Christy Tanner’s Post

Even though I talk economics mostly, I’m a marketer at heart and craft. When I read that the gap between CMOs and CEOs is widening — I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve seen it happen years ago in real time. There’s been instances in which I’ve been either in leadership or a senior figure on a team to work with C-Suite and notice that the synergy is off from reports to reality of how things work. Synergy between systems, statistics and structure can be ruptured if all layers of hierarchy aren’t “together”. This stats proves that: 97% of CEOs think their companies meet customers’ needs, yet only 75% of CMOs agree, according to a May survey from  Forrester . That synergy is built on interlocked confidence and clear communication — for both silos. Could it be a shadowing of sorts helps the synergy grow tighter? I believe so, because if the CEO/Board Members see a situation like said company or initiatives being one way but the CMOs being closer to the pulse give them a clearer diagnosis— tracking progress will continue to be statements not steering the ship correctly. Marketing isn’t the end all, be all yet it is one of the critical aspect into knowing how a company performs. It will also give insight into the health of the company — from revenue to earnings/ financial statements. Companies can’t say “big picture” but unsure of how the picture is developed — how the color hues of key departments like Marketing brings the picture to life. Knowing the operations of your company will allow the opportunities to be clearer and able to be seen. Even knowing your strengths and weaknesses to allow you to build the systems to see success. I’ve noticed that this was one of the bigger disconnects in former roles. When the synergy is obvious, the opportunities will click being the “culture” that many of the companies say they have. That confidence that it often seen is tone deaf to the reality of their companies. To know the customers’ needs is one thing, but knowing what your company needs to do in regards to marketing is another. Knowing the layers will help it become a well oiled machine. Psst — consumers can tell if there’s a disconnect— CEOs. #marketing #leardership #teambuilding

"The gap between CEO and CMO isn’t new, but it has widened in recent years as more C-suite leaders, with scant to no experience in marketing, reach out to the department hoping to find growth drivers in a very mixed economy." At the same time... "Marketers have undercut themselves by adopting esoteric terminology and data points that mean little or nothing to other C-suite executives." Certainly there's often an expectations mismatch and and increasing pressure on CMOs to deliver instant results. Here are two of the root causes we've seen, especially at #middlemarket companies: - Companies will often hire a specialist in one of the 5-6 marketing disciplines: demand generation, branding, product marketing, marcom and PR, and customer insights, because the company's hair is on fire about one particular area that's in urgent need of help. But as the first issue is fixed, many times the CMO isn't knowledgeable enough in the other disciplines to credibly attack the next conflagration, or at least the CEO doesn't have confidence that they can. We recommend taking the time to do a full assessment on both the short term and long term needs before making a FT hire and find someone who can adapt as the business needs evolve -Leaders often see issues as a "marketing problem" or a "sales problem" for example, rather than one that needs an integrated solution. "go-to-market" "funnel optimization" are just two examples where a holistic, multifunctional approach will necessarily work better than siloing it with one individual or team. So, take your time and wait for the right fit. Very few CMOs can do it all, so plan ahead and be flexible in setting goals and objectives as needs evolve. Connect with us to talk further about your marketing, sales, BD and strategy orgs. #fractionalcmo #fractionalcro #privateequity

The title of the article reads, “Divide Between CMOs and CEOs Is Growing, Research Finds.” If this is surprising to anyone, then they are out of touch with reality. What is the reality? Is the CEO out of touch with the responsibilities of the CMO and how they drive business success, or is the CMO not taking responsibility to explain how they drive business results and not accountable for company KPIs?   I would answer both.   First off, I would submit that as many as 80% of marketers (all marketers, not just CMOs) lack knowledge and experience driving real business results with marketing strategy, planning, and execution. And these individuals continue to harm the reputation of the other 20% that can and do deliver quality marketing. On the flip side, everyone thinks they understand marketing, including CEOs, but that is not the case. “The gap between CEO and CMO isn’t new, but it has widened in recent years as more C-suite leaders, with scant to no experience in marketing …. Only 10% of CEOs at Fortune 250 companies have ever worked in marketing …” The referenced article states, “Communication—or its absence—is a major factor in this divide.” I think this is spot on. But I would take it a few steps further and state that successful marketing starts with: 1)   Deep understanding of a defined target market audience. 2)   Understanding the behaviors of this group. 3)   Understanding the motivations that make these individuals consider, purchase, and advocate the brand. 4)   Understanding the client/customer journey – not just the last action taken to make a purchase. 5)   Ability to orchestrate omni-channel listening, communication, engagement, advertisements, advocacy, and earned media to influence buying decisions and create customer life-time value. Does the CEO understand this? Does the CMO understand this? Maybe the answer to these questions explains the communication gap. And maybe this defines where final business marketing decisions should be made. #cmo #marketing https://lnkd.in/efHeqBVp

