The CEO’s Guide to Marketing: Episode with McKinsey Senior Partners Kelsey Robinson and Shelley Stewart
Release Date: August 6, 2025
Host: Seth Matlins, Managing Director of the Forbes CMO Network
Guests: Kelsey Robinson and Shelley Stewart, Senior Partners at McKinsey & Company
Introduction
In this insightful episode of The CEO’s Guide to Marketing, host Seth Matlins engages in a compelling discussion with McKinsey Senior Partners Kelsey Robinson and Shelley Stewart. The conversation centers around the critical disconnect between Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) in some of the world's largest companies, exploring its detrimental impact on business growth and stakeholder value.
Research Background
Initiation and Methodology
Kelsey Robinson explains the impetus behind McKinsey's research:
“We increasingly across the firm we're feeling that CMO-CEO disconnect. ... we believe marketing, consumer centricity and customer centricity is at the center of [growth]” (02:39).
The study surveyed over 100 of the largest global companies, focusing primarily on CEOs, CMOs, and CFOs to understand the alignment (or lack thereof) in marketing strategies and their contribution to the business.
Key Findings
CEO and CMO Disconnect
One of the most alarming revelations from the research is the growing chasm between CEOs' perceptions and CMOs' realities regarding marketing's role:
“We had 65% of CEOs say that they understood modern marketing... 70% of the CMOs... say, no way. They definitely don't understand modern marketing” (09:12).
Furthermore, this gap has widened by 20% over the past few years, indicating a trend moving "in the wrong direction" (09:18).
Impact on Growth
The lack of alignment has tangible consequences on business growth. Robinson and Stewart highlight that companies where the CMO is embedded in strategic decision-making witness 1.4 times more revenue growth compared to those where marketing is sidelined:
“If the CMO is really embedded in strategic decision making... you see 1.4 times more growth in terms of revenue” (11:19).
Additionally, organizations with a unified customer-centric role grow over two times faster, emphasizing the importance of consolidating marketing functions:
“Companies that have that single kind of integrated customer role... those companies grow over two times faster” (12:44).
Marketing as Investment vs. Expense
A significant disconnect exists in how CEOs and CMOs view marketing's accountability:
- CEOs predominantly see marketing as a driver for year-on-year revenue or margin growth (18:20).
- CMOs, however, often do not prioritize these metrics, with only 35% acknowledging them (18:20).
Shelley Stewart points out that marketing is frequently perceived as a cost driver rather than a strategic investment, undermining its potential to drive growth (19:07).
Case Studies and Examples
Effective Alignment Strategies
Robinson shares anonymized examples of companies successfully bridging the CEO-CMO gap:
-
Automotive Company:
- Actions Taken:
- Defined clear marketing metrics, combining fast-twitch metrics (e.g., lead generation) with Lifetime Value (LTV).
- Clarified the role of each brand within a portfolio to guide marketing investments.
- Established a transparent cadence for accountability and progress sharing.
- Outcome: Enhanced measurement and allocation strategies led to significant growth (30:29).
- Actions Taken:
-
Digital Payments Company:
- Actions Taken:
- Invested five months in defining comprehensive marketing metrics.
- Developed a taxonomy linking business outcomes to customer actions and demand generation.
- Educated the organization on these metrics to foster a unified approach.
- Outcome: Alignment on measurement and governance spurred robust growth (35:04).
- Actions Taken:
Recommendations and Path Forward
Three Pillars for Alignment
Robinson and Stewart propose a strategic framework to bridge the CEO-CMO divide:
-
Custody of the Customer:
- Assign a single leader (e.g., CMO or Chief Revenue Officer) to own the end-to-end customer view, ensuring a unified customer-centric strategy.
-
Adopt a General Manager Mindset:
- Encourage marketing leaders to think like general managers, focusing on driving revenue and integrating marketing strategies with overall business objectives.
-
Interlock with Other Executives:
- Develop robust collaboration with CFOs to establish clear metrics and accountability systems that reflect marketing's impact on the P&L (30:25).
Leveraging AI and Technology
The guests emphasize the potential of AI to synthesize data across marketing silos, enhancing measurement and decision-making:
“How do we use what's happening with AI and technology as a reset that works in service of greater alignment... really supercharged growth as a result of this change” (37:12).
Conclusion
The episode underscores the urgent need for alignment between CEOs and CMOs to harness marketing's full potential as a growth driver. By adopting unified customer ownership, embracing a general manager mindset, and fostering inter-executive collaboration, companies can overcome the detrimental effects of departmental silos. The integration of advanced technologies like AI further offers a pathway to more cohesive and impactful marketing strategies.
Robinson and Stewart call for a proactive approach in redefining marketing's role within the corporate hierarchy, ensuring it is recognized not just as a cost center but as a pivotal investment in the organization's future growth and sustainability.
Notable Quotes
- Seth Matlins: “Nothing can be changed until it's faced.” (00:58)
- Kelsey Robinson: “We are going to go almost... define and measure the metrics we think matter.” (36:51)
- Shelley Stewart: “Marketing spend is seen as a cost driver, not a strategic investment.” (19:07)
This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the podcast episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to it.