Do CMOs Need a New Title?
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Do CMOs Need a New Title?

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The expanded role of chief marketing officers (CMOs) has led to more specialized titles in marketing and adjacent areas focused on customers, digital technologies, and growth—with some companies employing multiple specialized marketing executives.

This article explores trends and perspectives regarding titles for the head of marketing and adjacent functions based on insights from interviews with CMOs, CEOs, and executive recruiters; a CMO roundtable and survey; and third-party sources.

This article is part of a series of insight articles on the CMO role.

Key Insights

The expanded role of chief marketing officers (CMOs) has led to more specialized titles in marketing and adjacent areas focused on customers, digital technologies, and growth—with some companies employing multiple specialized marketing executives.

This article explores trends and perspectives regarding titles for the head of marketing and adjacent functions based on insights from interviews with CMOs, CEOs, and executive recruiters; a CMO roundtable and survey; and third-party sources.

This article is part of a series of insight articles on the CMO role.

Key Insights

  • While the CMO title remains prevalent, more focused “unbundled” titles have emerged to reflect a specific focus within marketing (e.g., chief customer officer), along with adjacent roles with explicit sales and/or operational responsibilities (e.g., chief revenue officer, chief commercial officer, and chief digital officer), often resulting in multiple reports to the CEO from the related marketing, revenue, and digital areas.
  • Supporters of the conventional CMO title consider it the only universally fitting title and the one that marketers aspire to.
  • Opinions are divided as to whether the CMO title should be changed, but many favor including “customer” in the chief marketer’s title.
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Author

Denise Dahlhoff, PhD

Denise Dahlhoff, PhD Denise Dahlhoff, PhD

Director, Marketing & Communications Research
The Conference Board

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