The First 90 Days as a CMO

Recognition of these issues is essential to success and longevity as a CMO:

Lack of comprehensive market intelligence and strategic direction.
Misalignment between marketing strategies and business objectives.
Gaps in team capabilities and inability to demonstrate marketing ROI.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Success requires bridging knowledge gaps while simultaneously delivering quick wins.
Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management are essential for CMO effectiveness.

Impact and Result

Aligning marketing strategy with company goals and clear execution roadmap.
Enhancing team capabilities and measurable marketing impact.

The First 90 Days as a CMO Research & Tools

1. The First 90 Days as a CMO Deck – A step-by-step framework for CMOs to assess their situation, build relationships, develop strategies, and deliver quick wins, supported by practical tools and templates.

This deck guides new CMOs through the first steps of implementing their leadership and effective business-aligned marketing strategies.

2. Executive Marketing Strategy Template – A structured framework for marketing executives to communicate strategy.

Designed to help CMOs establish their marketing direction, leadership approach, and department alignment with business goals, unite teams, and implement changes from day one.

3. Marketing Capabilities Maturity Assessment Tool – A diagnostic tool that helps marketing departments evaluate their maturity across key capabilities.

Provides insights to determine priority areas for improvement.

The First 90 Days as a CMO

Navigating the critical months to establish marketing leadership and add value.

The First 90 Days as a CMO

Analyst perspective

The role of chief marketing officer (CMO) in corporate environments is both exhilarating and daunting. For a newly appointed marketing leader, time is already running out to establish one’s value within the organization. The short average tenure of CMOs, around four years, indicates high expectations and the volatile nature of this position within marketing and the C-suite. Success depends on quickly addressing major challenges such as filling knowledge gaps, developing a strategic plan, and implementing impactful initiatives.

Firstly, addressing knowledge gaps is essential. Understanding market dynamics is crucial for crafting successful strategies in our data-centric business environments. Secondly, aligning a strategic marketing plan with the company’s broader goals is key to gaining organizational support. This demands marketing expertise and the diplomatic ability to unite various stakeholders around common objectives. Lastly, quick wins through high-impact, efficient initiatives are vital for establishing early credibility. These should deliver clear results that resonate with key stakeholders.

Faced with these challenges, following the obvious path is not enough. CMOs are in a unique position to challenge conventional marketing practices and explore disruptive strategies that can redefine the industry landscape.

Nathalie Vezina.

Nathalie Vezina
Research Director, Marketing
Research and Advisory
Info-Tech Research Group

Executive summary

Pain points	Obstacles	Info-Tech’s approach
To effectively fulfill one’s role as CMO, it’s essential to address the most common challenges that can hinder marketing’s influence and contribute to the brevity of a marketing executive’s tenure. Recognition of these issues is essential to success and longevity as a CMO: Lack of comprehensive market intelligence and industry insights. Misalignment between marketing strategies and business goals. Gaps in marketing team capabilities and maturity. Misalignment between current team competencies and evolving demands. Inability to demonstrate immediate value and impact of marketing efforts.	As a newly appointed CMO, the road ahead is littered with roadblocks that can discourage even the most seasoned professionals. These obstacles must be identified and overcome, not only to affirm the value of marketing within the company but also to ensure that your strategic initiatives take root and prosper: Insufficient data analysis and market research capabilities. Lack of strategic planning and execution expertise. Challenges in measuring and improving team effectiveness. Lack of clear strategic direction. Limited cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.	Our approach is designed to maximize the impact of marketing and the new CMO within an organization to ensure swift and lasting success. In addition, it aims to understand and address existing needs and communicate them effectively to stakeholders and the organization. Bridging knowledge gaps for a robust grasp of market dynamics. Aligning marketing strategy with the company’s overall goals. Assessing current marketing capabilities and maturity levels. Communicating a clear strategy to guide decisions and align efforts. Executing swift, impactful initiatives to validate our marketing efficacy.

Pain points

Obstacles

Info-Tech’s approach

To effectively fulfill one’s role as CMO, it’s essential to address the most common challenges that can hinder marketing’s influence and contribute to the brevity of a marketing executive’s tenure. Recognition of these issues is essential to success and longevity as a CMO:

Lack of comprehensive market intelligence and industry insights.
Misalignment between marketing strategies and business goals.
Gaps in marketing team capabilities and maturity.
Misalignment between current team competencies and evolving demands.
Inability to demonstrate immediate value and impact of marketing efforts.

