The Changing Role of the Modern Marketer

Want to watch the full discussion? Catch up on our enlightening conversation here:

Prefer to listen? Listen to the podcast on Spotify

Understanding the Role of the Modern Marketer within Telcos

In the new 5G-enabled world, the role of the CMO has become more fluid. We’re having to integrate new technologies and deliver better customer experiences. And do all this while trying to keep our competitive edge, maintain service differentiation and retain brand loyalty.

It’s quite a task! So at Ericsson, as part of our Modern Marketer programme, we wanted to hear from our friends and partners in the telco sector across MELA to find out how they’re approaching these challenges. 

I’ve been chatting with many of my CMO colleagues at different network partners and operators, discovering their pain points, discussing the telco marketing trends and looking at how, together, we can find solutions to better ways of working. 

Gina Azaric, CMO for Telia, is my fabulous first guest. I particularly wanted to pick her brain about her approach to building strong teams and find out how she integrates innovation from a marketing perspective. And I’m delighted that Gina really delivered with some great insights relevant for all the modern marketers out there!

For the full conversation, watch the vodcast or listen to the podcast version. 

Staying ahead of the innovation curve

During the course of our discussion, Gina and I talked about the ever-changing nature of telco. There are numerous channels to be across, the execution is more elaborate and the customer journey is less straightforward.

The pace of change has been significant too: we always have to be thinking about what’s coming next and be at the forefront of innovation. One key area where there have been significant developments is in data. Gina tells me she has seen a change in the way data is being used, where its insights are being implemented in a more actionable – and useful – way.

“I remember when ‘Big Data’ came and all the marketers were so excited… What I see today is that there is not as much hype, but it is much more driven into how we use the relevant data… and that’s how we have matured.”

I’ve witnessed this myself at Ericsson. For example, we’ve been looking at how we connect with our audience. We’ve gained some great insights into how some markets respond more favourably to certain channels. It’s been quite an eye opener. Gina tells me about some fascinating insights Telia discovered about what drives businesses and how they are as motivated by emotions and relationships in the same way consumers are.

A question for modern marketers: How do you utilise your existing innovations to inform marketing activity, and how do you define what should and should not be listened to?

Growing specialist skills in-house

One pressure point resulting from telco’s rapid growth in innovation is having a suitably skilled team. I was interested to know how Gina has approached this. She explains that the complex environment they’re in requires many more specialist skills, and Gina’s solution has been to build specialist teams in-house that plug the skills gap. Now they have teams of cross-functional talent that can create dynamic marketing campaigns.

So, for Gina, as a leader of such a wide-ranging set of individuals, how do you do that? 

“As a marketer, you have your band, your orchestra, and you have to lead that band.” 

The marketer’s remit has changed dramatically. Today a CMO’s role involves leading extremely varied teams to a shared goal. Gina likens her role to that of a conductor in an orchestra. I love that concept! It sums up how modern CMOs provide a confident presence at the front, bringing everyone together harmoniously. It’s something Gina clearly does so well. It can be a difficult transition going from specialist to generalist role. I asked Gina for her tips that have equipped her with this transition. Her advice is to develop strong leadership skills while at the same time trusting her team that they know what they are doing. I wholeheartedly agree!

Of course, effective, cross-functional in-house teams require wisely spent investment – you can hear more about this in our discussion, particularly about knowing when to partner with third parties to alleviate pressure. 

A question for modern marketers: What initiatives or strategies do you currently have to ensure your cross-functional skill gap is being met; now and for the future?

Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable

As ever, change is rapid. Both in the telco industry and in how we approach marketing. It’s something I believe we need to embrace full-on. Part of this involves accepting things may feel challenging, such as handing that complete trust over to team members to do their job.  It’s still a work-in-progress for myself: getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Because if we can’t thrive in uncomfortability and face challenges head-on, then we run the risk of falling behind and failing to deliver the experiences our customers want to see  

And what’s great is that from my conversations with Gina and others, I see CMOs across the telco industry embracing this mindset. I look forward to continuing on my own journey of exploration into becoming a better marketer, and watching the development of those around me also. If you’ve got a story to tell or insights to share on this topic, I’d love to hear it! 

A question for modern marketers: How do you integrate innovation into your roles and teams without upsetting the balance and negatively impacting output?

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyannecroft/

Watch the entire vodcast for more insights and to listen to the entire conversation between myself and Gina Azaric.