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I'm in the middle of reading Seth Godin's new book, Small is the New Big. So far, I highly recommend it. Seth provides an excellent analysis of what's often missed in today's "big business" marketing.

The one area that really struck me was his analysis of the CMO. His take is that, it's no wonder Chief Marketing Officers last less than two years on average. Why? Most CMO's do not have responsibility over customer service and internal feedback channels, which Seth believes is the key to the real meaning of the brand. Thus, CMO's have no real control over the marketing of the company. Like Seth, Don Schultz, famed IMC guru and Northwestern professor, has been banging the drum for years on the need for corporations to focus more time and energy on internal communications. His take? Why even communicate your brand message to customers and prospects if you aren't communicating the vision to internal stakeholders, which truly control the brand.

Are you spending enough time and energy on your internal communications effort?

Labels: CMO, internal communications