CMO magazine predicts 2015 will be the year of “digital” transformation for most orgs. They asked a bunch of CMO/Marketing leaders to offer some predictions for the year.

These days digital transformation is top-of-mind for CMOs, and it reaches all corners of marketing. That includes devising new strategies to meet the expectations of omnichannel customers, capitalizing on what new technologies now enable (geotargeting, personalization, and automation, to name just a few), and changing the makeup of the modern-day marketing team to ensure the right skill set.

If you’re a CMO and you’re just getting to this, it might already be too late.

The real challenge to a “digital transformation” is that the CMO will only be a cheerleader (worst case) or one key leader in the executive suite (best case). The real transformation has to happen in organizations the CMO doesn’t always control.

Business Units – Short and long term incentives, promotional criteria and budget allocation all need to change. For example, digital transformation requires a ton of experimentation. Experimentation equals risk. Most good marketers have incentives that do not align with risk and change. Transformation requires, by definition, change.

IT – Systems, tools, incentives and budgeting will have to be changed. For instance, most capital budgeting requires some sort of ROI estimate. Most of the “digital transformation” investments will have, at best, a hazy ROI horizin. Yet, the investments need to be made to enable the transformation.

HR – The way organizations hire, develop, train and evaluate teams will have to change and the CMO rarely has direct influence over the group. For example, organizations will need to promote teams that have a high confidence in ambiguity, can lead through change, are resilient. Most importantly, business functions will need to reward true creativity.

I love the discussion of driving transformation. There’s a ton that’s needed. But, it’s not just the CMO’s job. It’s everybody’s job.