The gap between how CEOs and marketing leaders value marketing’s commercial contribution is real – but it is also one of the most addressable challenges in B2B today. Our CEO Blindspot research found that many CEOs still see marketing as a support function rather than a commercial growth driver. They often underestimate marketing’s contribution to revenue, question marketers’ commercial credibility and believe AI can help them do more with less.
But buried within the findings is a much more encouraging story.
CEOs aren’t asking marketers to be less creative or stop investing in brand building. They’re asking marketers to connect those activities more clearly to commercial outcomes. In many ways, the solution to the CEO blind spot is already hiding in plain sight.
B2B marketing ROI is the real boardroom test
Perhaps the most surprising finding from the research is that business leaders do not see creativity and commercial performance as competing priorities.
In fact, 87% of CEOs agree that the best marketing combines creativity, brand building and commercial impact.
That matters because it changes the debate. The issue is not whether marketers should invest in brand or demand generation. It is whether they can prove that both contribute to B2B marketing ROI.
Too often, marketers assume they need to defend long-term brand investment against short-term commercial pressure. Our research suggests CEOs are not rejecting creativity. They simply want a clearer line from activity to growth.
The challenge is not what marketing does. It is how marketing explains the value it creates.
Closing the CEO blind spot
We also asked CEOs a simple question: What’s holding B2B marketing back at board level?
Their answers provide a practical roadmap for marketers looking to strengthen their influence.
Business leaders pointed to several recurring challenges, including difficulty proving ROI, a lack of confidence in marketing’s commercial impact, marketing not being seen as a strategic priority and weak alignment with sales. Budget pressures and short-term business priorities also continue to limit marketing’s influence.
Taken together, these findings reinforce a simple point: marketers don’t need to reinvent the function. They need to make its commercial contribution more visible.
5 ways to prove B2B marketing ROI
Our research identified five practical steps that can help marketers step out of the CEO’s blind spot and make their contribution easier to defend at board level.
- Bring customer insight to the boardroom. Marketing has a unique understanding of customers, markets and competitors. Used well, those insights should shape business strategy, not just campaigns.
- Measure what matters. Instead of overwhelming leadership with marketing metrics, focus on the business measures that matter most and communicate results in the language of growth and commercial performance.
- Align more closely with sales. Shared goals, shared measures and shared accountability make it much easier for leadership teams to see how marketing contributes across the customer journey. This is where marketing and sales alignment turns into commercial proof.
- Become commercially fluent. Understanding finance, forecasting and business strategy helps marketers participate in broader commercial conversations and build greater credibility with leadership.
- Make impact visible all year round. Commercial influence is not built during annual budget discussions. It is built by consistently demonstrating marketing impact, then translating that impact into B2B marketing ROI.
The opportunity for B2B marketing ROI
The CEO blind spot is not inevitable.
Marketing has never had greater access to customer insight, data and technology. Combined with stronger commercial thinking and a relentless focus on business impact, marketers have a real opportunity to reshape how their function is perceived.
The message from CEOs is ultimately encouraging. They are not asking marketing to become less creative. They are asking marketers to become more commercial, to connect creativity with growth, brand building with business outcomes, and marketing activity with measurable commercial impact.
For marketers who can bridge that gap, the reward is far greater than a bigger budget. It is a stronger voice in the boardroom and a recognized role as a driver of commercial growth. To check out our full research, click here.
