In a landscape shaped by ongoing technological innovation, rapidly evolving consumer expectations, and persistent economic headwinds, marketing remains a critical engine of sustainable growth. As a result, the demands on today’s Chief Marketing Officer have never been higher.
To illuminate the strategies and challenges shaping the CMO agenda in 2025 and beyond, GALE partnered with Forbes Insights to survey 300 CMOs from organizations with annual revenues of $500 million to over $10 billion. First premiered at the Forbes CMO Summit, the report, “The Business-Architect CMO: Building Future-Proof Growth Strategies,” examines how leading marketers are navigating this complexity, balancing priorities, and collaborating across the C-suite to chart a path forward.
Among the key findings, the survey reinforces core perspectives that GALE has long held as a Business Agency:
- An audience‑first approach is especially powerful in uncertain times
- Tighter alignment of brand, business, and technology is essential
- Measurable impact comes from partners who truly understand your business holistically, and therefore how to drive business results
Among the key datapoints:
- 67% agree CMOs must become business architects, not just brand stewards
- Only 19% consider their organizations “extremely effective” at demonstrating marketing’s impact across the consumer journey
- Only 39% report that their budgets are fully aligned with and supportive of their strategic vision
- 70% agree agency partners increasingly need to understand their business more holistically to be effective
Download the report to read more specifics on how these leaders are future-proofing their marketing.
