Carrie Johnson from Forrester Research: In 2016 the key to success will be to focus on customer obsession

For Carrie Johnson, senior VP Research at Forrester Research, the market is moving at a high speed, driven by customers´ demanding expectations and market disruptors and to keep the pace, companies must accept that this rhythm is the norm. “CMO´s have a significant role to play: to act like the conductors of real and profound change that is necessary to compete and win in this competitive market” he says.He assures that the key to success will be to focus on customer obsession. “Savvy CMO´s will step up to lead customer experience efforts, accepting it as their number one strategic priority for the coming year.”Personalization will become the new bar defining the value of marketing value, playing a key role in determining which firms win mindshare, loyalty, and as a consequence, revenue. “Your customers expect that each encounter with your brand will be informed and enriched by current and accurate information about their accounts, history and preferences”.He points out that thanks to hyperadoption -the rapid, simultaneous uptake of new devices and services- consumers use the necessary services and technology to allow specialized marketing. “Rather, the barrier exists within your own internal systems and processes that are not optimized to unleash the power of customer intelligence.”