Why Tomorrow's CMO Needs To Think Like a CTO and Vice Versa

The Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Technology Officer are two of the most important executive roles in today’s franchising world. The CMO manages everything related to marketing, from advertising to social media and newsletters, while the CTO oversees all facets of an organization’s technology, both internally and externally. Now, as technology becomes a growing part of both the marketing and the customer experience, it is more important than ever for a CMO to develop a digital marketing approach and the CTO to make decisions with the consumer in mind.

“When we at Cousins Subs set a goal to create a unified and seamless guest experience, it required the melding of all aspects of marketing and technology,” said Cousins Subs’ IT Director Josh Thurmer. “We know great technology is pivotal to achieve a unified experience. So, we integrated our technology systems with our messaging platforms to ensure consistent and standardized communication from back-end systems to share customer needs with restaurants no matter what platform guests use to interact with us.”

Today’s CMO and CTO need to have a strong understanding of how technology and marketing coexist in the franchise field, especially as customers interact with brands and companies through more modes of technology than ever before—social media, chatbots, call centers and more. 

In addition, the software and platforms companies use, both consumer-facing and operationally, are constantly evolving. As advanced tech such as artificial intelligence is becoming more and more influential over the franchising industry, franchisors need to stay ahead of the curve to keep up with customer’s expectations. 

“By coupling marketing with technology, the perfect synergy is created, and we communicate with our customers where and when it’s right for them,” said Thurmer. “With the constant addition of new systems and communication channels to effectively run a business, it’s important that IT continues to hold the blueprint to the tech stack to ensure integrations are fully-functioning and simplified and the marketing department is trained to use these technologies to reach guests in a more effective way.”

A CMO must have a strong understanding of the technological options available and how they can play a role in the company’s overall marketing plan. The CMO should work closely with the CTO and other executives to find the best ways to use technology strategically, and the CTO should work with the CMO to ensure that the technology is user-friendly. Knowing what technology platforms are used throughout the organization allows the CMO to think more creatively and the CTO to find new ways to use said technology.

“Our IT and marketing departments work very closely to ensure that the technology we use to communicate with our customers is fully functioning and beneficial for both the customer and the Cousins Subs brand,” said Thurmer. “Some recent introductions include our digital menu boards, which allow us to utilize dynamic pricing and prominently display information about promotions, sweepstakes, LTOs and more. We also reward guests with one point for every dollar spent in stores, online or through the Cousins Subs app, where we recently introduced the Cousins Club loyalty program.”

Notably, in the past few years, many brands have been doing away with the CMO position altogether. Taco Bell’s CMO Marisa Thalberg was elevated to global chief brand officer at the beginning of 2018 in order to give her oversight of a broad array of activities extending beyond traditional advertising, such as the infamous Taco Bell pop-up hotel in Palm Springs, California. Another example is McDonald’s bold decision to replace the CMO role with two SVPs.

As technology continues to saturate the franchise industry, thinking like a CTO is a guaranteed way for the modern CMO to create a more cohesive organization and a stronger customer experience in the long run. Similarly, today’s CTO would be wise to prioritize marketing when developing technology platforms. When franchisors combine a consumer-focused attitude with a tech-forward approach, it creates the most efficient strategy possible to thrive within this changing landscape.