The CEO's Role in Marketing: Ensure Greater Success in This Area:

In today’s fast-moving, digital-first marketplace, the question is no longer whether a company needs marketing—it’s how closely the company’s leadership should be involved in shaping and supporting those efforts.

For larger companies, marketing is typically led by a chief marketing officer (CMO), supported by a team of experts across digital marketing, content marketing, branding, advertising, and analytics. In smaller and mid-sized businesses, however, marketing may be a lean operation, often handled by a single individual or a small team reporting directly to the CEO.

Regardless of company size, one truth remains: an engaged CEO can dramatically influence the success of a company’s marketing efforts. From aligning marketing and sales to championing innovation and brand differentiation, the CEO's leadership can make or break the effectiveness of marketing strategy.

Below, we outline the most critical ways CEOs can (and should) contribute to marketing success.

1. Align Marketing and Sales for Unified Business Growth

Too often, organizations treat sales and marketing as separate silos—each operating with their own tools, goals, and data. This disconnection leads to missed opportunities, mixed messages, and internal friction that slows revenue growth.

As CEO, you have a unique opportunity to bridge the gap and ensure alignment between sales and marketing departments.

• Invite sales team leaders to collaborate with marketing on campaign messaging and strategy.

• Encourage marketers to shadow sales calls or review sales data for better audience insight.

• Ask both teams to report on joint KPIs, such as marketing qualified leads (MQLs), sales accepted leads (SALs), and customer acquisition cost (CAC).

By championing this alignment, you not only improve lead quality and conversion rates—you also create a strategy that genuinely connects with prospects across every stage of the sales funnel.

2. Know Your Product (and Customer) Inside and Out

Some CEOs view their role primarily as high-level strategic or inspirational. While vision-setting is important, a deep understanding of your company’s offerings and customer base is even more critical when influencing marketing efforts.

If you don’t know what problems your products solve—or what your customers value most—you can’t contribute meaningfully to branding, messaging, or campaign direction.

Questions every CEO should be able to answer:

• What are the core features and benefits of our product/service?

• Who is our ideal customer persona?

• What pain points does our product resolve?

• Why do customers choose us over competitors?

With this insight, you can help steer the marketing narrative to ensure that every campaign speaks to real-world customer needs—and that product development aligns with market expectations.

3. Push for Clear Differentiation from the Competition

One of the most powerful ways a CEO can impact marketing is by pushing the organization to clearly define what makes it different. Differentiation isn’t just a marketing buzzword—it’s a competitive necessity.

In a crowded marketplace, vague messaging like “we provide excellent service” or “we care about our customers” doesn’t cut it. Your marketing team must be able to articulate specific, unique value propositions that separate your business from similar providers.

Marketing expert Renee Yeager notes, “Marketing teams must continually reevaluate differentiators to ensure they’re still relevant and competitive in the current market.” CEOs play a vital role in driving that continual evolution.

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Push your marketing team to define key differentiating factors. Work with the marketing team to ensure “they are conscientious about determining what the unique attributes are,” says marketing expert Renee Yeager, and that they “are continually reevaluating to make sure it is still the best for the current market.”

4. Champion a Strong, Skilled Marketing Team

The best marketing strategy in the world won’t succeed without the right people executing it. That’s why CEOs must treat marketing talent acquisition and retention as a core business priority—not just an HR or departmental concern.

In a small business, this may mean hiring a single talented generalist who can juggle digital marketing, social media, and content strategy. In larger organizations, it might mean investing in a seasoned CMO with a proven track record of strategic leadership.

According to marketing veteran Kimberly A. Whitler, companies with strong marketing results tend to have CMOs with longer tenure. Conversely, frequent CMO turnover is correlated with weaker marketing outcomes and brand inconsistency.

What CEOs should do:

• Work closely with HR to prioritize creative and strategic marketers during recruitment

• Invest in training and upskilling to keep your team on the cutting edge

• Show public support for marketing leaders to reinforce their value to the organization.

When the CEO demonstrates that marketing is mission-critical, the entire company follows suit.

Every CEO copes with a multitude of priorities, but those who put marketing team structure at or near the top of the list can make a significant difference in the quality and effectiveness of efforts in this key area.

5. Lead by Example: Be a Brand Ambassador

A CEO’s visibility can be one of a company’s most powerful marketing tools. Whether it’s appearing in video content, sharing thought leadership on LinkedIn, speaking at industry events, or participating in customer roundtables, the CEO-as-brand-ambassador lends credibility and relatability to the brand.

Ways to boost CEO visibility in marketing:

• Author guest blogs or articles on leadership, innovation, or industry trends

• Record personalized video messages for key product launches

• Participate in webinars, podcasts, or industry panels

• Share customer success stories or business insights on social media

This level of engagement isn’t just for show—it builds trust with customers, motivates your internal team, and amplifies the company’s brand presence in a way no paid media ever could.

6. Demand Accountability and Results

Finally, CEOs must ensure that marketing is measurable, strategic, and results-driven. It's not enough to produce flashy campaigns or rack up social media likes—every initiative should tie back to business goals.

What does that look like in practice?

• Require marketing teams to present quarterly KPIs and performance reports

• Ask for a clear ROI breakdown for major campaigns and budget spend

• Push for regular testing, iteration, and optimization of marketing tactics

The most successful CEOs treat marketing like any other revenue-driving department: with a focus on efficiency, innovation, and measurable growth.

Marketing Needs CEO Involvement to Thrive

Marketing is no longer a back-office function—it’s a central pillar of business growth. In today’s competitive landscape, CEOs who ignore or delegate marketing entirely risk losing market share, brand relevance, and customer loyalty.

But those who actively engage in shaping marketing direction, supporting team development, and aligning marketing with business objectives create a long-term competitive advantage.

Want more advice on marketing or general advice from other business owners like you? Check out the latest PULSE Survey conducted by TAB on Business Leadership! This survey focused on what it means to be a leader in the new age of business ownership. 

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