Does a CEO Truly Know Which CMO They Are Looking For?

"People often talk about the importance of finding answers, but I've realized that the real power lies in asking the right questions. 'Wander & Wonder' is a series about that very journey: from the days of 'wandering' aimlessly through the crossroads and decisions of a career, to the moment of 'wonder'—the moment I dared to ask and began seeking answers to my own ponderings. Welcome to post #5 in the 'Wander & Wonder' series, let's reflect on this question together: "Does a CEO truly know which CMO they are looking for?' - Jasmine Nguyen

After many years in marketing, having worked for quite a few companies, big and small, people often ask me about my career path, about secrets to success, and so on. But truthfully, there's one question I've always grappled with myself: Why is the tenure of a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) so short?

A while ago, I read the article "Why CMOs Never Last" in the Harvard Business Review, and I felt as if they were writing about the very things I had experienced and observed. The issue isn't that CMOs aren't capable enough, but rather that there's often a fundamental misalignment right from the start between the CEO's expectations and the actual role of the person hired.

The Three CMO Archetypes According to Harvard Business Review

According to HBR, not all CMO jobs are the same. Some roles focus on strategy, others on commercialization, and some do both. CEOs need to clearly understand what kind of leader they need to hire accordingly. The report pointed out three main archetypes for the CMO role:

• The Commercialization Role: This is the largest group, making up 46% of CMOs. This role focuses on "spurring sales through marketing communications." They are responsible for areas like advertising, digital content, social media, promotions, and events.

• The Strategy Role: This group accounts for 31% of CMOs. They are the ones who "design the company's growth strategy." Their responsibilities include innovation, customer analysis and insight, and product design.

• The Enterprise-Wide P&L Role: This is the most comprehensive role, accounting for 23%. These CMOs are responsible for "delivering profitable growth" by both designing strategy and overseeing commercialization. They manage a range of activities from innovation, product design, sales, and distribution to pricing and marketing communications.

The main factor influencing which CMO archetype a company needs is the business context and the CEO's vision. A company in a high-growth phase has different needs than a mature corporation seeking innovation. This understanding and clear role definition from the outset is the key, but it's also the starting point for all the problems we'll discuss below.

"Why CMOs never lasts", by Kimberly A. Whitler and Neil Morgan, Jul- Aug 2017

My Own Observations & Experiences on the Journey

Based on my own experiences and observations, I've noticed that each business model I've had the chance to work in has an "ideal image" of a CMO that is distinctly different.

Sustainable FMCG Companies (e.g., Unilever): In Need of Strategists (Strategy Role) Unilever was probably the school of marketing that gave me the most professional training during my early years in the marketing field. As an ABM (Assistant Brand Manager), the perspective I gained on the CMO role was through observing my seniors in positions like Vice President (VP) and Business Unit Director (BUD) within the organizational structure of that time. Those were years steeped in the "consumer first" and "holistic marketing" mindset. FMCG giants like Unilever operate on the strength of brands built over decades and continuous product innovation. Their battle is the battle for "top of mind" and long-term market share. For this reason, they need marketing leaders with deep strategic thinking. The focus isn't just on advertising campaigns, but on leading the entire process of category assessment, finding consumer insights, and defining the "Jobs to be done." The CMO here must be an architect, building the business case for new products and shifting the entire massive apparatus toward a long-term vision. Their performance is measured by brand health, market share, and the long-term success of new products. The marketing mindset at Unilever during those years was very structured, always putting the consumer at the center and performance at the forefront, with extensive analysis and reporting. Marketers from senior to junior levels were all trained to share this same mindset, always encouraged to see the big picture and think big before planning and executing with precision. Everyone understood that a single move by the brand would affect consumer perception and behavior, as well as the long-term relationship between the brand and its users. And back then, Unilever marketers also acted as consumers, as employees who deeply loved the company and its products, as brand ambassadors. Therefore, marketing there was no longer a job "to do," but something "to live" every day.

