New Aaker Book Explores Silos Senior Marketers Must Span for Success

SAN FRANCISCO (Oct. 07, 2008) – “Spanning Silos: The New CMO Imperative” is explored by David Aaker, a thought leader on brand strategy and vice-chairman of strategic consultancy Prophet, in his newest book published by Harvard Business Press.

It is currently available on amazon.com and will be available at all major booksellers on Oct. 21st.

The book is based on interviews Aaker conducted with executives from over 40 corporations, combined with his experience as a consultant and academician. Its central idea: The CMO is struggling with silo-driven organizational barriers; to overcome them successfully requires more than just the hat be donned. Among the five possibilities he identifies are facilitator, consultant, service provider, strategic partner and strategic captain.

“I believe the ability to span silos is the marketing challenge of our time,” says Aaker. “It’s up to Chief Marketing Officers to break down silo walls to foster cooperation and synergy.”

The average tenure of a CMO is 23 months, which Aaker believes demands a redefinition of the role. He advocates for CMOs to find the right scope and begin linking silos together into cross-silo teams within the pivotal first 90 days of their tenure. Aaker cites numerous examples from such companies as Visa, Intel, GM and Wells Fargo to illustrate ways senior marketers can break down the silo barriers.

Aaker is Professor Emeritus of Marketing Strategy at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley and has published 14 books and over 100 articles. He has received numerous awards including the Paul D. Converse Award for outstanding contributions to the development of the science of marketing, and the Vijay Mahajan Award for career contributions to marketing strategy.

Prophet (www.prophet.com) is a leading global consultancy specializing in helping Fortune 500 clients and their senior executives more effectively use branding, marketing, and innovation to drive profitable growth.