The CMO role isn't getting easier, but it's getting more exciting. Are these shifts resonating with you? 👀 Expanded Focus: CMOs are moving away from a purely brand-building focus. They're increasingly expected to drive business growth, customer experience, and technological innovation. 📣 Tech isn't just a tool; it's the future. AI and the next big thing are going to disrupt everything we do. If we're exploring this actively, we'll stay caught up. 📣 Agility and adaptability are the new core skills. The only certainty is that change will keep coming. We need to be ready to pivot, learn, and upskill our teams fast. 💵 The CFO is our new best frenemy. Embrace the push for data-driven marketing. If we can't prove ROI and tie our strategies directly to revenue, we'll lose the board's confidence. ✔ Data-Driven Strategies: The CMO's success is tied to effectively leveraging data and analytics. Data informs everything from customer targeting to measuring marketing performance. ⚙️ Collaboration is Key: CMOs can no longer operate in a silo. Strong collaboration with other C-suite executives is essential to drive overall company strategy. 👨🏫 The Rise of the CCO: In some organizations, the Chief Customer Officer (CCO) is emerging, creating potential overlap with the traditional CMO role. ✨ My Main Takeaway: The CMO role is becoming more complex and demanding. Success for the CMOs hinges on adaptability, a data-driven mindset, the ability to collaborate effectively, and a clear focus on business results. #CMO #marketing #strategy #datadriven #AI #digitaltransformation #tecnology #csuite #csuiteleaders #advertising #aiinmarketing #brandmarketing

CMOs know the challenges of today’s business environment—including geopolitical turmoil, lingering economic concerns, ongoing climate degradation, and global social inequities. Marketing leaders know they need a deep understanding of customers, a brand purpose that connects to all stakeholders, and the ability to tie marketing efforts to the bottom line. Yet CMOs may not see that the call for business transformation appears to be getting louder. In the current environment, both B2C and B2B customers tend to expect real-time, global, transparent communication from brands, and many continue to expect businesses to take a stand. Customers can readily fact-check brand statements online and can just as easily share opinions on whether brand ideals match the customer experience. Meanwhile, new digital channels and modes of engagement are allowing brands to interact with customers in a more relevant, targeted way—but these channels also come with new concerns about brand safety and misinformation. As businesses reevaluate the way they interact with customers, the role of the CMO continues to be a crucial—and often overlooked—driver of business and brand growth. Drawing on data-backed customer insights and deep cultural understanding, leading CMOs can create new business models that better account for the psychological factors that shape customer decision-making—and the choice to care about a brand. Marketers can also leverage their deep stakeholder expertise to instill greater trust and transparency as organizations adopt emerging technologies. Finally, CMOs can draw on their innate abilities as creative problem-solvers to develop new business strategies that address the market’s evolving needs in innovative ways. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, CMOs can consider four areas of focus to address the challenges on the horizon, reaffirm marketing’s indispensable role within the C-suite, and drive growth for the organization as a whole. Human-Centric Creativity Data-backed Storytelling A More Human Tech Strategy Brand Rooted in Intersectional Culture #marketingandadvertising #customerfocused #salesexcellence #cmoinsights #marketingleaders #salesleadership #futurenow

