Growth Insights for CEOs

Marketing Leadership for CEOs: An Executive Guide to Growth
Executive Takeaways
- At a certain scale, Marketing stops being a support function and becomes the company's growth system.
- Everyone has opinions about marketing, which means it rarely gets the disciplined oversight it actually requires.
- The CEO is uniquely positioned to set clear intent and hold the function accountable.
- As a connected system, Marketing drives alignment and focus.
This blog is part of Chief Outsiders’ Marketing Leadership for CEOs series, an ongoing examination of the critical dimensions of Marketing (the capital “M” is intentional, as you’ll see) that every CEO needs to understand.
Recent Posts

How to Allocate Your Marketing Spend for Maximum Effect
Tue, Dec 19, 2023 — Article 6 of the 7-part series: Accelerating Growth In 2024 with Strategic Business Planning By: Scott Wright and Jack Bowen In a marketplace that's more competitive than ever, optimizing your marketing spend isn't just a best practice—it's a necessity for survival and accelerated growth. With shrinking resources and an ever-more diverse array of marketing platforms upon which to reach the customer, shooting arrows in the dark is no longer a viable marketing strategy.

5 Things You Should Know Before Spending on Marketing Execution
Thu, Nov 9, 2023 — Article 5 of the 7-part series: Accelerating Growth In 2024 with Strategic Business Planning By: Scott Wright and Jack Bowen If you have been under pressure to tighten your marketing budget this year, you’re not alone. According to a survey, B2B companies' marketing spending in 2023 increased by only 2.3%. This growth rate is lower than the 3.7% inflation rate, impacting businesses and individuals.

7 KPIs That Should be in Your 2024 Growth Plan
Fri, Nov 3, 2023 — Article 4 of the 7-part series: Accelerating Growth In 2024 with Strategic Business Planning By: Scott Wright and Jack Bowen For modern-day businesses, establishing measures is not just a good idea – it’s a downright necessity. In fact, a poll of executive leaders found a nearly unanimous agreement that key performance indicators (KPIs) are essential to gauge the pulse of broad business goals.
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How to Establish a Strategic 2024 Growth Plan and Justify Your Marketing Budget
Wed, Oct 25, 2023 — Article 3 of the 7-part series: Accelerating Growth In 2024 with Strategic Business Planning By: Scott Wright and Jack Bowen In an era characterized by rapid technological shifts, changing consumer behavior, and a volatile global economic landscape, successful businesses are those that look ahead, anticipate challenges, and seize opportunities. But when it comes to developing your own business growth strategy, are you prepared for all that 2024 will throw at your company? Or are you content on a “lather, rinse, repeat” approach to strategic business development?

Analyze Your Current Customers to Supercharge Your 2024 Annual Business Planning
Thu, Oct 19, 2023 — Article 2 of the 7-part series: Accelerating Growth In 2024 with Strategic Business Planning By: Scott Wright and Jack Bowen When we ask our clients why customers buy from them, much of the time, they either don’t know, or are completely off-base about the reason. In an uber-competitive marketplace and with so much at stake, this inability to define why people should buy your product or service can be a fatal misstep.

Why You Can’t Afford to Cut Your Marketing Investment for 2024
Wed, Oct 11, 2023 — Article 1 of the 7-part series: Accelerating Growth In 2024 with Strategic Business Planning By: Scott Wright and Jack Bowen In an era dominated by rapid change and economic unpredictability, businesses often find themselves at the crossroads of making challenging decisions, especially when it comes to budgeting. One of the areas often eyed for potential cuts is marketing. But is this a wise move?