Source: Fortune
Summary
The role of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is changing, with marketing leaders expected to understand AI, build communities, and shape organizational culture, while budgets remain flat. According to Gartner’s 2025 Global CMO Spend Survey, marketing budgets have flatlined at 7.7% of company revenue. The representation of marketing heads in the C-suite is also declining, with less than half of Fortune 500 marketers holding the “CMO” title in 2025. Separate research by Forrester found that a third of Fortune 500 marketing leaders did not have the word “chief” in their title.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story. Marketing leaders are expected to be experts in business, not just marketing. The traditional CMO was a steward of creativity and communications, but today they need to speak finance, supply chain, and risk fluently. The role of the CMO is no longer just about making great ads, but about understanding AI, building communities, and shaping organizational culture.
CMOs need to adapt to the challenges of AI, which is changing not just how marketing works but who, or what, brands are talking to. The most successful CMOs will have to adapt to these challenges and their expanded brief, while continuing to communicate marketing’s value to the business.
The CMO role is evolving, and those who can’t adapt will be left behind.
Marketing leaders are no longer just creative directors, but business leaders who need to drive growth and revenue.
The future of marketing is about embracing AI, not just as a tool, but as a partner in the creative process.
