CMOs Must Focus on Transcending Disruption, Elevating Enterprise Impact and Maximizing Marketing Yield

With increased pressure to deliver growth and support cross-functional work, Gartner, Inc. has identified three priorities for CMOs to deliver marketing excellence in 2025.

These priorities include:

• Transcending disruption by bridging the gap between marketing strategy and operations
• Elevating enterprise-wide impact by leading marketing to deliver differentiation
• Maximizing marketing’s yield by prioritizing customer journey investments

“Marketing faces extraordinary expectations heading into 2025, and CMOs cannot risk incremental change when the enterprise expects transformative results,” said Ewan McIntyre, VP Analyst and the Chief of Research for the Gartner Marketing Practice. “A sharp focus on marketing excellence is key. By applying the resources CMOs have with ever greater vision and discipline, they will earn the confidence of the business to expand their leadership and stewardship of resources.”

Bridge Marketing Strategy and Operations

In a survey of 395 CMOs conducted in February and March 2024, respondents said they devote almost 40% of their budget to activities focused on change and transformation. The problem is that constant disruption diverts attention from long-term goals. CMOs must identify where tactical thinking has replaced strategic discipline and dedicate resources to ongoing strategy management, such as staff time, training and tools.

“A strategy management capability is a self-funding investment. While managing strategy is a core part of the CMO role, it cannot happen without a supporting organizational capability,” said McIntyre.

Lead Marketing to Deliver Differentiation

Many CMOs are not fulfilling their growth potential - both in terms of delivering business results and maximizing their leadership effectiveness. In a survey of 125 CEOs and CFOs conducted in August and September 2024, executive leaders reported that only 14% of CMOs are effective at market shaping, or influencing market dynamics by identifying and fulfilling unmet customer needs. Companies where CMOs are effective at market shaping are 2.6 times more likely to exceed revenue and profit goals.

Market shaping CMOs distinguish themselves from C-suite colleagues with their exceptional skill-level in data-based decision making, strategy management and market knowledge. These skills help CMOs make meaning from data and convert trends into visionary strategies.

“This is a different skill set than merely understanding or empathizing with the customer,” said Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst, Vice President, Research in the Gartner Marketing Practice. “With customer data increasingly available to all functions, the CMO edge lies in knowing how to synthesize insight from an array of different sources to find opportunities for differentiation.”

Prioritize Customer Journey Investments

With customer understanding being a significant driver of marketing-led growth, CMOs should be concerned that many customers feel misunderstood by brands. In a survey of over 6,000 U.S. consumers conducted in July and August 2024, 58% reported that the companies trying to sell them something don’t have a good understanding of their needs and preferences. The consequence is that many marketing campaigns underperform, wasting budgets, resources and opportunity.

“What’s perplexing about this is that marketing has never had more access to data, or more technology tasked with building customer understanding and targeting messages. Right now, technology-driven customer engagement is at an inflection point,” said McIntyre. “The vast majority of marketing teams are accelerating AI initiatives; 95% of CMOs in 2024 reported that GenAI investments are a priority.”

CMOs must avoid the pitfalls of AI-driven excess and prioritize customer journey investments with the greatest economic return. A data- and hypothesis-led approach will help rebuild emotional connections with customers who are feeling misunderstood and drive a mutually productive growth engine.

Gartner clients can read more in “Leadership Vision for 2025: Chief Marketing Officer” and Garnter's Leadership Vision eBook.

About Gartner for Marketing

Gartner for Marketing provides the objective, expert advice, and proven tools that CMOs and other marketing leaders need to seize the right opportunities with clarity and confidence, and to stay ahead of the trends that matter. With in-depth research and analysis, Gartner for Marketing helps you focus on the opportunities with the greatest potential to deliver results. More information on Gartner for Marketing is available online at www.gartner.com/marketing. Follow news and updates from the Gartner Marketing practice on X and LinkedIn using #GartnerMKTG. Members of the media can find additional information and insights in the Gartner Marketing Newsroom.

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) delivers actionable, objective insight that drives smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization’s mission-critical priorities. To learn more, visit gartner.com.

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