Research by leadership consulting firm, Spencer Stuart, reveals that the length of time chief marketing officers are staying in their positions is decreasing.

Platinum Seed CEO and founder Bradley Elliott says, "The reason, in part, lies with digital transformation, which adds significant complexity and challenge to the CMO role." Elliott is currently leading a large, local study on the role of the CMO in South Africa with consultancy WWC.

"A recent article in AdWeek shows that some of the world's top brands have seen a big flux in the CMO role," says Elliott. Elliott says that Netflix's CMO left in July after seven years in the position, and McDonald's global CMO left at the same time.

"I recently read that Uber laid off a third of its marketing team, including CMO Rebecca Messina, who spent nine months with the ride-sharing brand before leaving," Elliott adds.

"Given the huge disruption we're seeing in marketing, and the massive changes CMOs are experiencing, Platinum Seed and WWC are undertaking a local study to uncover the forces that are shaping marketing," he says. The study, called 'What CMOs Want', will aim to uncover what chief marketers want from their marketing partners and explore the challenges that face brand leaders.

"In a turbulent world defined by digital disruption, and marked by economic upheaval, marketers find themselves at a crossroads," says Elliott. "In a world of big data and artificial intelligence, trust is the new flywheel that '#FutureFit' brands are focussing on. As the world of advertising reinvents itself, now is a good time to ask local marketers what they want," Elliott adds.

Senior marketers working at top local brands are encouraged to participate in the study. All marketing practitioners who participate will be given a free copy of the research pack, once the survey has been completed.

For more information, visit platinumseed.com. You can also follow Platinum Seed on Facebook or on Twitter.