As a newly appointed CMO, the road ahead is littered with roadblocks that can discourage even the most seasoned professionals. These obstacles must be identified and overcome, not only to affirm the value of marketing within the company but also to ensure that your strategic initiatives take root and prosper:

Insufficient data analysis and market research capabilities.
Lack of strategic planning and execution expertise.
Challenges in measuring and improving team effectiveness.
Lack of clear strategic direction.
Limited cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.

Our approach is designed to maximize the impact of marketing and the new CMO within an organization to ensure swift and lasting success. In addition, it aims to understand and address existing needs and communicate them effectively to stakeholders and the organization.

Bridging knowledge gaps for a robust grasp of market dynamics.
Aligning marketing strategy with the company’s overall goals.
Assessing current marketing capabilities and maturity levels.
Communicating a clear strategy to guide decisions and align efforts.
Executing swift, impactful initiatives to validate our marketing efficacy.

The critical first 90 days setting the stage for CMO success

The initial 90 days of a CMO’s tenure are crucial in positioning the marketing function as a strategic business growth driver. This critical period goes beyond making a good impression; it’s about establishing credibility, building relationships, and creating a solid platform to launch transformative marketing initiatives that will shape the company’s future.

Why do these 90 days matter?

They set the tone for your leadership.
They’re your chance to make a lasting first impression.
They provide a unique opportunity to drive meaningful change.

“The first 90 days are critical for new CMOs to establish credibility, align with stakeholders, and set a clear direction for the marketing organization.”
Source: McKinsey & Company

Follow a structured roadmap to guide your marketing strategy

The position of CMO is exceptionally challenging due to the pressure to deliver fast, measurable results. Following a structured roadmap can lead to significant positive outcomes, while missteps can result in serious setbacks. CMOs who cannot demonstrate a rapid return on investment, don’t fully align with corporate objectives, or don’t adapt quickly to market changes often lose their jobs. These factors make the first few months crucial for establishing credibility and laying the foundations for success.

“The average tenure of CMOs at leading US consumer brands dropped to 38.7 months in 2024, continuing the trend of decreasing tenure lengths for this critical C-suite role.”
Source: Spencer Stuart, 2024

Serious Downfalls	Positive Outcomes
Lack of context and misalignment with company culture Uninformed decisions and missed opportunities Scattered, ineffective marketing efforts Underperforming or mismanaged team Inability to demonstrate marketing’s value to the organization	Comprehensive understanding of the business and market Data-driven insights for decision-making Clear, aligned marketing strategy Strong, capable marketing team Measurable results and continuous improvement

Lay the groundwork for success

The pivotal first months for a new CMO

A meticulous onboarding plan acts as a compass for a new CMO, providing direction and focus from day one. This critical period sets the foundation for all future marketing efforts by:

Immersing in the company ecosystem
Building trusted relationships
Evaluating the current strategy
Setting clear goals and quick wins

In this way, the CMO can demonstrate impact, gain buy-in from stakeholders, and ensure marketing initiatives align with overarching business goals.

The strategic edge: Modern CMO excellence

While focusing on quick wins is important, CMOs who prioritize building cross-functional partnerships and developing data-driven market insights in their first months demonstrate stronger performance metrics and longer average tenures, surpassing the standard 40-month benchmark.

The key is synthesizing three critical streams – internal stakeholder insights, competitive intelligence, and customer journey mapping.

This approach reveals hidden opportunities and builds the organizational trust needed for transformational change, creating “strategic resonance” where marketing initiatives align perfectly with customer needs, organizational capabilities, and market opportunities.

Analyze key competencies across ten key marketing functions

A comprehensive assessment of marketing capabilities determines the department’s maturity level. This evaluation process delves into marketing operations, strategies, and outcomes to establish current performance benchmarks. The analysis maps the department against maturity stages and identifies improvement opportunities. With these insights, marketing leaders can develop targeted strategies to advance capabilities and strengthen business impact.

