As an advisor, one of the first questions I ask is if my client really understands where their team creates value. You’d be surprised by the blank looks. This blind spot exists in marketing as well as agency teams and it’s costing time, money and sometimes, careers.
Agencies believe they are thought leaders (and they should be) but they only make money on their junior staff. That paradox is killing agencies these days.
Similarly, while CMOs are clear on their value, only 25-30% of CEOs say they understand the role. CMO tenure hit a 10-year low in 2024 (40 months) indicating a lack of how they prove value.
And everyone ignores the customer who really wants very little from advertising and marketers.
Agencies, marketers, CEOs and consumers are all saying what they want, but is anyone listening? Arguably, the consumer and CEO – the two groups that pay the bills – hold the conch. Not listening to them can be fatal.
Let’s translate for clarity and to understand one another’s context:
The Agency Perspective
They aim to bring insight and creativity across the entire funnel; to deliver work the client will approve with minimal bureaucracy; to do work that creates a desired impact (usually measured by copy tests, clicks or tracking); and to generate publicity for their agency in the form of awards. Ideally, they would like as much freedom as possible to do work they’re proud of.
The Marketer Perspective
They expect their agencies to bring sharp thinking and breakthrough work that delivers tangible results. However, they are often compelled to use predictive measures such as testing and tracking when measuring less-direct tactics. Their peers and executive teams often believe feedback is a gift – and every day is Christmas. Ideally, they would like credit for business growth, and respect from the CEO.
The CEO Perspective
They want swift action from their marketing team and their agencies. They want less fluff, talk and jargon. Departments like operations, manufacturing, sales and technology can demonstrate cost-savings and ROI from their investments – marketing should be able to do the same. If the CEO even thinks about advertising, they want differentiation that bolsters pricing-power and preference. Ideally, they would like marketing to deliver results without complication.
The Consumer Perspective
Consumers’ trust in brands and the companies behind them is waning – particularly among younger demographics. While they feel that brands sometimes deliver something fun, consumers generally think “marketing” is a manipulative act. Ads mostly elicit no reaction and retargeting is sometimes creepy. They would like to watch their YouTube videos in peace, perhaps occasionally enjoying a great Super Bowl ad. Ideally, they want brands to make it easy. Make it good. Leave them alone.
While it appears like a dysfunctional family in reality it comes down to making life simpler and more concrete.
A few suggestions.
For Agencies: Less frosting. More cake.
While agencies must be the “consumer whisperer,” their primary clients are marketers and arguably more importantly, the CEOs. All advertising, done well, can help performance and that’s what your client wants to hear. CMOs are the gateway to impactful work. Understanding the pressure they are under from their executives is critical to making this work a reality. These pressures include speed, agility and results. Simplify meetings and presentations – nobody needs an 80-page deck that took six weeks to produce. Demonstrate how recommendations can generate commercial outcomes. Invest in technology and processes that enable the team to prototype and experiment quickly to increase confidence in the investment.
For Marketers: From ‘What Ifs’ to ‘What Is’.
Keep it simple and specific for both your CEO and your consumer. Predictive measures like brand health and creative measurement are valuable – but insist on partners who can tie these metrics directly to commercial results (let me know if you need some recommendations). While soft measures and modelling can be useful, concrete results are gold. Technology is enabling teams to try, learn and deploy more – and more quickly. And skip the jargon. It adds to CEO’s lack of understanding of the marketer’s value.
For CEOs: Empower, Then Expect.
If marketing isn’t driving growth, you’ve either hired the wrong marketers or failed to clearly communicate your objectives. Hold marketing accountable but provide them with the tools and resources to prove their value. Don’t demand a substantial ROI while simultaneously underfunding their efforts. Great marketers crave early engagement in strategic conversations.
When teams prioritize simplicity and results, everyone wins.
If you need help getting on the same page and making sense of the chaos – or if you have a different point of view – I’d welcome the conversation.
While all writing is my own, research was supported with AI. Sources have been verified and include: Deloitte, McKinsey CMO study, System1 Group, WARC, Drum, Forrester and WFA Reports, 2023-2024; Edelman Trust Barometer 2024, Havas Meaningful Brand Report (2023), Kantar AdReaction Report, Pew and YouGov polls.
Arthur Fleischmann
Arthur is an Executive Advisor at Listenmore where he applies his deep expertise in advertising agency leadership to help clients make informed decisions about their existing and prospective agency partnerships.