Spanning Silos

Spanning Silos

by David A. Aaker
Released October 2008
Publisher(s): Harvard Business Review Press
ISBN: 9781422163689

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Book description

Powerful product, country, and functional silos are jeopardizing companies' marketing efforts. Because of silos, firms misallocate resources, send inconsistent messages to the marketplace, and fail to leverage scale economies and successes--all of which can threaten a company's survival.

As David Aaker shows in Spanning Silos, the unfettered decentralization that produces silos is no longer feasible in today's marketplace. It's up to chief marketing officers to break down silo walls to foster cooperation and synergy.

This isn't easy: silo teams guard their autonomy vigorously. As proof of their power, consider the fact that the average CMO tenure is just twenty-three months. How to proceed? Drawing on interviews with CMOs, Aaker explains how to:

Strength your credibility with silo teams and your CEO
Use cross-functional teams and other strategic linking devices
Foster communication across silos
Select the right CMO role-- from facilitator to strategic captain
Develop common planning processes
Adapt your brand strategy to silo units
Allocate marketing dollars strategically across silos
Develop silo-spanning marketing programs

In this age of dynamic markets, new media, and globalization, getting the different parts of your organization to collaborate is more critical--and more difficult--than ever. This book gives you the road map you need to accomplish that feat.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Also by David A. Aaker
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Preface
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Introduction: The New CMO—Why?
    1. Six Deadly Sins of a Silo Structure
      1. Marketing Resources Are Misallocate
      2. Silo-Spanning Brands Lack Clarity and Linkage
      3. Silo-Spanning Offerings and Programs Are Inhibited
      4. Marketing Management Competences Are Weakened
      5. Success Is Not Leveraged Across Silos
      6. Inadequate Cross-Silo Communication and Cooperation
    2. Enter the CMO
      1. Reducing Silo Power: Why Is It Hard?
      2. From Silos to Synergy
    3. Creating a Road Map for CMO Success
  8. Chapter One: Find the Right Role and Scope—The CMO’s New Job Description
    1. Five Potential Hats: Facilitator, Consultant, Service Provider, Strategic Partner, Strategic Captain
      1. Facilitator
      2. Consultant
      3. Service Provider
      4. Strategic Partner
      5. Strategic Captain
    2. Which Roles Are Right for You?
    3. How Roles Evolve
    4. The Activity Scope and Authority
    5. The Product and Country Scope
  9. Chapter Two: Gain Credibility and Buy-in
    1. Gaining CEO Support—A Key to Success
      1. Reframe Marketing
      2. Measure Performance
      3. Enlist Allies
      4. Involve the CEO
    2. Acquiring Customer Knowledge
    3. Showing Success Visibly
      1. Getting Easy Wins
      2. Delivering Real Impact—The Home Run
    4. Respecting and Engaging the Silo Units
    5. Upgrading the Marketing Staff
      1. Skills Needed
      2. Sourcing People
      3. Enhancing Silo Marketing Talent
      4. Training Systems
    6. Building a Cross-Silo Marketing Team
  10. Chapter Three: Use Teams and Other Routes to Silo Linking
    1. Cross-Silo Marketing Teams
    2. Task Force Teams
    3. Keys to Successful Teams
      1. Clarity of Mission
      2. The Right People
      3. Competent Leadership
      4. Dealing with Multiple Cultures
    4. Virtual Teams
      1. Succeeding with Virtual Teams
    5. Routes to Linking Silos
      1. Informal Networks
      2. Formal Networks
      3. Liaison Roles
      4. Integrator Roles
      5. Centers of Excellence
      6. Matrix Organizations
      7. Centralized Marketing
      8. Which Routes?
    6. Creating a Cross-Silo Culture
  11. Chapter Four: Develop a Common Planning Process and Information System
    1. Market/Self-Analysis
      1. Self-Analysis
    2. Business Strategy
      1. Product-Market Investment Strategy—Where to Compete
      2. The Customer Value Propositions
      3. Assets and Competencies
      4. Functional Strategies and Programs
    3. Brand Strategy
      1. Brand Vision
      2. Brand Portfolio Strategy
    4. Marketing Programs
    5. Measuring Silo Market Strength
    6. The Silo-Spanning Information System
      1. The Communication System
      2. The Knowledge Hub
    7. The Payoff
  12. Chapter Five: Adapt the Master Brand to Silo Markets
    1. Standardizing the Master Brand
    2. Adapting the Master Brand—Why and When
    3. Adapting the Master Brand—How
      1. Create Relevant Silo-Spanning Associations
      2. Spin the Brand Story for the Silo Market
      3. Augment with Additional Associations
      4. Emphasize Different Elements of the Brand Identity
      5. Use a Branded Differentiator
    4. Top-Down Versus Bottom-Up Processes
  13. Chapter Six: Prioritize Brands in the Portfolio
    1. Too Many Brands—The Brand Addition Framework
      1. Will the Business Support a New Brand Name?
      2. Would an Existing Brand Inhibit or Even Detract from the Promise?
      3. Would the New Offering Detract from or Confuse the Message of the Existing Brand?
      4. Is There a Compelling Reason for a New Brand?
      5. Other Considerations
    2. Too Few Priorities—The Brand Prioritization Framework
      1. Identify the Relevant Brand Set
      2. Develop Brand Assessment Criteria
      3. Evaluate the Brands
      4. Prioritize the Brands
      5. Develop the Revised Brand Portfolio Strategy
      6. Implement the Strategy
      7. Prioritize Countries
    3. Too Little Leverage—The Brand Extension Frameworks
      1. Product Expansion
      2. Expanding the Global Footprint
    4. The CMO Role
  14. Chapter Seven: Create Winning Marketing in a Silo World
    1. Creating Great Offerings and Marketing Programs in a Silo World
      1. The Silo Route
      2. The CMO Route
      3. Test and Learn
    2. The Scope and Authority of the Silo Team
      1. Silo Managers’ Authority Creep
    3. How Many Communication Partners?
    4. Allocating Marketing Resources Across Silos
    5. Communicating the Brand Internally
  15. Conclusion: The CMO’s First Ninety Days
    1. Assessing the Organization’s Capability to Span Silos
    2. Action Plan—Prioritizing Short- and Long-Term Goals
      1. Keep Your Eye on the Ball—Focus on Silo Problems
  16. Notes
  17. About the Author

Product information

  • Title: Spanning Silos
  • Author(s): David A. Aaker
  • Release date: October 2008
  • Publisher(s): Harvard Business Review Press
  • ISBN: 9781422163689