Blog - Silx

CEO & CMO:
What’s the key to this crucial relationship?

They may not make the headlines quite like their CEO counterparts, but CMOs are powerful entities within any business. It’s hard to imagine Netflix today without Marian Lee’s guidance, or Apple without Greg Joswiak – both CMOs are notable for their sheer cultural influence.

But what is the relationship between CEO and CMO? What are the pitfalls, and what’s possible when it’s working well? And while cultural influence is important, how can the CMO communicate this in terms of the CEO’s priorities – particularly business growth?

Whether you’re at the level of Tariq Hassan, who heads up marketing at McDonalds, or Zach Kitschke, who was the fifth employee at Canva and is now their CMO, real success comes through alignment with the CEO. So, let’s break down some of the key aspects of the relationship.

Beyond Millennials:
Are brands missing out on influencer marketing for older generations?

Influencer marketing tends to get a lot press these days, given the stratospheric sums involved in celebrity endorsements from influencers and brand ambassadors. After all, when celebrity influencers like actress Charlize Theron can command USD $55 million for promoting Dior products, and The Rock – aka WWE wrester-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson – pulls in tens of millions of dollars per annum from a handful of celebrity endorsements, marketing executives need to be comfortable with the ROI on their influencer spend. Endorsements for sportswear brand, Under Armour, reportedly earned The Rock USD $25 million a year, but the riches are two-way – companies like Under Armour that concentrate on the best brand/celebrity partnerships for their products will see the highest ROI.

Marketing a country:
How some GCC states are nailing the art of nation branding

When it comes to the complex world of marketing, the business of branding an entire nation comes with its own particular challenges. And with around 200 recognised nation-states around the globe, the competition to attract an arguably unfair share of resources, trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), overseas talent and tourism is intense. But what […]

How to establish a podcast for your business

In all their varied glory, podcasts have enjoyed an unprecedented boost in popularity and engagement in recent years. In the UAE alone, there are an estimated 1.3 million regular podcast listeners, with KSA topping over 5 million regular listeners. And with that astonishing increase in popularity comes a golden opportunity for marketers to take advantage […]

How do large organisations select A-listers for brand ambassadors and celebrity endorsements?

Landing a product endorsement or brand ambassador gig can mean big money for A-list celebrities. Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, who has spent most of his career at Barcelona, reportedly secured a lifetime deal with Adidas for over USD $1 billion, plus around USD $20 million per annum from a percentage of merchandise sales. Tiger […]

The pricing challenge:
how much should you be charging, and how to arrive at the equation

A company’s pricing strategy can be a complex, frustrating and intricate maze for business leaders to navigate. Models, methods, equations and theories abound, and when it comes to deciding how much you should be charging, they all serve to challenge and optimise the status quo in search of greater margins or market share. But how […]

The main drivers of the experience economy, and brands that are leading the way

Customer experience has always been a priority for businesses. But in today’s hyper-connected world, consumers are looking for more than a good product or service. When it comes to consumer preference, customer experience is surpassing both product and price. A survey of almost 2,000 businesses revealed that 86% of buyers would pay more for a […]

Is social taking over search?

In today’s digital age, the way users seek and consume information is undergoing a significant transformation. There’s a growing debate about whether social networks are taking over traditional search engines like Google when it comes to finding information. Everyone loves an either/or debate – as though it’s a straight choice between traditional search engines and […]

Audio advertising
– how it can amplify your brand’s voice

In modern marketing, audio advertising is enjoying a boom. It has become a potent tool for engaging audiences, whether through podcasts, audio ads in apps, or good old-fashioned radio. Marketers love audio because when the audience is listening to something, their attention is heightened. And if it’s done right, it can have a lasting impact. […]

The power of a strong brand:
Why you choose Coca-Cola over Pepsi

What is it with Coca-Cola? Is it the branding, the advertising, the colour red? What about the whole Santa Claus story – is the company really responsible for how the character looks? Then there are the taste tests – does Pepsi always win when people do blind challenges? Last time, we looked at how the […]