Chief marketing officer (CMO)
Also known as: chief marketing officers
In short
A chief marketing officer (CMO) is the C-level executive responsible for marketing. The role covers brand, positioning, demand generation, product marketing, and the budget and team behind them.
In B2B, the CMO is often a key buyer or approver for marketing technology, data, and agency spend, and increasingly shares pipeline and revenue goals with sales.
What a CMO is responsible for
- Strategy and positioning: Defining the target market, the message, and how the company is different.
- Demand generation: Owning programs that create pipeline, from content and events to paid and account-based campaigns.
- Brand: Keeping the company's identity and voice consistent across channels.
- Budget and team: Deciding where spend goes, hiring leaders, and choosing tools and agencies.
- Measurement: Reporting on pipeline, revenue influence, and efficiency to the CEO and board.
CMO vs. other revenue leaders
The CMO leads marketing. A chief revenue officer (CRO) oversees marketing, sales, and customer success revenue together, and a VP of marketing usually runs the function below the CMO. In smaller companies the founder or a head of marketing does the CMO job without the title.
Selling to a CMO
What they tend to care about
Pipeline contribution, cost efficiency, brand impact, and proving results to the board. They often have little time, so concise, outcome-focused messages work better than feature lists.
How to approach
- Reference a specific goal or initiative, such as a new market launch or an account-based push.
- Connect your offer to a metric they report on.
- Consider reaching their directors and managers first; they often evaluate tools and bring in the CMO to approve.
Example
Say a rep sells a data tool to a mid-size software company. A CMO there might sign off on the budget, while a demand generation manager runs the trial and a marketing operations lead handles integration. The rep builds relationships with all three rather than waiting for the CMO alone.
Common mistakes when targeting CMOs
- Generic outreach: Executives ignore messages that could be sent to anyone.
- Skipping the team: Going only to the top misses the people who shape the decision.
- Assuming the title is the same everywhere: Scope varies by company size and stage, so check what the person actually owns.
Chief marketing officer FAQs
What does a chief marketing officer (CMO) do?
A CMO leads a company's marketing function. They set strategy and positioning, own brand and demand generation, manage the marketing budget and team, and report on how marketing contributes to pipeline and revenue.
What is the difference between a CMO and a CRO?
A CMO leads marketing only. A chief revenue officer oversees all revenue-generating teams, typically marketing, sales, and customer success. In some companies the CMO reports to the CRO, and in others they are peers.
How do you sell to a chief marketing officer?
Lead with a specific business goal, such as pipeline growth or a new market launch, and tie your offer to a metric they report on. Keep messages short, and also build contacts with the managers who evaluate tools.
Does every company have a chief marketing officer?
No. Smaller companies often have a head of marketing, a VP, or a founder handling the work. The CMO title is more common in larger or fast-growing companies where marketing is a distinct executive function.
