Successful marketers ‘talk like the CFO and think like the CEO,’ finds Canon and CIM whitepaper

London, UK, 11 July, 2011— Canon Europe, world-leader in imaging solutions, today announces findings from the first stage of a European-wide research project carried out jointly with The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). The Global Benchmarking study, ‘Unlock the value of creative,’ suggests that businesses must initiate a culture change to succeed in doing more with less and break down internal silos to achieve creative campaign management and delivery.

During the first stage of the research project, carried out earlier this year, Canon Europe and CIM undertook 35 in-depth interviews with senior marketers from European organisations across a variety of sectors in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Norway.  The whitepaper, which discusses interim findings, (available to download here) suggests seven trends in an industry where marketers are being forced to utilise and manage multiple channels:

1. Cost control as a way of life 

2. The changing digital landscape is leading to disruptions and opportunities 

3. The increasingly central role of technology within business 

4. The need for collaboration and breaking down of silos 

5. The need to share best practice across an organisation 

6. Unlocking value through an holistic approach to creative assets and processes 

7. The consistent use of measurement

Overwhelmingly, marketers agree that businesses need to go further than just relying on cost saving mechanisms, which are in most cases already completely integrated into processes. The whitepaper stresses to marketers that innovation, and ‘thinking beyond’ using digital technology and systems, is the key to ensure that they have the full support of the board in order to deliver successful campaigns.

During discussions between senior marketers at the recent launch of the whitepaper, it was asserted that a marketing role in business is improved if the CEO has the marketing gene and marketers can speak the CFO’s language.

Canon is calling for senior marketing, brand and communications practitioners throughout Europe to participate in the second phase of the project, which will focus on addressing some of the issues identified in the whitepaper. To complete the second stage online survey, which is 100% confidential, visit www.global-benchmark.com/creative.

Gary Horsfall, Head of Consultancy Services, Canon Europe said: “Today’s marketers are faced with unprecedented challenges from the economy, the industry, their competitors, the multitude of technologies at their disposal and also from internal stakeholder demands. However, with these challenges comes opportunity and smart marketers have a clear chance to lead a cultural change within their organisation and put marketing at the top of the boardroom agenda. Our work with CIM is aimed at showing how businesses can unlock the value of their creative assets and harness the power of people, content and technology in new and dynamic ways.”

Thomas Brown, head of insights at CIM said: “Businesses are no longer preoccupied with cost: it is value that creates business return. Cost control being a process norm, businesses must adapt to survive in the technological revolution. This should be a collaborative approach from across the organisation, not executed in silos, and marketers should be at the head of this.”

The project’s advisory panel (which includes senior marketing figures at organisations including Barclays, Coca-Cola, RSA Group and 3M) will be blogging about the challenges of unlocking the value of creative at www.unlockthevalueofcreative.com.