Short-Term Gains vs. Long-Term Brand Building: The CMO’s Dilemma

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In Denver this week, the Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo 2025 spotlighted a pressing concern: Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are grappling with heightened demands for measurable returns, yet often find their efforts undervalued by top executives.

A recent Gartner survey reveals that merely 27% of CEOs and CFOs believe their CMOs surpassed expectations in the past year. Even when marketing teams meet commercial targets, only 45% of these executives acknowledge the CMO’s role in exceeding goals. This disconnect underscores a persistent challenge in aligning marketing initiatives with executive expectations.

Chris Ross, VP Analyst at Gartner, emphasized the need for “radical prioritization” in marketing strategies. He advocates for CMOs to focus on a select few initiatives that directly tie to business objectives, rather than spreading resources thin across numerous projects. “CMOs need to purge ‘zombie’ initiatives — those that are active but yield mediocre results,” Ross advised during his session. 

Tom Wentworth, CMO at incident.io, shared his experience, noting the pitfalls of focusing solely on short-term revenue gains. Reflecting on his tenure at Acquia, he admitted that neglecting long-term brand building in favor of immediate sales targets was a significant misstep. “It’s the fastest way to not generate the kinds of results that you want for your company,” Wentworth remarked.

The pressure to demonstrate immediate ROI is palpable. Jonathan Copulsky, senior lecturer at Northwestern University, highlighted that CMOs must evolve beyond traditional marketing skills. He pointed out that leadership, interpersonal, and collaborative abilities are essential for CMOs aiming to ascend to higher executive roles.

As the economic landscape remains volatile, CMOs are urged to continuously monitor market trends, customer behaviors, and competitive dynamics. By aligning marketing strategies with core business priorities and focusing on initiatives that offer disproportionate value, CMOs can better position themselves to meet and exceed executive expectations.