CEOs do value marketing. The problem is that many still do not see marketers as commercially credible enough to influence business strategy. That is one of the clearest findings from our latest CEO Blind Spot research. For senior B2B marketers, the implication is hard to ignore: boardroom influence is not just about proving marketing matters. It is about proving marketers can speak with authority on growth, revenue and commercial performance.
The credibility gap is still holding marketing back
The data points to a persistent perception problem:
- 88% of business leaders say marketers would be more credible if they spoke the language of business
- 83% say they would have greater confidence in marketers with stronger commercial understanding
- 79% want marketers to spend less time talking about creativity and more time talking about business results
This is the real tension. Business leaders are not dismissing marketing as unimportant. They are questioning whether marketers are equipped to contribute beyond campaigns, communications and brand activity.
Until marketing is viewed through the same lens as sales, finance and operations, its influence at the top table will remain constrained.
Why this matters for growth strategy
The consequences are not just reputational. They are operational.
Our research found that:
- 65% of business leaders do not involve marketing in their full growth strategy
- 76% do not involve marketing throughout the revenue forecasting process
That creates a self-reinforcing cycle. Marketers are expected to demonstrate commercial value, yet they are often excluded from the very conversations where commercial decisions are shaped. The less involved marketing is in strategy and forecasting, the harder it becomes to show strategic impact. And the harder that becomes, the easier it is for leadership teams to keep seeing marketing as a tactical function.
What business leaders are really asking for
The answer is not for marketers to abandon creativity or become pseudo-finance professionals.
What business leaders want is simpler than that. They want marketers to connect activity to outcomes. That means talking more confidently about revenue, growth, forecasting and value creation, and showing how marketing investment contributes to measurable business performance.
In other words, creativity still matters. But creativity without commercial framing is no longer enough to build boardroom trust.
Commercial credibility creates more room to lead
There is an upside here. When marketers are seen as commercially credible, business leaders are more likely to back brand investment, support experimentation and give teams more freedom to take smart creative risks.
Commercial credibility is not about replacing imagination with spreadsheets. It is about showing that strong marketing and strong commercial performance are linked.
For B2B marketers, that is the real opportunity. Speak the language of growth, and marketing earns more than budget. It earns a stronger voice in the decisions that shape the business.
Want the full picture? Download the CEO Blind Spot report to explore the other two blind spots in detail.
