As a Chief Marketing Officer or marketing leader in your company, the questions you’re tasked with seem endless. No one likes our brand, what should we do and when? Our website is dated, when are you going to fix that? How can we be more top of mind with clients and prospects? In this article, Agenda Head of Strategy Vincent Roffers answers some of the most common questions he’s advised on during his decades-long experience working with CMOs.

Q. I’m new to the role. Should I take it slow with evolving our brand or jump in right away?

A. When you’re entering a high-pressure situation with a team you don’t necessarily know, it’s important to bring in those you trust, such as people and agencies you’ve worked with, to help make your all-important first moves successful. And those moves invariably can't just be the major ones like rebranding the company from the ground up or completely redoing the website as a first step. Instead, start small and build from there. 

This way, you can engage stakeholders across the organization and find out who your supporters are. You have to win the trust of your team and advocates across the company before you bite off anything bigger. It also allows you to identify and get around potential roadblocks in the context of smaller, lower stakes efforts. Then, when you’re ready for a bigger move, you'll have already set the groundwork with your team, your partners, and your stakeholders. That said, eyes are on you from the get-go so you also can't wait too long to show success.

Q. I’m new to the role. Should I take it slow with evolving our brand or jump in right away?

A. When you’re entering a high-pressure situation with a team you don’t necessarily know, it’s important to bring in those you trust, such as people and agencies you’ve worked with, to help make your all-important first moves successful. And those moves invariably can't just be the major ones like rebranding the company from the ground up or completely redoing the website as a first step. Instead, start small and build from there. 

This way, you can engage stakeholders across the organization and find out who your supporters are. You have to win the trust of your team and advocates across the company before you bite off anything bigger. It also allows you to identify and get around potential roadblocks in the context of smaller, lower stakes efforts. Then, when you’re ready for a bigger move, you'll have already set the groundwork with your team, your partners, and your stakeholders. That said, eyes are on you from the get-go so you also can't wait too long to show success.

There’s never going to be a company that argues with featuring their people so it’s a pretty safe place to start, while actually doing something meaningful. 

Q. I’m new to the role. Should I take it slow with evolving our brand or jump in right away?

A. When you’re entering a high-pressure situation with a team you don’t necessarily know, it’s important to bring in those you trust, such as people and agencies you’ve worked with, to help make your all-important first moves successful. And those moves invariably can't just be the major ones like rebranding the company from the ground up or completely redoing the website as a first step. Instead, start small and build from there. 

This way, you can engage stakeholders across the organization and find out who your supporters are. You have to win the trust of your team and advocates across the company before you bite off anything bigger. It also allows you to identify and get around potential roadblocks in the context of smaller, lower stakes efforts. Then, when you’re ready for a bigger move, you'll have already set the groundwork with your team, your partners, and your stakeholders. That said, eyes are on you from the get-go so you also can't wait too long to show success.