How CMO’s can maximise their impact

McKinsey recently launched their paper, "The CMO’s comeback: Aligning the C-suite to drive customer-centric growth". The timing was no coincidence obviously, just in time to spark conversations at the Cannes festival of creativity. The message? CEOs and CMOs must realign.

Marketing, so they claim, was once the beacon guiding companies directly to their customers. Today, scattered responsibilities blur customer ownership, stalling growth. McKinsey’s research proves companies with clear customer-centric leadership grow 2.3 times faster. And while the methodology is unclear, that’s an impressive number.

Metrics That Matter

Marketing isn't just ads and awareness; it's growth. McKinsey points out the crucial disconnect: CEOs measure revenue growth and margins, CMOs often don’t. They rightly claim it’s time CMOs and CFOs start speaking the same language. The sooner, the better.

General Manager Mindset

Marketers, McKinsey claims, must step up from tactics to strategy, becoming fluent in the language of the boardroom. At Fortune Brands Innovations, CMO Mark-Hans Richer puts it simply: “Nothing actually gets sold without a customer buying it.” That might sound like a subject from business 101, there is more to it than just a hollow slogan . 

By making customer insight the heartbeat of executive decision-making and building trust across finance, product, and digital he’s helping reposition marketing as what it was always meant to be: a driver of business, not just buzz.

Collaboration Is the New Competitive Advantage

The gap between CEOs and CMOs isn't a crisis however, it's an invitation. Align your marketing with your business goals, measure collaboratively, and win together. Growth isn't about choosing sides; it's about standing shoulder-to-shoulder, customer-centric and united.