GlobalC-suiteSeries

33rdedition

CMOStudy

TheCMOrevolution:

5growthmovestowinwithAI

IBMInstituteforBusinessValue

1

Aboutthestudy

TheIBMInstituteforBusinessValue(IBMIBV)2025CMOStudy

conductedasurveyof1,800CMOsandCSOsacross24industries

and33geographies.Ouranalysisuncoveredfivegrowthmoves

distinguishingtomorrow’strailblazersfromthoseatriskofbeingleft

behind.Thisreportuncoversthefiveboldmovesfuelingsustainable

revenuegrowthandlastingrelevance.ThefuturebelongstothosewhomasterthedelicatedancebetweenBigIdeasandflawlessexecution.

Thecoverconcept,mostoftheimagery,andthefiguresinthisreportweredevelopedusinggenerativeAI.

IBMIBVdesignersusedAdobeFireflytoiterateonthecoverimage

concept,thencreatedthefinalimagemanually.Designersalsotranslatedeachofthe“market-definingmoves”intoprompts,thenusedthese

promptswithinAdobeFireflytogenerateimagerythatinspiredthebasisandstructureforeachmove.We’veusedthismarkerthroughout

toidentifyAI-generatedimages:

Overall,theefficiencygainedbyintegratingthesetoolsintothedesignprocessisasfollows:

66

ActionGuide

Concept—3weeksto1.5daysImagery—2weeksto3daysFigures—1weekto1day

Contents

3

Foreword

4

TheunseendragonmarketingROI

8

5growthmovesforCMOs

24

Forgeaninfrastructurethatdoesn’tflinch.

Move2

54

Stopchasing

campaigns.Architectoutcomesinstead.

Move5

44

Hireforheart.

TrainforAI.

Move4

10

Winthemoment.

Move1

34

HealyourEXtofixyourCX.

Move3

64

CMOs:Defineyourmarket

68

Researchandmethodology

Foreword

Marketingandsalesareinperpetualmotion.Amassiveleapinoperationaldesignistheonlywaytostayahead.

JonathanAdashek

SeniorVicePresident

MarketingandCommunicationsIBM

Themostsuccessfulmarketingorganizationsofthenextdecadewillnotbedistinguishedbybiggerbudgetsorshiniertools—they’llbe

definedbytheiroperationalcourage.InanerawhereChiefMarketingOfficertenureistenuous,thesewinnersaredismantlingwhatdoes

notworkandrebuildingmarketingenginesdesignedforanewreality.

Theyhavemovedbeyondthecomfortableincrementalismthatlimitscareers.Instead,theyembracetheradicaloperationaltransformationthatdrivesexponentialgrowthanddeliversthemeasurablebusinessimpactthatmatters.

Fortoolong,toomanyCMOshaveobsessedoverthe“BigIdea.”We

havechasedmoredata,moretools,morecampaigns—aninsatiable

appetitefor“more”thathasledtoabrutalparadox.Manymarketingorganizations,evenwithsignificantresourcesandsophisticated

technologyattheirdisposal,arestructurallyincapableofdeliveringtheROIandgrowththatthebusinessdemands.Itisanexecution

gap,achasmbetweenpromiseanddelivery,anditisthreateningtoswallowuswhole.

Theironyisnotlost:CMOsarebeingunderminedbyoperational

realitiesbuiltforabygonemarketingera.AI,thegame-changerweall

recognize,sitslargelyuntapped,paralyzedbyrigid,fragmentedsystemscompoundedbysignificantchangemanagementchallenges.Toomanyofusarestandingontheprecipiceofanewera,armedwithastoundingtechnologyandcapabilities,yetboundbyoperatingmodelsthatdelivertheagilityofabattleshipinsteadofthefighterjetthatisneeded.

Wehaveallseenbrilliantmarketingleadersgetdevouredbythisparadox—andasasenior

marketingandcommunicationsexecutive,Iknowthischallengeintimately.Wearriveatourpostsaroundtheglobespeakingaboutcustomerjourneysandlifetimevalue.Ifwedonotperform,

wefindourselvesupdatingourLinkedInprofiles,casualtiesofanever-growingexecutiongap.

Bridgingthattechnologyandexecutiongapweighsheavyonmanyofusaswetrytodelivermeaningfulgrowthtothebusiness.

