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Grant Johnson
Recent Posts
From Economic Insight to Growth Strategy: What CEOs Should Do Now
At our most recent CEO Growth Talks, I spoke with Taylor St. Germaine, Senior Economist at ITR Economics. The timing couldn’t have been better — the latest GDP numbers had just been released, and Taylor broke down what they mean for CEOs planning growth.
As always, ITR brought a clear and fact-based perspective. The economy is growing. Consumer spending is strong. And while some industries are facing headwinds, opportunities abound for leaders who are ready to act.
But the real question for CEOs isn’t just what the economy looks like. It’s: how do you prepare your business to grow in this environment — and the one coming next?
Rapid Marketing Performance Improvement
Mon, Jun 23, 2025 — With tariffs, the Middle East and trade tensions increasing the odds of a near-term recession and persistent inflation, it's more important than ever for CEO’s to increase marketing’s overall performance and the ROI of every marketing dollar spent. I created the Marketing Performance Index and Assessment to help CEO’s and their organizations quickly assess relative marketing performance. The Marketing Performance Assessment is an objective way of quantifying the impact of Marketing.
A CEO’s Guide to Marketing Performance | Measuring Performance (and Underperformance)
Thu, Feb 6, 2025 — Part 3 of A CEO's Guide to Marketing Performance In the marketing world, performance is the difference maker - not experience, expertise, effort, or endurance, just results. This article is about how to address underperformance in the three major measurement components (Market Presence, Brand Strength, and Pipeline Health), and six key performance indicators (reach, share, engagement, loyalty, pipeline, and progression).
A CEO’s Guide to Marketing Performance | Metrics Matter
Thu, Jan 9, 2025 — Part 2 of A CEO's Guide to Marketing Performance Metrics matter now more than ever. As a six-time CMO over a 16-year career, I’ve tracked dozens (actually hundreds) of metrics and found that many measures are ultimately meaningless or only matter to marketers.
A CEO’s Guide to Marketing Performance
Thu, Dec 12, 2024 — B2B marketing is broken. The root of the issue lies in a need for more understanding of the complex nature of marketing. Marketing involves navigating a multi-dimensional equation to guide prospects from unawareness to consideration and purchase, a complex, non-linear journey with varying durations. Yet, stakeholders often seek results based on simplified, discrete metrics like “Just get me a 5x pipeline!”
Mastering Marketing Performance to Drive Growth, Brand Strength, and Results
Fri, Dec 6, 2024 — Here are several strategies and tactics CEOs can leverage to: Recapture Growth Improve Performance Build Brand Strength Get Better Results in 2025
Top 10 Ways CEOs Can Improve Sales & Marketing Alignment
Mon, Nov 25, 2024 — Close Collaboration Ensures Go-to-Market Success A survey conducted by Chief Outsiders among mid-market companies found that nearly one-third of C-suite executives noted a misalignment between their Sales and Marketing teams. Further, only one-third of that group reported that their Sales and Marketing teams were working toward a common set of goals.