The Role And Power Of The Chief Market Officer

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Gabie Boko is the Chief Marketing Officer at NetApp , the intelligent data infrastructure company.

I want to preface this article by saying that I don't think I'm any sort of magic CMO. We all grapple with the same challenges and are navigating similar trends. However, I recently had an "aha moment" when I realized that many of the things my stakeholders traditionally prioritize don't always align with what I believe are the most important from a marketing perspective.

There's nothing wrong with wanting a seat at the table when you can demonstrate the value in marketing's contributions to the broader company strategy and vision. Things like brand stewardship, anticipating market trends and developing strategies for both customers and stakeholders are all becoming increasingly more complex, which means to effectively be "the great unifier," CMOs now need to:

• Foster a cross-functional, collaborative culture across the C-suite to deliver seamless customer experiences.

A 2024 Deloitte study found that more than 60% of outperforming marketers attribute their success to implementing a differentiated strategy with go-to-market (GTM) capabilities and clear execution. This made me reflect on personal experiences: specifically, how areas of the business that were traditionally handled by marketing—namely, product, price, place and promotion—tend to be assumed by other departments over time. This leaves us without the full scope, which can result in pieces of an overall strategy becoming something much larger than they need to be. For example, although account-based marketing is important, it's part of a larger customer strategy for the business as a whole and should be treated as such.

CMOs are largely responsible for ensuring business brand integrity and success in the market. Strong B2B brands aren't just about individual recognition—they drive better business outcomes overall to ensure long-term growth. Driving demand is always easier when you have a strong brand, but you can't support a strong brand if you don't understand it beyond your role. The truth is that the role of a modern CMO extends far beyond brand management, which is why it's important for marketing to have a voice in developing strategies that can organically evolve along with the business landscape. We shouldn't be defined or limited by any singular agenda or function. Simply put, the brand is a strategy—and a critical one at that.