Themathematicsaremerciless:CMOtenurecontinuesitsdownwardspiralwhileour

accountabilityfordrivingrevenueandgrowthclimbsrelentlesslyupward.Thepressure

todelivermeasurableROItothebusinesshasneverbeenhigher,creatingapressurecookerdesignedtoeliminatethosewhocannotadapt.

ThecompaniesthatwilldominatethenextdecadearetheoneswiththedeepestAIintegrations.ThismeansstartingwithAIatthecoreoftheorganizationandbuildingtherightoperatingmodelandteamontopofthat.Formanyofus,thismeansbeingwillingtoadmitthatourcurrent

marketingmodel—nomatterhowcomfortable,howfamiliar,orhowchallengingtoreplace—isnotdeliveringwhatisneededandactivelysabotagingourfuture.

Thisreportisnotwrittentooffercomfortabletruthsorincrementalimprovements.Itrevealsfivetransformationalmovesthatcanseparateorganizationsbuilttowinfromthosedesignedtodisappoint.Thechoicebetweenfutureswilldeterminewhichmarketingorganizationsaretrulydeliveringwhatthebusinessrequireswhenthemomentoftrutharrives.

WeatIBMbelieveyoushouldgiveyourBigIdeasthespot-onexecutiontheydeserve.Ihopeyouusethisreporttogetstarted.

22025CMOStudy|Foreword3

Theunseendrag

ThemodernCMOfacesastarkreality:despitecommandinglargerbudgets,moresophisticated

tools,andunprecedentedaccesstocustomerdata,mostmarketingorganizationsarestructurallyincapableofdeliveringtheresultsboardsnowdemand.Thisisn’tjustanoperationalchallenge—it’sanexistentialthreat.

Today’smarketingleadersfaceabrutalparadox.Thetraditionalplaybook—moredata,morecampaigns,reallymoreofanything—hashititsceiling.Withoutfundamentaloperational

transformation,marketingaspirationsincreasinglyoutrunexecutioncapabilities,creatingadangerousdisconnectbetweenpromiseanddelivery.

AndCMOsarefeelingit.IntheC-suite’srevolvingdoor,CMOsarefirsttoexit—averagingjust4.3yearsoverall,comparedtoCEOs’7.4yearsorCIOs’5.2years.1TheCMOmandate:deliver

businessimpactwithunprecedentedspeed.64%ofCMOssaytheyarenowresponsibleforprofitability,with58%accountableforrevenuegrowth.

Theirreality:mostpresideoveroperationswoefullyunpreparedforthisnewaccountability.

onmarketingROI

64%

ofCMOssaytheyarenow

responsibleforprofitability,

with

58%

accountableforrevenuegrowth.

“WhatdoesaninfluentialandentrepreneurialCMOlook

liketoday?Thesedays,wehavetobeinterpretersand

integrators.Wemustbeinstitutionalstrategistsandvaluegenerators,notjustbrandstewards.”

R.EthanBraden,VicePresident,ChiefMarketingandCommunicationsOfficer,TexasA&MUniversity

42025CMOStudy|Introduction5

Marketing’sAchilles’heel:Theexecutiongap

ScratchbeneaththesurfaceofmanyCMOs’polishedcampaignsandboldpronouncements,andyou’llfindacommontruth:they’relongonstrategicvisionbutconsistentlyunderminedbyanoperationalrealitybuiltforabygoneera.

It’sunderstandable,really.TheAI-fueledpaceofchangeleavestraditionalagilitygaspingforair.

81%

ofdemandleadersrecognizeAIasthegame-changer2,

yet

84%

remainparalyzedinfirstgear—

theiroperationstoorigidandtoofragmentedtoharnesstheverytechnologythatcouldsavethem.

TheironyisthatCMOshavealwaysbeencelebratedforBigIdeas.Butwithoutkillerexecution,eventhemostbrilliantvisioncrashesagainstoperationalreality.Asmarketsfragmentandattentionscatters,the

winnerswon’tbethosewiththeloudestvoice,butthosewho’vebuilttheoperationalmuscletodeliverwithsurgicalprecision.

62025CMOStudy|Introduction7

Businessasusualmeansirrelevance.Possiblyextinction.

Whatcangrowthmovesdo

fordemandgenerators?Alot.

