Marketing should be the growth engine of any business. Yet too often, CMOs find themselves buried in execution, reporting dashboards, and firefighting — instead of leading strategy.

Recent data confirms what many of us already feel:

• 61% of CMOs say operational needs drive their plans more than customer insight or strategy (Gartner, 2025).
• 80% of CEOs say they don’t trust their CMOs (Harvard Business Review).

That lack of credibility means marketing leaders have the shortest tenure in the C-suite — and little influence on the decisions that actually drive growth.

I recently joined Kia Johnson on the DesignRush Podcast to unpack this problem — and share how marketing can reclaim its rightful role at the leadership table.

How Marketing Lost Its Way

Somewhere along the way, “marketing” became synonymous with campaigns, content calendars, and martech stacks. In the process, we drifted away from our most important responsibility: being the voice of the customer inside the company.

When marketing operates like a fulfillment center, it becomes reactive. Budgets shrink. Tenure drops. Influence evaporates.

It’s time for a reset.

The A3 Framework: Alignment. Accountability. Acceleration.

In my work with Fortune 500 and mid-market B2B teams, I’ve developed the A3 Framework to help CMOs (and their teams) step back into a position of power.

1. Alignment – Start with the customer and the business. Ensure marketing priorities tie directly to strategic goals and customer insight.
2. Accountability – Measure what matters. Show metrics that connect to outcomes, not vanity KPIs, to build internal credibility.
3. Acceleration – Execute — but with agility. Strategy should be reviewed consistently, not locked into outdated annual plans.

Everyone wants to start with acceleration. But without alignment and accountability, execution rarely sticks.

Customer Insight = Strategic Influence

One of the biggest myths is that “customer-centric” means sending a few surveys or tracking NPS. Real customer focus is an executive discipline.

That means marketers must lead intentional conversations with customers — or hire a neutral third party to uncover unbiased insights. When you bring the customer’s voice into every strategic discussion, you stop being the “tactics team” and start being the growth team.

Metrics That Matter

Dashboards filled with clicks, likes, and impressions don’t build credibility. In fact, they often undermine it.

Instead, map your metrics to the customer journey and the outcomes the CEO cares about — revenue growth, retention, market share, relevance. When you show the right numbers, you stop inviting skepticism and start earning trust.

The Path Forward for CMOs

Reclaiming marketing’s seat at the table isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things:

• Leading with customer insight
• Aligning with business outcomes
• Owning the internal narrative of marketing’s value

If you wait for the invitation, you’ve already lost your seat. It’s time for CMOs to lead from the front.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation on the DesignRush Podcast (Episode 90) — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.