India as the Next Madison Avenue?

Forget call centers, I'm envisioning full-fledged marketing and communications hubs in India. Levnovo was the forerunner opening a marketing services hub there in July. Imagine if PR firms, for example, were to start similar ventures where creative directors, media specialists and writers in India supported on the ground teams in the US, Europe and other markets. One of the biggest challenges in the public relations industry today is the quality of writing. India has a well-qualifed English-language workforce and could be critical to the process of improving client service. So, I am calling it here, creative hubs will start popping up in key markets in India and smart public relations firms will benefit.

Rent a CMO

Today's CMO has an average tenure of no more than 18 months! Some firms churn and burn CMOs like other people use paper towel. One trend I've spotted and would like to call first is the outsourced CMO. No, this time it isn't going to happen in India, but rather on Madison Avenue. Look at companies like one consumer electronics firm basedin California and you see the outsourced CMO. This company has decided not to hire a full-time CMO and rather consults with a former CMO based in New York. And, I would like to go one step farther and call the rise of CMO teams. These will be two or three former CMOs joining togehter to counsel clients. This trend will be a win-win for the company and for the CMOs who will begin to shift the balance of power.

For more on the topic, check out Seth Godin's blog.