In2024,topperformersdrove13%revenuegrowthversus12%fortheirpeers—aone-pointedgethat,ata$14Bcompany,translatesto$140Minadditionalgrowth.(Meanrevenuesizeofrespondentswas$14B).In

today’senvironment,that’sthedifferencebetweenexpandingintonewmarkets—orfallingbehind.

High

performers

Low

performers

Gap

2024Revenuegrowth

13%

12%

$140M*

2024Operatingmargin

15%

13%

$280M*

Abilitytoexecuteenterprisestrategy

40%

29%

+38%

Effectiveoptimizationofbrandawareness

70%

59%

+19%

Successfullyleveragingstrategicpartnerships

69%

59%

+17%

Effectivepersonalizationatscale

73%

54%

+35%

PreparedtointegrateagenticAI

55%

41%

+34%

Effectivemanagementofbrandriskcausedbyemergingtechnologies

59%

42%

+40%

*Basedonmeanannualrevenueofrespondentssurveyed,$14B

5growthmovestowinwithAI

Anoverview

Winthemoment.

Theeraofmeticulouslymappedcustomerjourneyshasexpired;

millisecondmarketingiswhat’srequired.Today’sconsumersexistinastateofperpetualdemand—asking,notsearching;

commanding,notbrowsing.Inthesecriticalmicromomentsof

intent,yourbrandmustbecomethesolutionthatalgorithms

surfacefirst.CMOswhouseAItomasterthisshiftfromjourney-basedthinkingtomoment-basedexecutionwillcreateadaptivelifetimevaluethatdrivesmeasurablegrowth—whilecompetitorsremainstuckoptimizingobsoletepathwaystopurchase.

Forgeaninfrastructurethatdoesn’tflinch.Mosttechstacksweren’tbuilttopredict,personalize,andprotectallatonce.Yet,nowtheyallneedto.Everydemandforgreaterrelevancy

putsyourmarketinginfrastructuretothetest—exposingthefaultlinesinsystemsneverdesignedforthislevelofprecisionatscale.As

customersexpectperfectlytailoredinteractionsatpreciselytherightmoment,disconnectedtechstacksbuckleunderdemandsthey

weren’tbuilttohandle.

HealyourEXtofixyourCX.

IfyourCXisbroken,it’sbecauseyourEXbrokeit.Therevelation

reshapingmarketing:yourexternalcustomerexperienceismerelythevisiblemanifestationofyourinternalorganizationalhealth.Every

siloeddepartment,fragmenteddataset,andclunkyprocesscreatesrippleeffectsthatcustomersinevitablyexperienceasfriction,

inconsistency,ordisappointment.

Stopchasingcampaigns.

Architectoutcomesinstead.

Thefundamentalshiftthatwilldefinemarketing’sfutureisn’taboutbettercampaigns—it’saboutreimaginingmarketingasanadaptive,intelligentsystemdesignedtodeliverbusinessoutcomes.While

previousgenerationsofCMOsorchestratedcampaignswithstart

andenddates,tomorrow’smarketingleadersarebuildingperpetualgrowthenginespoweredbyagenticAIthatcontinuouslylearns,

adapts,andoptimizestowardbusinessobjectives.

Hireforheart.TrainforAI.

Themostvaluablemarketingcurrencyisn’tdata—it’stheuniquely

humancapacitytocreateemotionalconnectionsthroughintuition,

empathy,andcreativebrilliance.YetinalandscapetransformedbyAI,humantalentaloneisn’tsufficient.Forward-thinkingCMOsare

cultivatinganewbreedofmarketingprofessional:creativesoulswithtechnologicalfluency.PeoplewhocandirectAItoolswithstrategic

visionwhileinfusingtheoutputwithemotionalresonance.

2025CMOStudy|Introduction9

8

Move1

Winthemoment

It’snotenoughtobeknown.

Yourbrandmustbetheanswer.

102025CMOStudy|Move111

Fromjourneystomoments

“Ourfocusisoncultivatingmeaningful

connectionswitheachandeverycustomer,thatextendbeyondtheproductitself.”

Theeraofmeticulouslymappedcustomerjourneysisover.Today’sconsumersexistinastateofperpetualdemand—asking,notsearching;commanding,notbrowsing.Inthesecriticalmicrosecondsofintent,yourbrandmustbecomethesolutionthatalgorithmssurfaceautomatically.