Fascinating research sheds light on the disconnect between CEOs and CMOs. A few thoughts: It’s the CMO’s responsibility, and it’s crucial for their job performance and job security, that they understand the financial language that the CEO and CFO speak, as this understanding guides measurement and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). It’s striking to read that 90% of CEOs believe that marketing is clearly defined in their organizations, while just 1 in 5 of their senior marketers share their perspective. The extent of the disparity is remarkable. Marketing must prioritize a significantly higher level of alignment. Alignment with the C-Suite brings with it: fewer second-guessing scenarios, increased speed to market, and for the CMO the holy grail – the freedom to take bigger swings and risks. The article highlights that only 1 in 10 CEOs at Fortune 250 companies have ever worked in marketing. Nevertheless, it suggests that modern CEOs are “highly confident in their understanding of how modern marketing works.” Consider for a moment the transformative impact of technological advances in modern marketing just the past 10-15 years. The seismic shift from an impersonal mass marketing (mass advertising and PR) model to a consumer-driven relationship model. The power dynamic has flipped entirely from brands to consumers. Consumers demand personalization and a 1-on-1 relationship with their chosen brands. Not exactly the marketing world that existed when most CEOs began their careers. If that doesn’t underscore the disconnect between the modern CEO and CMO, very little does in my view. The key: Smart CMOs quickly align their goals and measurements with the CEO. They speak the financial language of the C-Suite and contextualize marketing priorities and progress accordingly. #marketingstrategies #marketingadvice #businessandmanagement

In today's landscape, it's no small secret that CMOs face a variety of dynamic challenges, including shifting consumer demands, generating (tangible) revenue growth, and fostering interdepartmental coherence. As CMO responsibilities broaden, so too do the needs for efficient yet comprehensive workflows. Deloitte's findings on increasing CMO turnover underscore the importance of adapting to these challenges and highlight how 'agility with insight' is necessary to succeed. Good news is that technology is here to help. 🙌

This article clearly highlights the disconnect between the CMO and CEO or broadly, between marketing and the rest of the organization. Even though the marketing organization touches all GTM functions like sales and CS and all PDE functions - product, design, and engineering, why is this disconnect? When I tell people I work in marketing, why do people picture me in a 'Mad Men' style setting, who is smoking a cigar and coming up with jingles that bring the company quadrillions of $$ of revenue? Marketing today is technical as shit! Marketing goes beyond just delivering "leads", "mqls", "clicks" and "impressions". It is time for Marketers to step up and take a larger role in the organization. Not keep delivering on vanity metrics that nobody in the org cares about. Did you know the CMO is the shortest-tenured exec in an org? At one of the companies I worked for, I saw 5 CMO changes in under 3 years. It is time for Marketers to evolve! Else be replaced by chief growth officer, chief digital officer, chief brand officer, or other CXO! If you are a marketer and interested in making a difference, reach out to me! I'm building something amazing and would love to show you a sneak peek! #b2bmarketing #marketing #abm #accountbasedmarketing

I saw LinkedIn promote this regarding the perception of the CMO role. While the The Wall Street Journal article reports it in a superficial way (they're regurgitating a McKinsey & Company study), it raises a question that my smaller clients ask often. "...only 22% of marketing chiefs say their jobs are well-defined and understood by other C-suite executives" "The gap between CEO and CMO isn’t new, but it has widened in recent years as more C-suite leaders, with scant to no experience in marketing, reach out to the department hoping to find growth drivers in a very mixed economy..." What does the CMO actually do? When do I really need a CMO? If you're an entrepreneur, I'd love to hear my you did, or didn't, bring on a CMO. If you're a CMO, what's one thing we can do to bridge the gap in perception? Tagging some pretty awesome CMOs who I've had the opportunity to chat with recently: Samantha Liss, Tim Cifelli, Erik Harbison, Rachel Yeakley.

More validation that executive platforms are increasingly important and impact the bottomline. What jumped out? ✅ CEOs with a prominent voice in the top issues driving global business--such as #AI the #1 topic of the year--stood out against their industry peers ✅ CEOs from tech companies, driving growth and innovation in the global economy, dominated  ✅ And, a lopsided profile focused solely on earned media or social media did couldn't get to CEOs to the top – platforms must be balanced Thanks Golin!