Over the last several months, a new narrative has emerged. Law firms have turned bullish toward investments in marketing and technology. A recent Calibrate study of 127 firms in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. found that 84% planned to increase digital marketing technology and programs.
Calibrate’s head of Marketing Operations consulting, Gordon Braun-Woodbury, was quoted in this article in The American Lawyer. Commenting on the tech competencies a law firm CMO needs to have, Braun-Woodbury said he’s seen firms falter even with the best tech stack available.
“They were so focused on the tech without asking why they needed it and what processes they were trying to enable,” he said.
Braun-Woodbury said he’s seen an uptick in CMOs hiring for a director of marketing operations, a recognition that the technology, data and process expertise should reside in certain people. But that doesn’t mean a CMO can completely outsource their understanding of technology.
When Calibrate searches for a CMO, Braun-Woodbury said one of the requirements is a proven ability to collaborate with IT and lead a group of people.
“I don’t think the ability to use a CRM system should be a criterion of a CMO,” he said. “But they need to understand the possibilities at an executive level.
