are too focused on YOU and what YOU do and what YOU like, and how great YOU are and everything that your company does. I’ve just finished listening the podcast from 8/21: about anything new and honestly….would you mind stopping with this self praise and self centered approach to podcasting? Yes this is YOUR podcast and yes I don’t have to listen to it but I do want to appreciate the interviews and insight that you bring to us without listening how great you and everything you do is. That one almost made me turn you off. Podcasts are used to promote companies and what someone has to say but at least pretend a bit to make it about the user and about what’s important for those who might do business with you not YOURSELF. So you’re great, so what, isn’t that what every agency out there claims?

They claim it to the point of nausea and nobody cares so I’m surprised you would so heavily advertise yourself and so bluntly use those you interview for your own gain as if you’re doing them a huge favor to giving them a plug, without them you wouldn’t have a podcast. I have been listening to you for a while now, have all of your podcasts and to tell you the truth I would hesitate to do business with you because of fear that all you care about is you and your profit not to help me and my company if I was a customer. Your podcasts should educate marketers and advertising world that it is not all about US and all about what we want and what we think is important but what the audience wants and what they think matters.

Anyways, I am putting you on probation , if I hear couple more podcasts where you pretty much just brag about yourself and call yourself genius while asking your audience to give you material and ideas to actually do your job well I’m going to delete all of the podcasts and not listen to you. It’s honestly boring. Someone once said: NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU, they care about themselves (referring to the audience) and that is true. I don’t care how great you are or how great your company is, you should entice me with knowledge and inspire me to work with you or hire you not make me listen to bs that doesn’t matter. I don’t want to waste my time lstening to someone stroking their ego for 10+ minutes of MY TIME.

Hope you think about this and take it as honest constructive criticism”

Consider myself probated!

Google’s Music Trends provides insight to what imusic is popular today - as in right now c/o what people are listening to on their computers. This is achieved by taking a global look at Google’s Google Talk membership. Nice idea, but the downside is that I have no idea how many people participate and therefore have their music habits aggregated. Like many Google services Music Trends (defined right here) is a secret unless you are a member of Google Talk (ever heard of this one?)

I think that I am fairly plugged in, but this Google service came to me out of left field. As I posted earlier… Is Google in the hobby business? Why are they creating these things and then letting them languish?

Well, he scores on his Blog. Just look at the number of comments that this actor gets (243, 546, 501, 393, 189.) He is one of the very few who actually understands how to leverage the Internet to build relationships with his audience.

Oh, he has over 30,000 friends on MySpace growing at 1,000 per day.