In the past B2B marketers would focus on the product.  Now we are learning a better emphasis is centered on the customer. Today, the customer drives not only product requirements but also what the solutions look like, the way we engage with them.  This is done via the customer personas and we know these are not one size fits all.  Marketing and all functions of the company will center around the customer. The buyer’s journey, the way we design our go to market approach, and the way the marketing teams design strategy all focus on the customer’s needs.

At the the end of the day your customers aren’t really looking for a “product” they are looking to solve a problem, or address an opportunity. So, if you start with that mindset, “What are they trying to solve?” you can get on a more strategic level with the customer, Rather than  being a product provider. It’s similar to Marketers looking at Agencies. You’re looking to someone who can help you be more strategic. And the customer is looking for you to do the same – take them to a better place, with a different approach, a different mindset.

The shift that IT has to make is the move from systems of record, or the back office, to systems of engagement, the front office. Moving forward from there, data will be readily available in a consumable format with dashboard view of not only the business but also the customer.

What is coming up in the next two to five years?  We’re talking about employee engagement, customer engagement, and sales enablement – that is key.  Then there is the concept of the marketing technologist, using IT as an asset to provide more accurate information on customer needs. It’s not a traditional place for marketers to play.  It’s much more process-driven much more architecture, and it’s an evolution of marketing the duality of creative and technology.  Five to ten years from now, I’m not sure the CMO, the agency landscape, and the way marketers are minted out of MBA schools will be the same.

Mr. Eduardo F. Conrado has been Senior Vice President of Marketing and IT at Motorola Solutions, Inc. since January 07, 2013. Mr. Conrado served as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Motorola Solutions, Inc. since January 4, 2011.

Mr. Conrado was responsible for global marketing, including commercial value propositions, product positioning, pricing, and the publication of systems roadmaps in cooperation with engineering division product management teams. Mr. Conrado served as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Global Business & Technology Marketing at Motorola Solutions, Inc. and also served as its Vice President of Global Marketing and Portfolio Management.

Mr. Conrado was responsible for the annual portfolio management cycle, including ongoing review of market dynamics, current investments and business performance to recommend adjustments in engineering investments. In addition, Mr. Conrado heads the media and industry analyst relations, and brand management and marketing communications efforts for Motorola Networks. Prior to this position, he was Senior Director, Business Operations, Marketing and Quality for Motorola Networks’s network infrastructure business in the Latin American region, a position he held for three years. Mr. Conrado has worked in multiple areas within Motorola including: Paging, Joint Ventures, Satellite Products, and Mobile Devices. He joined Motorola in 1991.

He served as Vice Chair of Business Marketing Association from 2011 to July 1, 2013 and serves as its Director. He serves on the board of directors for the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the Business Marketing Association (BMA) and on the advisory board of Thunderbird School of Global Management. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Operations Management from Texas Tech University; an MBA from ESADE in Barcelona, Spain; and a Masters of International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird).