Great point, Terry. The dynamics between marketing and sales are fascinating -- and I agree there's a lot of innovation happening at that nexus. And there probably should be more.

I like the phrase "icon ghetto" -- I'll use that in the next update. :-) Couldn't agree more with the sentiment that strategy (and for that matter people and culture) trump tools. No strategy is implied in the above graphic. But I find it fascinating to get a glimpse of the breadth and depth of marketing software out there.

Great idea, Varadh. There's nothing quite like living something "on the ground" to truly appreciate its dynamics.

Kathleen -- thanks for a great comment and shedding more light on the context of your prediction. The idea of bringing in non-marketing technical talent and training them on marketing is a good one. I like it because it cross-pollinates a broader set of perspectives. For instance, having someone with supply-chain or logistic experience, seems like it could indeed bring a number of innovative approaches to the burgeoning "marketing operations" challenge. My only caution would be that much of marketing's "data" is much softer than traditional IT, operations, or science functions. And the data is ultimately only valuable if it can be harnessed in the service of delivering better (and more profitable) customer experiences. While this conceptually has a natural heritage with traditional marketing, the actual reality of implementing this is very different. So I still think CMOs would benefit significantly from at least a few linchpins who have synthesized the marketing and the technology together -- I'm not a big fan of the label, but the "growth hackers" of Silicon Valley are a great example of this kind of talent. They can help make sure that the technical people who are being trained on marketing are being trained on the *new* kind of marketing that can really best harness their capabilities.

Hi, Maximilian. Yes! I couldn't agree more with the notion of data-driven species (genus? family?). The list from Gord that I quoted wasn't intended to be comprehensive, just a handful of examples. The evolving family tree of marketer species does seem like it would make a pretty cool infographic. :-) Scott

Jamie -- I couldn't agree more with you on the power of "hypothesize, test, and validate (or falsify) with data" loop. I think the stretch would be thinking that we didn't need humans in the hypothesis stage of that loop because hypotheses could be automatically induced from all our existing data and a comprehensive model of how that governs customer behavior.

Fun metaphor! I think the danger would be is if you then said, "And those six truckloads of crackers are the key to world peace." :-) Scott

Thank you!

Chris -- thanks for the dissenting voice! Actually, I agree with the essence of your critique. It's kind of like we're rediscovering customer insight and customer experience in the digital age. But you're absolutely right that such principles have been at the heart of marketing for 50 years. In fairness, I do think the age of the customer we're in is qualitatively different than marketing in the past -- not just the technology, although that is a big new elephant in the room -- but the way in which companies interact with their customers at scale, the way customers interact with each other, and the new norms that are emerging in the process. I also think that while the four P's -- which included Product first and foremost -- were always the foundation of marketing and very strategic in nature, the P of Promotion had kind of taken over the bulk of marketing. Not just in public perception, but in how most marketers spent most of their time and the influence they wielded in the organization. There were exceptions, of course. But for many companies, marketing = promotion. It's ironic that the digital revolution now is perhaps bringing some of those other P's -- with Product as the entirety of the customer experience at the center -- back into the limelight with a vengeance. That's a wonderful thing, but you're right, it's not really a new concept. The technology aspects of all this are huge and complicated, and I do think they deserve a lot more executive marketing attention than ever before. But you said it best: technology is an enabler. What's ultimately important, still, is how a company leverages all that to deliver a remarkable customer experience and build a distinctive, valuable brand. Take the techno-babble with a grain of salt. ;-)