There is a growing need to connect the search industry to CMOs. At this point, CMOs are not engaged with search and yet they control the money. Brian Fetherstonhaugh, the CEO and Chairman of OgilvyOne Worldwide, said:

“Search is a big business… but it needs to really go the next step and become important to a CMO.”

According to Fetherstonhaugh, the search industry needs to understand how the CMOs think and also understand how to speak their language. The CMO is primarily concerned with the end-to-end customer process. Therefore, search marketers need to learn how to tie search into the buy cycle and eliminate the tools and technicalities involved with search.

Ultimately, the CMO needs to see the direct affect search plays in reaching the customer and the impact it has on the overall success of the business.