We Got This: CMOs Stake Their Authentic Claim

For the Chief Marketing Officer, the brand response to COVID-19 has been a case study in authenticity, focused on remaining true to the personality, spirit, character of their brand while keeping an eye on the real-world needs, fears, questions and concerns of their customers. Brands that have maintained open, bidirectional lines of communication and connection with customers are being repaid in loyalty and the promise of future profits, albeit delayed by the realities of a pandemic. We have seen the best of us rise to the occasion: Chiobani deploying food and resources to address food insecurity in a time of total insecurity, LVMH shifting from luxury parfum purveyors to churning out much needed hand sanitizer, and B2B brands like Zoho, Microsoft and SAP opening up resources to help aggregate data, empower the newly remote workforce and ensure that the voice of the customer (both internal and external) is still flowing into the heart of every organization. Sadly, we have also seen the worst: price gauging on cleansers, opportunistic advertising pushing fear, conspiracy and false hope cures, phishing scams preying on fear and hope, lazy automation inviting savings for in-store visits. Despite all the ups and downs, CMOs remain focused on mastering the 3R's of modern marketing, namely driving revenue, relationships and reputation.