Written by: Vickie Sullivan | February 21, 2023
A New Player on the Speaker Circuit: CMOs
We have a new unlikely player hitting the speaker and podcast circuits: chief marketing officers (CMOs). According to the CMO Council, that’s because CMOs want to invest more in their personal brand and position themselves as authority leaders.
My big question: If CMOs use speaking to promote their personal brand, how will that impact speaker selection for both industry events and marketing meetings? Here are two changes we can expect:
• CMO as moderator. The easiest entry point for these marketing execs is to moderate panel discussions for their in-house meetings and industry events. Using fewer outside speakers when budgets are tight will look like a win/win.
• Leveraging sponsorship relationships. Look for these CMOs to pitch their speaking to associations instead of paying outside speaker fees via sponsorships. These relationships will continue, focused on underwriting other expenses.
Listen: How to Differentiate Past CMOs in Sponsorship Deals
Bottom line: The decision makers for these events are also competitors. Don’t be surprised and be ready with a response. These folks have the home-court advantage.
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