The C-level gap in medium-sized companies

An ambivalent co-existence between classical age and postmodernism. Tradition-oriented management culture meets marketing hipsterism.

The challenges of the future lie in interacting with customers in a more personal, differentiated, faster and more automated way in a fragmented and fragile digital world. Marketing communication plays an essential role in this, marketing organisations must therefore take a new approach and focus on digital aspects. This transformation represents a great challenge for the C-level of medium-sized companies. They need to depart from decades of expertise accumulated – designed for analogue and digitally coloured – put aside pure efficiency.

According to the DMV (Deutscher Marketing Verband – German Marketing Association), the C-Level so far did not win the trust of the employees. One of the reasons for this can be generational contrasts between the classic, tradition-oriented C-Level, hybrid millennials and the purely digital-savvy marketing hipsters. Demographic contrasts, interdisciplinarity and diverse philosophies of life generally promote corporate progression and culture, but require a comprehensive strategy to create sustainable professional and social interfaces.

Lack of time on the part of the C-level, reluctant employees and refusal of consensus can be great obstacles to change in this context. “Young and wild” collaborators play a key role in driving change. They are generally believed to have digital, innovative and disruptive expertise. In this concept, however, barriers to change can only be overcome jointly, which is why relying on the mediation skills of external, strategic consultants with core digital skills can be extremely valuable. As “converters between the worlds”, these experts support the creation of new, digitally contemporary ecosystems and know how to properly meet the needs of the stakeholders.

In the future, communication and transaction will merge in a holistic customer engagement experience and purchase will become less distinguishable. A suitable communication and products offer, in a rapidly changing environment, bring with them the challenge of meaningful metrics for measuring success. If one player talks about the purchase funnel while the other means the omnichannel sales funnel or when quick calculations are compared with specific dashboard system results, there is a risk of hidden wastage and rising costs.

There is no such thing as a uniform solution for the digital realignment and how generational differences in terms of analogue or digital approaches come together within the organisation. Nevertheless, through professional, results-oriented advice, expertise and experience can be transferred, change processes can be controlled with the necessary instinct and strategic goals can be efficiently implemented. Interested? Then take the digital test drive with 123Consulting now.