Hit the Ground Running: Five Key Actions for a New CMO’s First 90 Days

The first 90 days as a CMO are critical for laying the foundation for marketing success. By taking these key actions you can hit the ground running and set your marketing team up for success:

• understanding the marketplace and competition,
• digging deep into the numbers,
• reviewing the brand,
• developing a content strategy, then creating contact and channel strategies, and
• fostering collaboration and alignment with cross-functional teams to align marketing efforts with overall business goals

‍

‍

Without a doubt, the very first step for any new CMO is to gain a deep understanding of the marketplace and competition.

• Review the industry landscape, market trends, customer needs, and competitive positioning.
• Conduct market research, analyse customer data, and study the competition’s marketing strategies.
• Find opportunities, gaps, and challenges in the market that can direct your marketing approach.
• This knowledge will serve as the foundation for your marketing strategy and help you make informed decisions moving forward.

As a CMO, it’s essential to understand the numbers that drive your business:

• Dive into the company’s financial data, sales reports, customer metrics, and other key performance indicators.
• Analyse the data to find patterns, trends, and areas of improvement. Look for opportunities to optimise marketing spend, increase return on investment (ROI), and drive revenue growth.
• Use data-driven insights to guide your marketing decisions and prioritise resources effectively.

‍

Understanding the brand’s current positioning and reputation in the market is another crucial step for a new CMO.

• Review the brand guidelines, messaging, and visual identity to ensure consistency across all touchpoints.
• Evaluate the brand’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Identify areas that need improvement or repositioning to align with the company’s overall marketing goals.

‍

Now it’s time to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy. Start with content as it forms the foundation for all other marketing efforts.

• Define the key messages, content themes, and storytelling approach that align with the brand’s positioning and resonate with the target audience.
• Develop a content calendar and plan for regular content creation, distribution, and amplification across various channels.

 Once the content strategy is in place, move on to the contact and channel strategies.

• Define the target audience segments, customer personas, and buyer’s journey.
• Name the most effective marketing channels, such as social media, email marketing, search engine optimisation, pay-per-click advertising, and other relevant platforms.
• Develop a plan for customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty, and align it with the overall marketing aims and business goals.

‍

As a new CMO, building strong relationships and fostering collaboration with cross-functional teams is crucial for success. Work closely with other departments, such as sales, product, finance, and operations, to align marketing efforts with overall business objectives.

• Collaborate with the sales team to understand their needs, challenges, and customer feedback.
• Partner with the product team to ensure marketing messages and positioning align with product features and benefits.
• Work with finance to track and measure marketing ROI.
• Team up with operations to streamline marketing processes and workflows.