The CMO’s Guide to Driving Innovation

Forrester Research, Inc has released a new publication titled "The CMO's Guide to Driving Innovation." Cindy Commander at Forrester, has outlined best practices for chief marketing officers to drive innovation across the organization.  As part of the research, she interviewed senior marketers from BMW, Equifax, GE, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, LeapFrog, and Samsung Electronics America.  In addition she spoke with consultants from Innovaro, InnovationLabs, and PRTM.  For companies seeking insights about innovation methods and programs, this report is essential.

The report outlines four key areas of focus for marketing leaders: culture, team, process, and insights.  The report goes into detail within each of these and includes best practices and examples as well as recommendations for overcoming common challenges. I had the privilege of being interviewed for the report.  Here are the people highlighted:

• Jochen Schmalholz, Head of Marketing Innovation, BMW
• Alex Gonzalez, SVP, Strategic Marketing, Equifax
• Patia McGrath, Global Director – Innovation and Strategic Connections, GE
• John Kennedy, Vice President, Marketing, North America, IBM
• Nancy MacIntyre, EVP, Marketing, Product, and Innovation, LeapFrog
• Drew Boyd, Director of Marketing Mastery, Johnson & Johnson
• Peggy Ang, VP, Marketing Communications, Samsung Electronics America
• Tim Jones, Principal, Innovaro
• Langdon Morris, Principal, InnovationLabs
• Rob Shelton, Director, PRTM

Taken together, the advice in this report gives CMOs a ready made blueprint for improving the state of innovation in their firm. The report is for members of Forrester's CMO group, so contact them directly for information about ordering it.