Say goodbye to 'Random Acts of Marketing' as integration, alignment, visibility and return on investment (ROI) all top the list of requirements for marketing performance improvement through 2011, reports the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council in its latest State of Marketing Report released recently, sponsored by Deloitte and OpenText.

At risk are agencies and resources failing to bring value-added thinking, innovation, or technical knowledge to the table, notes the CMO Council, a global affinity network of 6,000 chief marketers controlling more than $200 billion in annual spend.

Having felt the sting of flat or tight budgets over the past two years, marketing spend is being influenced by a shift to digital media and online marketing effectiveness, according to one in four marketers surveyed.

However, only five percent of respondents give themselves high marks specific to current online marketing performance capabilities. To bolster capabilities, marketers surveyed are planning headcount increases in interactive design, online advertising, search engine marketing, web analytics, and integrated campaign management.

Cost cutting and operational efficiencies are also an important mandate for marketers participating in this survey. Specifically, some 64 percent of respondents will move to improve customer segmentation and targeting.

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