According to two new reports released today, Forrester expects data to form the basis of nearly all successful marketing initiatives in 2014, with B2B and B2C CMOs feeling pressure to innovate even faster as empowered consumers shift their thinking from mobile to a channel to mobile as the channel, while still maintaining their presence in digital and traditional environments.

In the first report, Forrester Vice President and Principal Analyst Bert DuMars maintains that B2C CMOs will face trends that will require stronger leadership of the business, prolific partnering with agencies and technology companies, and a tight bond with the chief information officer. His predictions include: 1) Media decisions will focus on the intersection of audience and lifestyle targeting; 2) customer experience needs C-level ownership; 3) mobile will rise from project to primacy; 4) new ways to fund projects will kick-start digital disruption; and 5) a major shakeup in the social space will occur.

In the second report, Forrester Vice President and Principal Analyst Sheryl Pattek maintains that B2B CMOs will have to determine the right balance of investments in data and analysis, brand-building efforts, and organizational adaptations in order to succeed in 2014. Her predictions include: 1) CMOs will intertwine data as the foundation of 2014 strategies and plans; 2) redefine B2B as “business-to-buyer”; and 3) organize around the customer, not the product or channel.