Digital processes require customer trust. In this digital world, marketing and communication need to accompany customers with confidence.

Public companies can also significantly improve how they are perceived with clever marketing, even without a station being cleaner or a bus running more punctually. However, this requires having the courage to take new paths.

Brand communication based on purpose is a must these days – creating ‘beyond purpose identification’ is the icing on the cake.

In an increasingly fragmented world of communication where the background noise is very loud on all channels, only brands with a sophisticated marketing strategy will prevail. The CMO of the Year Award honours industry professionals who have mastered this challenge in an outstanding way.

The mission of good brand management is to constantly imbue the purchasing decision with meaning.

CMOs will make a difference if they not only master the ever-changing functional challenges but manage to inject purpose into an organization.

Think with a cool head, act with a hot heart. Lukewarm is boring!

In times when the focus is on digital-first, two truths remain: everything for the customer and the brand makes the difference.

As a tourism group, we have always marketed experiences rather than products. Today this makes us right on trend. I now see further potential in inspiring new, potential guests and retaining our customers in the long term, well beyond their holiday experience.

At the intersection between an increasingly strong visual communication and the almost food-like quality requirements of images and videos.

The strength of a brand is not measured by its performance promise, but by its ability to be close to people and evoke emotions.

Brands need strong values to provide orientation, but they have to reinvent themselves almost daily in a dynamic market. That is the biggest challenge for me.

There are challenger brands almost everywhere, except in the energy sector. We’re going to change that.

Progress is always possible - I look forward to exchange and inspiration

Marketing in the automotive sector? Creating emotions and enthusiasm without risking trust. I really enjoy being an “automotive” voice in the CMO Council!

In the future, the CMO’s task will not be to lead the competition between digital marketing and traditional marketing, but to integrate digital and traditional marketing.

The customer is the focus of attention. Hasn’t that always been the case? And yes, marketing is becoming increasingly complex but that’s no reason to panic.

Change starts with ourselves, so creating a radically innovative brand was only the second most difficult task. But one of the best.

To achieve long-term success, strong emotional brand experiences need to form the basis of customer communication, both digitally and in real life.

When I’m at a loss, I ask my dog. He rarely has a solution, but the way he looks at me is so cute.

In order to position marketing not only as a strategic leader, but also as a driver of value creation, marketing must become an ROI driver within the company.

In the context of digital transformation, CMO also stands for Change of Marketing Organisation, i.e. consistently reviewing the value chain, culture and processes.

Marketing expenses are not costs, but investments. We invest because we believe in the brand.

Emotion, relevance and reach are good ingredients, but it’s only the team who can make the perfect dinner out of them.

The CMO shouldn’t shy away from complexity but they should ensure that their office is located close to the CIO’s.