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.

If Google is about search then they are a winner. If they are about their other services then… no.

Take a look at the numbers in the chart from Hitwise. You’ll see that Google’s traffic is squarely centered on search and that Google’s new fangled puppies like Gmail, maps and toolbar, to name a few, are performing poorly.

Yes, Google is doing just fine. But they have cadres of engineers working on the new things. I think what they maybe missing at HQ are a couple of marketers and a bit of marketing. If I was a share holder, I would be starting to ask… wuz up?

I mentioned my new white paper on mobile marketing in Podcast #025. A couple of people have asked me where it is. So… here it is.

This is the second part of my interview with Michael Donahue, the Executive Vice President of the four A’s, that’s the American Association of Advertising Agencies.

This interview includes Michael’s views on what clients should look for when choosing an advertising agency: Strategically smart, passionate and without preconceived ideas about what media and marketing techniques to use. Wait a minute, that’s us!

We also get some quick takes on his views on mobile marketing, video on demand and social media like MySpace.

Dig in.

I reference my white paper on mobile marketing in the Podcast. Here it is.

Listen Now:

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