Dive Brief:
- Mars global CMO Bruce McColl is stepping down from his position after 24 years with the company, including 10 in his current role, effective in June.
- McColl's replacement will be Andrew Clarke, who has been with Mars for 15 years, most recently appointed chief customer officer last year.
- Instead of assuming the role of CMO, Clarke is being appointed to a newly created position in the company, chief marketing and customer officer, which combines his current duties in sales with those of marketing, traditionally held by the CMO.
Dive Insight:
Digital interactions have created new ways to reach consumers that combine aspects of advertising and selling, which made Mars' creation of the new role a natural progression for adapting to today's consumer landscape, according to Mars president and CEO Grant Reid in a statement.
This approach — combining sales and marketing — has become more common in business today. Instead of direct salesmanship, consumers are now more reliant on thought leadership content, product reviews, case studies, and recommendations from peers, especially via social media, when it comes to making purchase decisions.
These tend to be forays of the marketing department. But integrating principles of salesmanship here can make these consumer interactions more impactful. If sales and marketing are working toward generating different types of leads, efforts could counter those of the other department. Integration means leveraging the capabilities and data analysis of both departments.
For Mars, this couldn't come at a more crucial time. The company has made widespread commitments to change ingredients across its portfolio, from voluntary GMO labeling and removing artificial colors portfolio-wide to reducing salt and added sugar in certain products.