TheriseofAI-poweredanswerenginesmarksafundamentalshiftindigital

discovery.Theseintelligentsystems—fromGoogle’sAIOverviewtoChatGPT

andClaude—nowinterceptsearchqueriesbeforetheyreachtraditionalwebsites,deliveringimmediate,synthesizedresponsesdirectlyintheresultspage.These

sleek,efficientportalsarefastreplacingtraditionalSEO-drivenjourneys.With

answersprovidedinstantlyatthequerylevel,consumersnolongerneedtoclick

throughtowebsites,transformingthedigitallandscape.Arecentstudyof300,000keywordsfoundthatthepresenceofanAIoverviewinsearchresultscorrelated

witha34.5%loweraverageclickthroughrate(CTR)forthetop-rankingpage.3Thefalloutofthisshift:fewerclickstoyourwebsitemeanfeweropportunitiesforengagement,forcingbrandstowininthefleetingmicrosecond,todelivervalueandbuildtrustinstantaneously.

Inotherwords,forgetthelong,windingcustomerjourney.ThesmartestCMOsarenownailingtheimmediateconsumermoment,buildingadaptivelifetimevaluethatsparksrealgrowth.CMOsoverall,however,havefacedsignificant

demandchallengesoverthepastyear(see“CMOs’topdemandchallenges”).

They’restrugglingtoreachtargetaudienceseffectively,notonlyexceedingplannedbudgetsbutalsofindingoperationsorfulfillmentcouldnotkeepupwiththedemandtheydidgenerate.

OurresearchrevealsacriticalinsightinhowCMOsshouldapproachtheir2025priorities.While71%ofmarketingleadersexpecttoincreasetheirfocusoncustomerloyaltyoverthenextyear,manymaybeoverlooking

whatactuallydrivesthatloyaltyinthefirstplace.

YasutakaSuzuki,ChiefGeneralManager

LandMobilityBusinessOperations,YamahaMotor

CMOs’topdemandchallenges

2

3

Fulfillmentoroperationscannotkeepupwith

generateddemand

Exceedingtheplanned

1

budgetduetounforeseencostsorinefficiencies

Noteffectivelyreachingthe

targetaudience

122025CMOStudy|Move113

Connectionover

convenience

Whatconsumerswantfrombrandshasundergoneaseismicshift,andit’snotaboutfastercheckoutsorslickerinterfaces.Newdatarevealsaprofoundtruththatshouldupendconventionalmarketingwisdom:

peoplecravebeingknownbeforebeingserved.

Thenumberstellastrikingstory.Whenaskedwhatmattersmostintheircustomerexperience,consumersplacedpersonalizedinteractionsandproactivesupportatthetopoftheirprioritylist,alongwithtrustand

security.Meanwhile,high-qualityproductsandintuitivepurchasingexperienceshaveslippedtothebottom.

Whatmattersmosttocustomers

1

Precision.

Personalizedinteractionsandcommunication

2

Prediction.

Proactivesupportandproblemresolution

14

Frictionlessisn’t

dead—it’stablestakes

Thishierarchyrepresentsaprofoundevolutionincustomer

expectations.Foryears,brandshavepouredbillionsintoeliminating

friction,optimizingclickpaths,andshavingsecondsofftransaction

times.Thoseinvestmentsweren’twasted—smoothexperiencesarenowtheexpectedbaseline.Butconsumershaveraisedthebar,aspiringtosomethingmoreprofound:thefeelingofbeinggenuinelyseenand

anticipated.

ThinkofitasMaslow’shierarchyforbrandrelationships.Oncethebasicneedsoffunctionaltransactionsaresatisfied,consumersnaturally

progresstowardhigher-orderconnectionscharacterizedbyrecognition,anticipation,andprotection.Thefrictionlessexperienceisn’tirrelevant—it’sfoundational.Butit’snolongeradifferentiator.

3

Protection.

Trustandsecurityin

transactionsanddatahandling

“Thecustomerrelationshipneedstobeseen

throughamultidimensionalprism.Aseriesofexperiencesthatmustbeimagined,created,orchestrated,andtracked.Andyoucannotbecomplacent.Thecustomerisalwaysevolvingandexpectationsonlygohigher.You’vegottobeonitallthetime.”

