If you’re a CMO, your job is complex. You’re expected to deliver immediate results and build a long-term brand. Oh, and win the respect of your C-Suite peers while you’re at it. Easy!
I’d like to pull on a thread that’s been pulled on before here on CMSWire, but something that could make all of that a little more manageable: shifting from being the voice of marketing to the voice of the market.
It’s not just a title change; it’s a smart strategic repositioning of a modern B2B CMO.
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Why “Voice of the Market” Matters Now
According to a 2024 Gartner survey, nearly 60% of CEOs and CFOs believe that a CMO is most likely to face the axe for failing to adapt to market change, which is second only to failing to deliver promised results.
Why CMOs Lose Their Jobs, According to CEOs and CFOs
Based on responses from 123 CEOs and CFOs in the 2024 Gartner Senior Executive Views of CMO Leadership Survey.
| Category | Scenario | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | CMO failed to deliver promised results from marketing strategies | 69% |
| Performance | CMO failed to adapt to vital, significant changes in the business or marketplace | 58% |
| Presence | CMO did not earn the respect of the senior executive leadership team | 54% |
| Communication | CMO did a poor job communicating a strategic vision for the marketing function | 41% |
| Communication | CMO failed to communicate how marketing metrics relate to business priorities | 33% |
| Communication | CMO failed to demonstrate continuous improvement of their function | 22% |
| Competence | CMO took on responsibilities that they were not capable of executing | 20% |
Source: 2024 Gartner Senior Executive Views of CMO Leadership Survey
My take on that is that the board isn’t just looking for leads and campaigns. They want insight. Market awareness. Early warning signs.
In today’s volatile environment, marketing is the business’s canary in the coal mine. You’re the first to spot shifts in buyer behavior, competitor plays, emerging technologies and industry trends.
So, here is an excellent opportunity to bring that goldmine of intel into boardroom conversations.
Because, traditionally, CMOs have been expected to focus on performance metrics and marketing campaign ROI. But what if you reframed your role as the company’s in-house market analyst? Someone who bridges the gap between what your products can do and what the market wants.
That’s where the idea of becoming “the analyst inside” comes in.
Becoming the Market Insider: A Playbook for CMOs
The “Voice of the Market” role doesn’t appear in any org chart. It’s something you earn. Here’s how you do it:
1. Understand What the Business Actually Needs
Think of your internal stakeholders the same way you do buyer personas. What keeps them up at night? What metrics do they care about? What decisions are looming?
By mapping out internal needs, from product strategy to investor relations, you can pinpoint where marketing intel could fill critical gaps. This isn’t about adding more to your plate; it’s about getting more leverage from the insights you already collect.
2. Build the Capability
Chances are, your team already has the tools and data: customer research, analyst reports, CRM insights, win/loss reviews and intent data. What’s missing is the process to transform this raw material into something the business can use.
Carve out dedicated time and resources to focus on market insight, not just campaign delivery. Set up cross-functional tiger teams. Bring in voices from sales, product and customer success. Start connecting the dots between market changes and business decisions, such as pricing, expansion or roadmap priorities.
3. Deliver Consistently Useful Content
Borrow from your content marketing playbook. Your goal? Build internal trust and credibility, not with metrics, but with insights that help your peers make better decisions.
Ditch the dashboards that justify marketing’s existence and instead, create digestible, executive-ready insights: quick briefs, CXO updates and internal newsletters that speak the language of business impact.
Share analyst perspectives. Curate competitor intel. Explain what it means for the business and consider launching a Slack or Teams’ Market Watch’ channel to share bite-sized updates—think of it as your internal Substack for real-time market signals.
And don’t forget to involve your external network. Invite analysts, influencers or even customers into internal briefings. It reinforces your role as the CMO who not only talks about the market, but talks to it and is the business’s conduit to these folks.
Related Article (See Video Below): Marketing Leadership: Is Chief Marketing Officer the Right Title?
Chief Marketing Officer Role: It’s About Positioning (Internally)
You already know how to position your brand externally. This is about doing the same for yourself and your team inside the company.
Instead of being seen as a cost center or service function, reposition marketing as a strategic asset that brings clarity and foresight. The function is not just seen as generating leads; or worse a business tax. The team is generating market intelligence that creates context for all the business’s motions.
This shift changes conversations. It earns you a seat at the strategy table. And it gives you more say in where the company is going, not just “here we are, now go market this. And, by the way, make the logo bigger and be more visible on TikFace.”
Bonus Outcomes for the CMO and Brand? Yes, Please.
This approach doesn’t just elevate your internal personal brand and that of the team; it creates a ripple effect of business value:
- It builds support for deeper investment in market insight programs, such as analyst relations and voice-of-the-customer research.
- It strengthens the case for shared ownership of market intelligence across departments.
- It expands the value of marketing beyond pipeline to include brand strength, market relevance and even share of voice.
And, perhaps most importantly, it helps marketing shake off the perception of being just reactive. Instead, you become proactive, on the front foot, a guiding force in shaping what’s next for the business.
Related Article: CMO Circle: Inside the 2025 State of the CMO
Don’t Just Be the Marketer. Be the Market.
In today’s environment, the CMO who simply “does marketing” is seen as replaceable. The CMO who brings the outside world in, who connects the dots, who says, “Here’s what’s coming—and here’s what we should do about it”? That CMO becomes indispensable.
So, go beyond dashboards and decks. Be the one who brings the market to the boardroom table.
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