Thinking on the same page: CEOs and CMOs

In any business, irrespective of industry, the collaboration between Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) is a key attribute behind its success. To achieve this, CEOs and CMOs must view the complexities of the market through a shared lens to first accept creative marketing ideas, and secondly be brave enough to implement them.

However, as with any relationship, the nature of their job titles means that the success and failure of their collective efforts will be received differently. This makes understanding their unique perspectives essential, as well as knowing how best to align their shared interests.

CEO concerns

When considering their company’s marketing efforts, the following concerns will be top of mind for a CEO.

• Financial Precision

  CEOs demand precision in financial matters. CMOs must therefore consider aspects beyond the success of just their marketing initiatives to understand how a CEO is considering the success of a business.

• Strategic Vision

  CEOs seek marketing strategies that align with an overall corporate strategy, which they set. This means that CMOs must be strategic partners, offering strategies that don’t sit in isolation but instead contribute to the company's sustained growth.

• Risk Mitigation

  CEOs rely on CMOs to navigate risks effectively. This means that when deciding upon any marketing strategy, a CEO will consider the concerns to the business as a whole beyond customers and brand reputation.

CMO concerns

Unlike CEOs, CMO concerns extend further into the needs of the customer and the brand’s long-term stability. The CEO will be expecting these to be covered, but with less specificity to his current concerns. 

• Brand Resilience 

  Expert marketers understand that brand equity is a valuable asset. CMOs work tirelessly to maintain and enhance brand resilience.

• Customer Centricity

  CMOs are more sensitive to customer needs and preferences. This focuses their attention on delivering both tangible and intangible brand benefits that attracts new business and ensures customer loyalty.

• Technological Mastery

  CMOs need to be at the forefront of technological innovation. This makes it a prerequisite for them to be proactive in knowing about the latest tools and techniques. Ultimately, this pursuit will improve marketing effectiveness and efficiency, which the CEO will be laser focused on. 

Improving collaboration

• Clarity of vision

  CEOs and CMOs achieve success when they share a vision that can be clearly defined and understood in both realms. CMOs must therefore be able to understand how the broader corporate vision relates to their objectives and the marketing requirements. In turn, they must be able to articulate how their marketing strategy aligns with this vision. 

• Using data to guide success

  A clear vision can be illustrated with the use of data and metrics, which can then define what success looks like. CEOs and CMOs should work together to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that provide actionable insights into the effectiveness of marketing strategies.

• Agile Adaptation

  In the fast-paced world of marketing, agility is key. CEOs and CMOs must collaborate on swift, data-driven adaptations to changing market dynamics, enabling the organisation to stay ahead of the curve.

Success isn’t guaranteed

The collaboration between CEOs and CMOs is a critical requirement of any successful business. By appreciating the unique concerns of each role and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, CMOs can work harmoniously with CEOs to navigate challenges and capitalise on opportunities, but this isn’t easy. Success is not guaranteed and following the recent explosion of AI, there is greater pressure on this relationship. If you’d like to learn more, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.