Each capability across key areas is rated based on these achievement levels:

○ Not Achieved (0-15%) | ◑ Partially Achieved (15-50%) | ◕ Largely Achieved (50-85%) | ● Fully Achieved (85-100%)

People and Resources	Strategy and Leadership	Branding and Creative	Product Marketing	Product Management
AR, PR, and Communications	Sales Effectiveness	Digital and Field Marketing	Customer Experience	Marketing Operations

Determine your process maturity from ad hoc to optimized

A new CMO’s critical task is evaluating the marketing department’s current state. A Marketing Department Maturity Model can help identify strengths, weaknesses, and position on the maturity spectrum. This informs goal-setting and resource allocation.

Ad hoc	Repeatable	Defined	Managed	Optimized
No formal strategy or processes Reactive, inconsistent activities Limited budget and resources No clear metrics Basic tech usage Tactical focus only	Basic strategy exists Simple processes in place Standard budget Basic metrics tracking Basic marketing tools Early-stage alignment with business goals Siloed team structure Manual reporting methods	Strategy aligned with business objectives Documented processes and workflows Adequate budget and resources allocated Regular tracking and reporting MarTech adoption Cross-functional collaboration Customer segmentation and targeting	Data-driven strategy, ROI focused Automated processes Scalable budget Advanced analytics and performance measurement Integrated tech stack Cross-department alignment Proactive optimization Customer journey focus Performance culture	Agile and adaptive strategy Continuous improvement and innovation Performance-based budget AI and predictive analytics and decision-making Cutting-edge technology and tools Seamless integration across all business functions Real-time personalization and customer engagement Thought leadership and industry influence

Marketing Maturity Model

Tailor your approach to company scale

Strategic approach for different business sizes

When stepping into a leadership role, understanding the nuances between small and large organizations is crucial.

Small to mid-sized company	Large enterprise
As a new CMO, stepping into a dynamic small to mid-sized B2B environment, it’s crucial to evaluate and enhance your marketing team’s agility and individual capabilities through the following focal points: A more hands-on approach Broad scope of responsibilities Limited budget and resources Creative and cost-effective strategies Agility and flexibility Process development Decisive impactful decisions	As an incoming CMO at a large-scale enterprise, establishing a strategic direction and managing complex operations are paramount. The following areas will be the cornerstone of your approach to upholding your leadership: Strategic focus Long-term brand management Leadership of specialized teams Integrated cross-channel marketing Complex stakeholder management Data-driven decision-making Effective change management

Small to mid-sized company

Large enterprise

As a new CMO, stepping into a dynamic small to mid-sized B2B environment, it’s crucial to evaluate and enhance your marketing team’s agility and individual capabilities through the following focal points:

A more hands-on approach
Broad scope of responsibilities
Limited budget and resources
Creative and cost-effective strategies
Agility and flexibility
Process development
Decisive impactful decisions

As an incoming CMO at a large-scale enterprise, establishing a strategic direction and managing complex operations are paramount. The following areas will be the cornerstone of your approach to upholding your leadership:

Strategic focus
Long-term brand management
Leadership of specialized teams
Integrated cross-channel marketing
Complex stakeholder management
Data-driven decision-making
Effective change management

The First 90 Days as a CMO visualization

Navigating the critical months to establish marketing leadership and add value.

About Info-Tech

Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.

We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

What Is a Blueprint?

A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.

Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.

Table of Contents

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Guided Implementation 1: First 30 Days

Call 1: Kickoff – Review CMO’s mandate, discuss current marketing strategies, and initial assessment of the marketing team and resources.
Call 2: Market insight – Review market research methods, competitor analysis, and buyer segmentation. (May require gathering necessary data ahead of time.)
Call 3: Strategy alignment – Dive into the company’s strategic plan, discuss how marketing can support key objectives, and begin drafting a marketing plan.

Guided Implementation 2: 30-60 Days

Call 1: Quick wins planning – Brainstorm potential quick-win projects, criteria selection, resource allocation, and timeline establishment.
Call 2: Evaluate marketing team – Assess current team skills, discuss potential hires or restructures, and outline team development plans.
Call 3: Cross-functional synergy – Identify key cross-functional stakeholders, plan engagement approaches, and set up systems for ongoing collaboration.

Guided Implementation 3: 60-90 Days

Call 1: Communication mastery – Review communication strategies, and stakeholder presentations, and refine messaging for audiences.
Call 2: Review and adjust – Evaluate the success of quick wins, review feedback from team and stakeholders, adjust the marketing plan accordingly, and set goals for the next 30 days.