Research redefines the modern CMO's four Ps
Almost half of respondents said their organisations reinvest less than 5 percent of turnover into marketing
Chief marketing officers are increasingly being held responsible for business growth without having full control over the decisions, investment and organisational structures required to deliver it, according to research published by TikTok and Uncensored CMO.
Based on an anonymous survey of UK CMOs conducted by System1, The Real 4Ps of a CMO argues that many marketing leaders have direct control over only one of the traditional four Ps of marketing—Promotion—while remaining accountable for revenue growth, measurable business impact and organisational transformation.
Study identifies leadership challenges
The report highlights several pressures facing marketing leaders. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they allocate more budget to short-term performance marketing than long-term brand building, while 56 percent said it has become more difficult to justify investment in long-term brand activity than it was three years ago.
Almost half of respondents said their organisations reinvest less than 5 percent of turnover into marketing. Although 74 percent reported revenue growth during the past 12 months, only 45 percent said their marketing budgets had increased over the same period.
Board engagement remains limited
The research also points to a disconnect between marketing teams and senior leadership. Three-quarters of respondents said their CEO and board could not clearly explain the company's marketing strategy.
While 66 percent said marketing is represented on the executive team, only 46 percent reported having someone with marketing experience at board level. Strategy was identified as the biggest capability gap within marketing departments by 28 percent of respondents, and almost four in five CMOs said fewer than half of their teams were fully trained in core marketing fundamentals.
A revised framework for marketing leadership
The report proposes a revised set of four leadership capabilities for CMOs: Planning, Performance, Persuasion and People.
According to the research, Planning focuses on long-term strategic decision-making and resource allocation. Performance centres on understanding customers, generating commercial results and demonstrating marketing's contribution to the business. Persuasion involves securing support from CEOs, boards and internal stakeholders, while People focuses on leadership, collaboration and developing marketing capabilities across teams.
Marketing leaders need broader influence
Jon Evans, founder, Uncensored CMO: "Marketing can be transformational, but CMOs are being held accountable without being given sufficient control, investment or authority. They are expected to drive growth while spending too much of their time fighting for the conditions that make growth possible.
"The answer is not to retreat into the marketing department. CMOs need to become visionaries, commercial operators, internal politicians and leaders.
"The Real 4Ps provide a framework for doing that. By strengthening Planning, Performance, Persuasion and People, CMOs can earn greater influence, secure investment and create the conditions for marketing to transform the whole business."
Isobel Sita-Lumsden, Global Head of Business Marketing, TikTok: "We wanted to uncover the uncensored truth about what it means to be a CMO. Despite the pressures they face, today's CMOs are continually evolving. They are expanding their influence beyond traditional marketing responsibilities and developing the capabilities needed to drive business success in a rapidly changing world. The most successful CMOs are not simply responding to change, they are helping shape it."
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