Leading CMOs share insights on maximizing ROI
CMOs are under increasing pressure due to greater scrutiny and accountability for ROI; the need to balance creativity with revenue growth; and the rapid pace of technological, market, and consumer changes. Through expert insights from leading CMOs, we share how technology, data, and culture can improve marketing effectiveness and efficiency even in periods of economic uncertainty and resource constraints.
The role of a CMO ... was once primarily a creative role focused on the four Ps of marketing—product, price, place, promotion—but that’s no longer the case. Traditional marketing is a concept of the past, and the role of the CMO has completely shifted to be equally focused on tech, data, analytics, creative, and culture.
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- CMOs face hurdles in maximizing ROI. External issues include economic uncertainties, industry contractions, and consumer changes. Internal issues include tight budgets, data issues, and scaling campaigns. CMOs need to address departmental and companywide challenges.
We are facing growing pains of going from a startup to a midsize company with ambitions to grow as an enterprise. An internal challenge is the ability to set and structure a go-to-market engine for scale with the right leaders, processes, and partnerships.
- CMOs face an ROI balancing act. They must weigh long-term brand-building against short-term revenue goals, pursue innovations while meeting C-suite expectations, continue investing amid budget cuts, and prioritize efficiency without compromising customer experience.
Profitable growth is important ... but I believe in continuing to invest during economic downturns, as pulling back can hinder long-term brand growth. A strategy might be tried and true now, but it might not be in a few months. It’s about trusting internally to take bigger swings and gambles and tying those decisions back to business impact.
- CMOs must effectively communicate ROI to senior leadership. Demonstrating the value and impact of marketing activities is difficult, especially when marketing is seen as a cost center rather than a revenue driver. CMOs must translate relevant metrics into terminology that senior management understands.
A lot of CMOs don’t understand that they need to have the ability to get people comfortable and then tie it back to business impact. As a marketer, you have to do that internal marketing and bring people along the journey as well.
Key Insights From EMARKETER
We’ve spent a lot of time speaking with marketing executives for our CMO report series, “Leading With Confidence.” We have uncovered the following key insights so far:
Keep investing during economic uncertainty. Continue marketing investments during economic downturns to support long-term brand growth and differentiation.
Assign a dedicated AI lead. Appoint a dedicated person to manage AI, focusing on improving efficiency, campaign performance, and personalized customer interactions.
Collaborate with the CFO. Partner closely with the CFO to align marketing investments with financial goals, optimize budget decisions, and demonstrate marketing’s impact on business outcomes.
Read the full report, How CMOs Are Maximizing ROI.