• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, May 28, 2015

In today’s marketplace, where the customer experience is a major differentiator and competitive advantage, CMOs today find themselves at the intersection of the brand experience and their organization’s culture, exploring how inner workings translate into external engagement, says Spencer Stuart in a survey of more than 200 marketing leaders about the effect of the organizational and marketing cultures on the brand experience.

While a seemingly nebulous concept, an organization’s culture, the shared values, beliefs and hidden assumptions that shape how work gets done, can have a tangible impact, spurring (or inhibiting) innovation, growth and customer satisfaction, says the report. A series of insights examining this issue are summarized showing both sides of the equation. 82% of marketers say they have experienced friction between the marketing function’s culture and the broader organization’s culture, and 95% say the CMO should play an active role in shaping the organization’s culture

Following are findings from the study:

83% say organizational culture is very influential in the way their teams work and the outcomes they deliver… but

“In an organizational culture that is defined by the company's broader purpose and values, every touchpoint of the brand experience directly leads to delivering on the purpose, without compromise. Employees are always the best personification of the brand experience, so embedding values into the culture will translate into a meaningful brand experience for consumers.” – Senior Marketing Executive

For more from Spencer Stuart, please visit here.