Today, in many organizations the executive suite is demanding proof of ROI and CEOs are asking the marketing function questions like: What is your economic value add to the company? Contrast this with your sales organization - typically the most measured and performance oriented part of the company. survey by Gary Katz, CEO of Marketing Operations Partners , shows the marketing priorities in many organizations. Does your marketing organization have a dedicated MO function, and if so, what are your success stories What happens if I cut your budget by 20 percent? MORE >>

This approach helps marketing not only remain relevant in today’s organizations but provide visibility into the value it provides to the company, aligning with the needs of the sales organization, and reducing the cost of marketing while increasing performance ( [link] ). How are you managing marketing in your organization Bower takes a page from the shift in software development methodologies (agile development replacing waterfall model, etc over the last years) and applies it to marketing. MORE >>

Focusing on the profitable sources of revenue takes ensuring your organization, especially your marketing team, has the data mining tools, customer research, marketing automation software, and the ability to perform customer analytics. As the CEO, you most likely expect your marketing organization to allocate its marketing dollars, people and time toward your most profitable channels and your most profitable customers. This capability requires that your marketing organization be able to perform customer analytics. How might your organization benefit from customer analytics? MORE >>

Clear policies help you better navigate this new communication channel and provide guidance to your audience as to what is ok to post and what isn't. Here is a great collection of social media policies from 123 Social Media's web site to help you create a policy that works for your organization: [link Do you hesitate to jump on the social media bandwagon with your company? Concerned about what happens when an employee shares insider information? Social media is inherently dynamic, even chaotic. Provide no guidance and you likely end up damaging your brand. MORE >>

by Laura Patterson Many organizations can achieve substantial growth by entering a new market with a well thought out and flawlessly executed plan. It’s surprising -actually alarming -at how many organizations attempt this strategic endeavor without a Go-to-Market (GTM) plan and end up flying blind into new territory. First, it provides a blueprint or roadmap for how the organization will enter a market and create revenue. Second, it helps allocate resources toward the most profitable opportunities and fosters focus. GTM plan is a powerful tool for four reasons. MORE >>