A successful experimentation culture.

The root cause seems to lie in the strategies being adopted. More than a third (37%) of marketers either have a fixed approach to building digital experiences, or no strategy in place at all. It also points to a lack of understanding of how to incorporate experimentation.

So how can CMOs adapt? Here is a six-step guide on how to foster an effective experimentation culture that will deliver strong business outcomes.

1. CREATE A DYNAMIC STRATEGY

Digital experience strategies need to be intrinsically linked to the objectives of the business — and our research shows a clear understanding of those goals, from marketing assistant to marketing manager and CMO.

While goals are fixed, a digital experience strategy should be a living, dynamic process which adapts as needed. Progressive marketers are developing and optimizing their digital experience strategy on an ongoing basis and in doing so are creating a culture of continuous improvement.

2. WITH EXPERIMENTATION, THERE ARE NO FAILURES, ONLY WINNERS OR LEARNINGS.

Taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone can be daunting but having the confidence to try something different can really pay off. A successful experimentation culture is always underpinned by an attitude that accepts the possibility of failure – as long as any failure turns into an opportunity to learn.

There is an important difference between embracing risk and being reckless, which means no shortcuts, planning everything and meticulously executing.

But even then, if things do not go to plan, failure itself has an intrinsic value. When something does not work, we learn more about what does, and this is integral to informing more effective risktaking in the future. That is why experiments must be visible to the whole organization. It is the only way to build and maintain a strong culture of experimentation where we can all continually learn and improve.

3. CHAMPION CREATIVITY AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORG

Only one in 10 junior marketers say they do not have the freedom to try new things, which is not only a positive indication of creative experimentation, but also of a culture that involves everyone.

Our research shows more junior members of the marketing team are more willing to try out new things than marketing managers. Perhaps, it reflects a lack of experience, but I believe it is more linked to being open-minded and not shackled to established approaches. Encourage junior team members to speak out and contribute new ideas — they are the CMOs of tomorrow.

4. PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND TRAINING

Do not be misguided into thinking experimentation means being unstructured or throwing ideas around to see which one makes a difference. Experimentation is a discipline that needs focus and methodical thinking to achieve the best outcomes.

Give everyone, regardless of experience or seniority, the opportunity to learn about how to apply the science of experimentation to creative thinking, and how to use the tools that can support this process.

Embrace a new mindset and operational practice that embeds experimentation into how resources, roadmap and investments are prioritized. Leadership support is also required to evolve organizations to embrace a culture of removing assumptions (and bias) out of decision making.

Establish a ‘Center of Excellence’ concept — where your experimentation lead can train ‘champions’ within every line of business — will also allow your organization to scale and safeguard incremental headcount costs.

5. MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARD DESIRED GOALS

An experimentation culture will lead to positive business outcomes if it is supported by metrics and data analysis to determine whether a particular idea or approach has achieved its desired outcome.

At the start, quantify what success looks like, determine your metrics, and then rigorously analyze performance. Such a process will generate learnings about what works and what does not, and lead to ongoing improvements to digital experiences. The results of the experiment may actually surprise the team, leading to further creative thinking and innovation.

6. USE EXPERIMENTATION TOOLS

Using enterprise-grade experimentation tools will allow you to bring the structure you need to experiment effectively and at scale. Experiment with your digital experience, not with the principles of testing, personalization, and measurement. Use a platform that is designed to allow you to set up and test changes before going live, analyze and optimize your results, and use your data to speak to individual customers on a oneto-one basis.

Ultimately, organizations that embrace an experimentation culture are those that are far more likely to succeed in building brand loyalty, growing revenue and market share, and standing apart from the competition.