For the new chief marketing officer (CMO), prioritizing vision and strategy is critical. However, a strategy is destined to fail if its creator is not well versed in the culture in which their plans must live. Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” stressing that no matter how well-designed the strategy is, it will falter if it is not compatible with the company’s culture.
This is especially true for today’s CMOs, who are often brought with a mandate to change. CMOs have an average tenure of nearly three years in the top 100 US marketers, one of the shortest in the C-suite. In addition, up to 30% of CMOs enter new jobs each year. The pressure is on them to quickly develop their marketing vision and set a new growth agenda. However, the CMO’s valuable insights, perspectives, and experiences may be difficult to leverage until they are able to “fit in” with the existing culture.
Learn quickly and implement the organization’s culture
Drucker’s belief is supported by research results and the experience of many of today’s CMOs. Extensive research emphasizes the connection between a CMO’s effectiveness and his ability to understand the cultural environment. Culturally savvy CMOs are proven to excel in areas such as building trust and gaining the support of their teams. The revolutionary graveyard is littered with examples of CMOs who come out guns blazing with a brand new idea and then misjudge the company’s culture upon its release.
The first step for any new CMO is to look at and determine what they see around them—both specific and culturally specific. This means going beyond a deeper understanding of the company’s mission and values found in official documents. Instead, dive deeper into the daily practices, communication styles, and unwritten rules that shape the organizational environment. For example, the meetings the CEO often fails to attend tell you more about the C-suite’s priorities than the company’s handbook.
Uncover influential stories and legends
The true culture of an organization is not always found in official values and mission documents. Enron—famous corporate criminals—had values of Integrity, Communication, Respect, and Virtue that they proudly displayed by adopting, while committing the largest financial fraud in history. Grind the company’s stuff, but then do your own research. The challenge of the strong onboarding program offered, get out there and be excited, talking to people at all levels of the organization. Talk to the longest serving employee. For new companies, spend time with the founder. Check out the exit interviews. Have lunch at the restaurant. Ask questions that help uncover cultural norms and what they say about the organization. If the building burned down, what would they save? What topics are not allowed? Who are the company’s villains, heroes, and 10x employees?
Our founder, Jonathan Mildenhall, is the former VP of global marketing strategy for The Coca-Cola Company. When he joined The Coca-Cola Company, he spent hours visiting the archives, where images of the racial harmony deep in Coca-Cola’s DNA inspired his purpose-driven approach to the brand.
Take a look at your business and ask yourself the questions below. What indicators do you notice about your organization’s culture?
Artifacts
- What are the symptoms of the condition?
- What does the structure and location tell you about how the company operates? Pay close attention to where the leadership sits.
Cultures and practices
- What is different about the way new employees are onboarded?
- What achievements are celebrated and how are they celebrated?
Language and mythology
- What stories are told about great success or spectacular failure?
- Who are referred to as mavericks or heroes and why?
Power and people
- Who is in charge of cultural standards?
- When and how do great leaders communicate with other employees?
We talk more about culture in the CMO Thrive Guide by TwentyFirstCenturyBrand—a guide to success during the first 12 months of being a CMO. It includes a menu of important questions to help you get to the bottom of your new organization’s culture.
Consider how and by whom company decisions are made
Most entries will focus on the company’s mission and vision, products and services, and business plan. This why again what knowledge is important, but it is missing parts that are important to understanding How things are done again WHO he makes decisions.
For example, while many boardrooms rely on compelling PowerPoint presentations to convince decision makers, at Amazon, the written word is key and PowerPoint is completely banned. Proposals are assigned in a “6 pager” format, which forces writers to go beyond bullet points and provide full context, rationale, and detailed analysis. Instead of the pre-reading that many organizations employ, Amazon sets aside time at the beginning of meetings for everyone to read the document in silence.
Understanding WHO it can be more nuanced. Key stakeholders should be mapped but also partially understood. You will need to be very familiar with the agenda, trends, and priorities of the people you will need to influence the most.
Final thoughts
By understanding cultural norms in this way, the new CMO will quickly learn what the business values and what it rejects. For CMOs brought in with a mandate for change, this allows them to adapt both their strategy and working style to match the “character” of the company’s cultural fabric, ensure a smooth way to embed their plans and overcome resistance to change.
Getting company culture right isn’t just an added benefit—it’s an essential element in a CMO’s toolkit. It is the bridge that connects visionary strategies to practical implementation, making the difference between short-term success and lasting impact.
Sara Tate is a European partner in the Transformation practice at TwentyFirstCenturyBrand.
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