Throughout the pandemic, so much has changed within marketing. As marketers, we now face fresh opportunities to connect with customers, support sales teams and drive the strategic goals of the enterprise. 

Last week, I moderated a Northern Virginia Technology Council* panel of esteemed senior marketing leaders from Aible, Microsoft Federal, Samsung and Telos. We discussed their strategies for successfully navigating what we are calling the “Great Marketing Shift,” as well as the trends they are tracking as they head into 2022. 

The conversation garnered a few key takeaways to consider when assessing shifts in your marketing role, strategy, business priorities and investments.  

1. Capabilities that allow customers to experience products their own way.

Companies like Samsung are reaching out to potential customers where they are. With a remote workforce and the decline of in-person events, marketing must prioritize self-service channels to engage customers online and provide rich product experiences to replace the interactions that used to take place at in-person events.

2. Immersive experiences as a priority investment.

According to Gartner, 62 percent of CMOs shifted their channel priorities and investments in 2021. Marketing leaders such as Microsoft Federal have found strong ROI in creating immersive experiences to market their products. Advancing past a traditional brochure, companies are developing campaigns for customers to interact with products/solutions that allow them to obtain the same human impact across the web and in physical experience centers.

3. Automation will allow marketing to keep up with growing opportunities.

AI and machine learning have been widely used to capitalize on mountains of customer data, and companies such as Aible have tracked trends on how these technologies create more personalized experiences for B2B and B2G personas. At a time where digital marketing is at an all-time high, professionals should look to automate processes as much as possible. By concentrating on operationalizing key learnings, we can connect the dots between targeted campaigns and positive performance metrics.

4. Importance of connecting with teams while building community.

Gartner has stated that the role of the CMO is shifting to become more of a Chief Connection Officer, given marketing’s unique role in orchestrating connections between customers, products and services, and the brand. Companies like Telos are embracing the concept by building stronger relationships with internal teams and listening to their feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.

To listen to a recording of the panel session, click here. To learn more about how campaigns and roles are evolving during this “Great Marketing Shift,” check out our 2022 marketing and PR predictions blog. 

*Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the trade association representing the national capital region’s technology community. To learn about networking and educational opportunities, peer-to-peer communities, policy advocacy, industry promotion, and branding of the region as a major global technology center, visit http://www.nvtc.org.