GinnyCartwrightZiegler,CMO,Pearson

2025CMOStudy|Move115

Theenterprisedisconnect

Here’swhereitgetsinteresting.WhileCMOsseemtorecognizethe

importanceoftheseelements,theirexecutioncapacitylagsbehind

consumerexpectations.Whenaskedabouttheirgreatestchallenges

overthenextthreeyears,cybersecurityanddataprivacytoppedthelist,followedbytechnologymodernization,forecastaccuracy,andtalent

recruitingandretention.

Thispointstoacriticalgap:companiesunderstandwhatconsumerswantbuthaveyettomasterthetechnicalandoperationalfoundationrequiredtodeliveritatscale.

“Platformshavemonetizedbysiphoningpersonalinformationinordertodelivermorerelevantads,butthisisanimbalancedvalueequation.

Younger,digitallynativeconsumersareexpectingmoreinexchangefortheirdata—whetherthatisgreaterproductivityorgreaterentertainment.”

JenniferVianello,CMO,C[CarsCommerce]

TheTriangleofTrust:AnewCXframework

Whatemergesfromthedataiswhatwemightcallthe“TriangleofTrust”—threenearlyequallyweightedpillarsformingthefoundationofmoderncustomerexperience.

Together,thesecreateaTriangleofTrustthatdeliversonconsumers’toppriorities.

Precision

Leadgenerationandnurturing

viadata-drivendecisionmaking

Prediction

Leveragingpredictiveanalyticstoimprovedemandforecasting

Protection

Trustandsecuritythatsafeguardspersonal

information

162025CMOStudy|Move117

TheCMO’s

newmandate

Formarketingleaders,thisisn’tjustanotherdatapoint—it’safundamental

reorientationofpriorities.Thenewmandateisn’taboutoptimizingcampaigns

butorchestratingrelationships.It’saboutbuildingsystemsthatrecognize

individualconsumers,anticipatetheirneeds,andprotecttheirdatasimultaneously.

Thebrandsthatwillwinaren’tthosewiththeslickestappsorthefastestcheckouts,

butthosethatmakecustomersfeelvalued,understood,andsecureinevery

interaction.Thisisn’tjustCX—it’shuman-centeredexperiencedesignthat

acknowledgestheemotionaldepthconsumersnowbringtotheirbrandrelationships.

ForthemodernCMO,themessageisclear:consumersaren’tjustlookingfortransactions;they’relookingforrecognition.Thequestionisn’t“Howcanweserveyoufaster?”but“Dowetrulyseeyou?”Answerthatquestioncorrectly,andeverythingelsefollows.

Theprotectionpremium

Thedataisstark,andconsumersalmostdefiant:intoday’sdigitalcrucible,personalizedinteractions

andproactivesupportaren’tjustnice-to-haves,theyaretablestakes.Butthetruedisruptor,theinsightthatshouldsendajoltthroughstrategicplanning?Trustandsecurityintransactionsanddata

handlingnowoutrankeventhetraditionalcornerstonesofproductqualityandspeed.

Inanerawheredatabreachesdominateheadlinesanddigitaltrusterodeswitheveryclick,consumersarescreamingaclearmessage:protectmeasyoupersonalizeforme.Demandleaderssharedthat

relevanceandprotectionwerealmostequallyweightedbyconsumers,with46%and42%citingthem(predictivecapabilitiesroundsoutthistriumvirate).Thisisn’tacompliancecheckboxanymore;it’sthepriceofadmissiontothehyper-personalizedgame.Inresponsetocustomerexpectations,enterprisesadmitthatcybersecurityanddataprivacyremainstheirEverest,asthe#1dauntingchallengemirroringtheirhighestpriority.Thedisconnectispalpable,achasmbetweenconsumerexpectationand

organizationalreality.

Demandleaderssayroughly5.5%oftheirfunction’stechnologybudgetisdedicatedtoscalingpersonalizedexperiencesfordiversecustomermicrosegments,withanearlyequalpercentagededicatedtoprotectingandsecuringcustomerdata.

“Intheend,gettingacustomertomaintainalong-termrelationshipwithyouisessential.Withalotofpricecompetition,thevaluepropositionsare

verysymmetricalandanalogous.”

