To address supply chain deficiencies and offer marketing executives better ways to connect with consumers, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, in partnership with NPES—the Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, recently launched an online resource for marketing executives. Called the Brand Inspiration Center, the website also aims to facilitate peer-to-peer dialogue between brand marketing executives.

Development for this project moved rapidly, with initial conversations between NPES and the CMO Council beginning back in March. “It’s come together so quickly because there is so much excitement on both sides of this,” said Liz Miller, CMO Council’s senior vice president of marketing and programs. “You’ve got two groups that really want to share their successes but also be inspired by other brands’ leadership.”

What united both groups was the need to find ways to streamline the supply chain, an interrelated system of manufacturing and marketing processes. “It’s about removing waste,” said Miller. “It’s about ensuring that the right things are in the right order and are happening at the right time in the right quantity.”

Through its research efforts, the CMO Council found that just 20 percent of marketers are satisfied with their creative delivery process and marketing supply chain effectiveness. And while the overwhelming majority of marketers (94 percent) said that delivering an omnichannel experience is critical to achieving their business goals, only 6 percent are able to deliver relevant, personalized, and engaging experiences consistently and at scale across both physical and digital channels.

Miller said these inefficiencies have taken away something “vital”: inspiration. “There’s a gap between the marketer and providers who can deliver these new points of inspiration,” she said. Instead of seeking innovative ways of engaging with customers, marketers rely on old knowledge and revert to outdated methods. They also struggle in replicating success across different channels.

By providing a wide array of resources, the Brand Inspiration Center hopes to help marketers overcome these challenges. The knowledge center contains information for marketers, ranging from books and articles to statistics and case studies, and it highlights new efforts by brands to engage with consumers. The website also features insightful conversations with executives around key areas of go-to-market proficiency. “This is kind of like creative continuing education for the marketer,” Miller said. “This is really about showcasing what is out there and allowing marketers to get back to what we’re exceptional at, which is letting our creativity run free.”

The long-term goal, Miller said, is to be the “ultimate inspiration” for both marketers and partners across the supply chain by continuing to bring new case studies and keeping abreast of new advancements and innovations. “When that inspiration turns into revenue—that’s when marketers get excited,” she said.

(iStock/Thinkstock)