FMI

CMO Digest

How CMOs Can Align with CFO and CEO Priorities - Insights from IBM's Annual Survey

Since 2003, IBM’s Institute for Business Value (IBV) has canvassed over 70,000 executives and academics to understand what CFOs and CEOs are really focused on in the 'C-Suite Study Series'. In this CMO Digest, we’ve analysed these results through the lens of the financial services CMO to see how it all aligns.

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We’ve discussed before the importance of speaking a common language throughout the business: this article focuses on common goals. We understand your mission is to elevate marketing’s role from a cost centre to a strategic revenue driver and by doing so, to justify marketing investments and position marketing as a key contributor to growth and profitability. To help you accelerate these efforts, see below our summary of some of the findings in the IBM studies.

The big shift

Perhaps unsurprisingly, all the focus is on technological modernisation.

According to the IBM, 72% of leading CFOs identify their Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as highly important or critical to their success, and 65% of CFOs feel pressure to accelerate returns on technology investments.

The natural extension to that is AI integration. CEOs emphasise AI’s role in competitive advantage, with 72% stating that having the most advanced generative AI is key to differentiation.

And yet, the foundation stones of return on investment (ROI) acceleration, customer experience, talent and skills development, governance and economic resilience remain key.

Interestingly, the highest performing CEOs and CFOs all rank their focus on talent development (+36%), executing enterprise strategy (+32%) and brand reputation (+24%) significantly higher than their peers.

These are all areas where marketing can make an impact and should.


How CMOs Can Align with C-Suite Priorities

1.       Embrace Technological Modernisation for Smarter Marketing

CEOs and CFOs recognise that competitive advantage hinges on leveraging advanced technologies, including AI. CMOs in financial services can align by:

  • Investing in AI-driven marketing tools that enhance personalised experiences and efficiency.

  • Utilising predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs and optimise campaigns.

  • Automating routine marketing tasks to increase speed and reduce costs.

With 50% of global business leaders already deploying generative AI to improve customer experience, marketing in financial services must leverage these tools to drive meaningful engagement and build long-term trust.

2.       Focus on ROI-Driven Marketing Investments

CFOs feel pressure to accelerate returns on technology investments. To align with this, CMOs should:

  • Implement performance-based marketing metrics that link directly to revenue.

  • Prioritise campaigns with measurable business impact, such as customer retention and relationship-building in financial products.

  • Work closely with finance teams to develop a transparent budget that highlights marketing’s contribution to profitability.

With 65% of CFOs globally focused on expediting ROI across their technology portfolios, it’s essential for marketing to showcase its financial impact, particularly in sectors like financial services where customer lifetime value is key.

3.       Enhance Customer Experience to Drive Loyalty and Revenue

Improving customer experience is a major priority for CEOs. CMOs in financial services can take the lead by:

  • Leveraging data analytics to create hyper-personalised customer journeys.

  • Aligning with sales and customer service to ensure a seamless omnichannel experience.

  • Using customer feedback loops to continually refine engagement strategies.

By acknowledging that 62% of consumers switch brands due to price concerns, marketing must ensure pricing strategies reflect consumer expectations - especially in financial services, where pricing transparency and value are critical to trust.

4.       Strengthen Governance and Ethical AI Use

CFOs and CEOs are increasingly concerned with AI governance and ethics. CMOs must align by:

  • Ensuring responsible data use and transparency in AI-driven marketing efforts.

  • Collaborating with compliance teams to establish ethical marketing guidelines.

  • Communicating AI’s role in marketing to stakeholders to build trust.

97% of global leaders deploying AI are actively engaged in governance and ethical considerations, making this a non-negotiable area for marketing alignment, particularly in industries like financial services where regulatory scrutiny is high.

5.       Drive AI Integration in Customer Interactions

Consumer interest in AI-driven experiences is growing. CMOs can capitalise on this by:

  • Deploying AI chatbots and virtual assistants to enhance customer engagement.

  • Using AI-driven product recommendations to increase conversion rates.

  • Investing in voice and visual search technologies to enhance client interactions and access to financial products.

With 59% of consumers expressing interest in AI-enhanced experiences, marketing must take the lead in integrating AI seamlessly into customer interactions, offering personalised financial solutions that make navigating services easier for clients.

6.       Address Talent and Skills Gaps in AI and Digital

The workforce must evolve to keep pace with AI advancements. CMOs can support this transformation by:

  • Upskilling their teams in AI, data analytics, and performance marketing.

  • Hiring specialists who can bridge the gap between marketing and data science.

  • Creating a culture of continuous learning to ensure marketing remains agile.

Currently, only 61% of global leaders believe their workforce has the necessary AI skills, highlighting a critical gap that marketing must address to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving financial services sector.

Brand Reputation: Marketing’s Strategic Opportunity

One area where CMOs in financial services can make a substantial impact is on brand reputation. Leading CFOs have shown a significant focus on brand reputation (+24%), making it a critical corporate objective. Marketing has a unique opportunity to connect its efforts in driving technological advancement, customer experience, and talent development to the broader corporate objective of enhancing brand reputation.

By aligning marketing strategies with CFO and CEO priorities - such as focusing on talent, executing enterprise strategy, and building brand reputation - CMOs can play a pivotal role in delivering value that strengthens the organisation's reputation, customer loyalty, and overall business growth.

Final Thoughts: Marketing as a Revenue Generator

By aligning marketing strategies with CFO and CEO priorities, CMOs can shift perceptions of marketing from a discretionary spend to a business-critical function. Demonstrating commercial acumen, embracing technology, and proving marketing’s direct contribution to revenue will strengthen the CMO’s position as a key business leader.

Now more than ever, CMOs have the opportunity to showcase marketing as an indispensable driver of sustainable growth, profitability, and enhanced brand reputation in the financial services sector.

Click here to download the one-pager: C-Suite Alignment Roadmap

To read all of the underlying research, visit: The IBM Global C-suite Study Series