ValeroMarínSastrón,ExecutiveManagingDirectorofClient,Repsol

182025CMOStudy|Move119

Casestudy

Wimbledon’sdigitalace:HowAIisreshapingfanengagement

For147years,Wimbledonhascaptivatedtheworldwithitsblendof

sportingdrama,pristinetraditions,and,ofcourse,strawberriesandcream.Butinafragmenteddigitallandscape,howdoesaheritagebrandstay

relevantanddeepenitsconnectionwithaglobalaudienceofmillions?

Gonearethedaysofsimplewebsiteupdatesorstaticcontentpushes.Today,thefocus

issquarelyonthecustomerexperience,drivenbyanagileinfrastructureandarelentless

pursuitofpersonalization.Wimbledonisn’tjustbroadcastingtennis;it’scraftingindividual

journeysforits19million+digitalfans,turningpassiveconsumptionintoactiveengagement.

Themostcompellingproofpointatlastyear’sChampionshipscamewith“CatchMeUp,”

agenerativeAI-poweredfeatureontheofficialappandwebsite.Imagineabusyfan,juggling

life,eagertoknowhowtheirfavoriteplayerisfaring,orthelatesttournamenttwistsacross18courts.Insteadofendlessscrollingorsearching,CatchMeUpdeliveredsuccinct,personalizedsummariesofrecentperformancesandupcomingmatches,allgeneratedbyIBMwatsonx?.

Thiswasn’tacampaign;itwasanoutcome—adirect,immediatesolutiontoafan’sneedfortimely,relevantinformation.

Theevolutioncontinues

ChrisClements,DigitalProductsLeadatAllEnglandLawnTennis&CroquetClub(AELTC),framesthepartnership’svalue:“Asanorganizationwithheritageatits

core,theinnovationpartnershipwithIBMisvitaltoensureweevolveastheworldarounduschanges.Byutilizingthelatesttoolsandworld-leadingexpertisefromIBM,weareabletoinnovatetoensureenduringrelevance.”

ForCMOsnavigatingdigitaltransformation,Wimbledon’sapproachoffersa

blueprint:embraceAI-drivenpersonalizationwithoutsacrificingbrandidentity,buildagileinfrastructurethatenablescontinuousinnovation,andfocuson

measurablefanoutcomesratherthanfeaturelaunches.Theresultisadigital

experiencethathonorstraditionwhiledeliveringthesophisticated,personalizedengagementmoderncustomersexpect.

Thiswasn’tacampaign;itwasan

outcome—adirect,immediatesolutiontoafan’sneedfortimely,relevantinformation.

202025CMOStudy|Move121

CMOStudy

1

2

WhencustomersengagethroughAI-curatedchannels—search,chat,voice—howdoesyourbrandshowup?

Whatmakesyourbrandclear,differentiated,andvaluableinthatinstant?

Questionstoaskaboutwinningthemoment

Howwellareyouservingyourcustomers

inthemomentsthatmatter,withprecision,personalization,andproactiveness?

Howareyoucontinuouslyevolvingyourbrand’sloyalty

architecturetonotonlycapturebutalsodeepen

relationships?Thinkfromtheinitial,split-secondAI-driventouchpoints—howareyouensuringeachinteraction

strategicallycontributestolastingcustomerlifetimevalue?

3

Isyourdatastrategybuiltforreaction—oranticipation?Andwhatwouldittaketopredictandservecustomerneeds

beforetheyarticulatethem?

22

2025CMOStudy|Move123

Move2

Forgean

infrastructure

thatdoesn’tflinch

Mosttechstacksweren’tbuilttopredict,personalize,andprotectallatonce.

It’stheultimatepressuretest.

242025CMOStudy|Move225

Everydemandforgreaterrelevancyputsyourmarketinginfrastructuretothetest—exposingthefaultlinesinsystemsneverdesignedforthislevelofprecisionatscale.Ascustomersexpectperfectlytailored

interactionsatpreciselytherightmoment,disconnectedtechstacksbuckleunderdemandstheyweren’tbuilttohandle.

SomeCMOsarerespondingnotwithmorecomplexitybutwith

radicalsimplification:creatingintegratedplatformswheredata

flowsseamlessly,AIenhanceshumancapability,andcustomer

experiencesr