Chief Marketing Officer News (CMO), Data Science, Technology
8 mins read

Data maturity: a top focus point for the CMO in 2022

Eveline Smet

Founder & Growth Strategist
Graph illustrating the growth of AI in marketing and various AI marketing use cases across different industries

There is no denying the importance of data when it comes to creating winning marketing strategies. Not only does data allow CMOs to better understand their target audiences, but it can also help them to identify opportunities and track the performance of their campaigns. Additionally, data-driven marketing has become a valuable way for companies to demonstrate their level of maturity, both to potential customers and to investors. As such, CMOs who want to succeed in today's competitive business climate must be able to effectively incorporate data into all aspects of their marketing efforts.

CMOs are increasingly relying on data and analytics to inform their marketing strategy and drive results. However, many companies still struggle with siloed data and a lack of insight into key performance indicators (KPIs) and revenue data.

To successfully navigate this landscape, CMOs must take an innovative approach to driving data maturity within their marketing teams. This involves collaborating with various stakeholders across the organization, leveraging technology solutions that streamline data collection and analysis, and creating a culture of data-driven decision making.

Building strong teams that are equipped with the right tools and technologies, such as data mining software, predictive analytics software, and CRM systems is crucial. It also means investing in data science training so that your team members have the skills needed to effectively analyze and interpret data. Above all, it means making data-driven decisions that consistently lead to better results for your organization. So if you’re looking for an edge in today’s crowded marketing landscape, focus on using data as a key component of your winning strategies. Access to detailed information about customer behavior, preferences, and trends on buying behaviors provide valuable insights that help shape your marketing strategy. CMOs who are able to use data effectively can give their team a significant competitive edge.

After all, data really is the key ingredient for success!

Marketers who have a long-term view tend to have an advantage when pursuing growth. This is because they are able to take a more strategic approach, rather than making decisions based on short-term objectives. Heavily investing in campaigns and media will drive short term results, but more long term marketing tactics such as content creation, SEO optimisation and the implementation of marketing automation are at the core of a long term strategy.

It is essential to focus on inbound marketing techniques that rely on quality content and SEO best practices in order to build brand awareness and engage potential customers in meaningful ways. By creating valuable content that speaks directly to the needs of your target audience, you can earn the trust of consumers and establish yourself as a trusted authority in your industry. Additionally, well-optimized web pages and smart use of keywords can help drive traffic to your website and improve your search ranking, further enhancing your visibility in the online space. With these strategic approaches, businesses can create sustainable marketing campaigns that will continue to deliver value long into the future. All of these tactics rely heavily on internal and external data.

As the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect, organizations are scrambling to ensure that their data practices are compliant. For Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs), this means having a clear data maturity strategy that takes the long view. Short-term fixes will not suffice; rather, CMOs need to consider how their data will be collected, managed, and used over time. This requires both the right tools and the right processes.

Nowadays, many companies are hiring Data Protection Officers (DPO’s) to help with the overall data strategy. This is definitely not an easy mission. Fortunately, there are many GDPR-compliant data management tools available on the market.

RESPONSUM, for instance, is an intuitive and fully EU-based privacy management SaaS solution (disclaimer: and a client of The Growth Agency), which helps DPO’s execute faster and more efficiently.

By taking the time to implement a robust data strategy, CMOs  and DPOs can safeguard their organizations against hefty fines and ensure that their marketing campaigns are built on a foundation of customer trust.

"Governance Data discovery", "Data quality", "Security and privacy", and "Mindset and culture change"

CMO's who want to drive more data maturity in their marketing teams should focus on these 5 principles.

1. Governance

The first step is to establish clear roles and responsibilities within the organization. Who will be responsible for collecting, managing, and analyzing the data?

2. Data discovery

The next step is to establish what data is available, where it resides, and how it can be accessed. This data mapping exercise will help identify gaps and opportunities.

3. Data quality

Once the data has been gathered, it needs to be cleaned and organised. 

4. Security and privacy

It is essential to ensure that your data is protected from unauthorized access or theft. This requires robust data security measures including encryption, firewalls, and user authentication procedures.

5. Mindset and culture change

A successful data governance program starts with the right mindset. All members of the organization must be committed to protecting data and maintaining its accuracy. With the right attitude in place, the rest of the data governance program will fall into place.

Want to read more on how to get your marketing team to the next level regarding data maturity? 

There are a lot of marketing data tools out there, and it can be tough to decide which one is best for your business. One way to narrow down your options is to look at the Gartner Quadrant. This quadrant ranks popular data tools based on their ability to execute and their completeness of vision.

 Tools that rank highly in both categories are considered market leaders, while those that only rank highly in one category are considered niche players. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, it’s important to compare the features of each tool to see which one best meets your needs. For example, some tools offer real-time data, while others only offer historical data. Some tools are better suited for small businesses, while others are more robust and ideal for larger businesses. By considering all of these factors, you can choose the best marketing data tool for your business.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect on May 25, 2018, businesses must take extra steps to protect the personal data of European Union (EU) citizens.

This includes obtaining explicit consent from users before collecting, storing, or sharing their data. As a result, many companies have had to revise their marketing strategies and invest in new GDPR compliant marketing tools. CRMs and marketing automation platforms now allow businesses to segment their audiences and tailor their communications accordingly. In addition, new cookies policies and Google Analytics settings have been put in place to ensure that only the minimum amount of data is collected. By investing in GDPR compliant marketing tools, businesses can protect themselves from costly fines and maintain the trust of their customers.

At the moment, popular marketing tools such as Google Analytics and Hubspot are NOT GDPR compliant, although taking steps to become more compliant in the future. More and more EU based companies are looking to change their current tech stack and opt for European SaaS tools in order to ensure GDPR compliance.

The future of business is data driven. In order to stay competitive, companies must make data a priority. The CMO has an important role to take on to ensure a data driven and compliant future while creating growth and driving revenue. In addition, the CMO must be able to work with other departments to ensure compliance with data privacy laws and regulations. With the right skill set, the CMO can take on this important role of ensuring a data driven and compliant future while creating growth and driving revenue. And by aligning his or her efforts with the board’s expectations, the CMO can position him or herself as the driving force behind the company’s growth.

Want to check how data-driven your company is? Do this short test and get your data maturity score>>

Questions? Comments? Ideas! We’d love to hear from you! do not hesitate to drop us a note 😊

Eveline Smet

Founder & Growth Strategist

Eveline is our founder and the one who eats strategy for breakfast. She is in charge of budgets, KPI’s and growth plans. During her high school years, Eveline was wearing baggy pants and listening to 2PAC & Biggy. We have proof. Just ask. If you ever catch her looking off into the distance, it’s either because she wants to order sushi or she’s hungry thinking of ways to increase your profit. She’s also the biggest victim of marketing. But the biggest office sweetheart.

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