Paul Writer: Cognizant’s Executive Vice President of Strategy Discusses the Role of Marketing and Marketers in the Age of Social and Digital Media

“What we are finding with social media and also customer expectations is that markets are now conversations,” says Malcolm Frank. “What matters is if you are truly listening and engaging not just to markets but to individuals. We’ve moved from B2B to B2C to B2I—business to individual, where you are understanding the nuance, specifically what they are looking for and engaging with them, getting them to comment on what they expect from your firm, so you can respond in kind. The best marketers today are those that are engaging in conversations at an individual level.”

On the role of marketers, he says, “Some people think that corporate marketers are designated corporate liars. Instead you really have to be a catalyst for what’s great inside your company and expose that, allow that to come out the proper way. That is the role of marketing. Instead of being shy about it, folks should give that out in the marketplace and pursue that. Firms that do so well are winning in the market.”

He adds, “In the IT services economy, firms that can create and distribute thought leadership in the right way are getting a leg up. We’re living at a time when there is a lot of confusion in the marketplace and if your firm can provide clarity with the right thought leadership, you can start to break through that. It really does deliver a lot of results.”

In another interview, Frank explains the two rules of B2B marketing. Rule number one, he says, is “communicate with distinction”. “Effective B2B markets must speak with distinction,” he notes, “and that means having the courage to make choices on their offers, their choice of language, and their values.” Rule number two, according to Frank is, “solve the customer’s problem, not yours”. He explains, “Remember, the market is always right. And it’s the role of marketing to determine that and then align the company’s resources to address them in a unique and compelling fashion.”

Responding to a question about customer engagement, Frank says, “Customer engagement first begins with a philosophy: Does your organization celebrate the first day of a customer engagement (in winning the contract), or do you celebrate day 365 or day 730 of the engagement (when you’ve actually delivered something)...My view is that the world is moving towards the latter model of customer engagement; that it’s long-term oriented, and one needs to earn their stripes each day of the relationship. With social media, clients have transparency on many dimensions of your firm, your capabilities, and their competitive alternatives. Thus, with customer engagement one needs to surpass those expectations on an ongoing basis to continue to grow a healthy business.”

Frank opines that social and digital media can be used across the entire marketing value chain, from thought leadership, to lead generation, sales support and client management. “The market relies now on conversation, and much of that conversation occurs through virtual, technology-driven channels. Thus, across all industries (and not just our own) mastery of these technology platforms—and fully integrating them into the marketing process—is becoming part of the core curriculum for marketing leaders,” he says.