High-Growth Companies (e.g., TikTok, Vietjet Air): In Need of Commercialization Experts (Commercialization Role) Companies in the high-growth tech and service sectors, like TikTok or Vietjet Air in their early stages, need to capture the market quickly. The ultimate goals are user growth, revenue, and brand coverage in the shortest possible time. The periods I worked at these two companies were when both were in strong growth phases, and I held senior marketing positions in both. Therefore, I felt the weight and pressure very clearly as the role of the CMO (MKT Head) in these places leaned heavily toward driving commercialization. They need leaders capable of launching large-scale campaigns, creating viral buzz, and driving immediate results in online sales and user metrics (DNU, DAU) while dominating media channels. Performance is measured by very specific and short-term numbers: new user acquisition (DNU), cost per acquired user, online ticket revenue from campaigns, and a spike in brand awareness over a short period (1 month, 3 months).

Companies in Transformation and Expansion (e.g., VinFast): In Need of Comprehensive Leaders (Enterprise-Wide P&L Role) When a company has an established position but is in a phase of strong transformation, such as VinFast with its goals of domestic electrification and global expansion, it requires a more comprehensive approach. During my initial time as the Assistant to the Chairman for marketing at VinFast Vietnam, I analyzed and saw the organization's needs as well as the gaps in the current marketing role and personnel, which leaned mainly toward advertising and communications. They needed a position capable of unifying the goals of both sales and marketing, repositioning products, and seeking every opportunity to expand market share. Therefore, I proposed to the Chairman that I take on the role of CGO (Chief Growth Officer), a role positioned between sales and marketing. This position requires a leader who can act as a bridge, grasping the strategic mindset of market share and sustainable brand building from marketing while combining it with the commercialization drive of the business side. This was especially true when the de facto CMO role was more responsible for communications, advertising, and numerous internal process issues. Meanwhile, the CMO role VinFast truly needed at that time was one that didn't just think about campaigns, but also about optimizing the customer journey, conversion rates, and the ROI on every marketing dollar spent. Therefore, in the CGO role, I planned to fill the gaps to support the CMO and business directors at that time. Given that the leadership demanded high levels of creativity and innovation while the operational apparatus was quite cumbersome and under pressure for rapid implementation, finding a comprehensive CMO was a difficult problem for VinFast to solve.

The CEO & CMO's Problem: A Symbiotic Relationship or a Silent Battle?

Marketing theory suggests that master marketing companies often have strong leadership from both the CEO and the CMO.

• On the CEO's side, their role is paramount: they must lead the way in building a "customer is king" culture, convince other senior leaders of the importance of being customer-focused, and hire outstanding marketing talent. The CEO must recognize that marketing builds intangible assets like a strong brand and a loyal customer base, which contribute heavily to the firm's value.

• On the CMO's side, they must be the one to infuse the customer's voice into every business decision. To do that, today's CMO needs both quantitative and qualitative skills, an independent entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to collaborate closely with other departments. Most importantly, they must be accountable for the return on marketing investment (ROI) – the ultimate measure of value.

That's the theory, but the reality I've observed is a completely different story, especially when applied to the context of Vietnam. A bigger question must be asked: Do CEOs truly see the core needs of their organization? And when CMOs do see the organization's needs and the path forward, can they survive in the organization long enough to realize their vision?

This is the starting point of all the misalignment. In reality, many CEOs, while incredibly talented in operations or finance, lack the expertise to accurately "diagnose" the marketing "illness" their company is facing. This leads to two major problems:

• The "Greedy," "Lacking," or even "Vague" Job Description (JD): Instead of clearly defining the need for a "Strategist" or a "Commercialization expert," the JD is often a wish list of every possible marketing skill. It demands a candidate who can both build a 20-year vision and ensure a 30% sales increase next quarter. They aren't looking for a solution; they're looking for a non-existent "superhero." It lacks a clear plan for organizational structure and strategy.

• The Lack of Empowerment: Even if the CEO finds the right person for the right problem, empowerment becomes another barrier. A CEO might hire a brilliant strategist but then fail to give them enough time, budget, and trust for their long-term plans to bear fruit. Under pressure from the board or short-term business goals, the CEO becomes impatient and starts demanding immediate, commercialization-style results. In doing so, they inadvertently sabotage the very solution they worked so hard to find.

A sad reality is that a frank conversation between a company and a CMO candidate about these issues is extremely rare. The interview process is often a "charade" where the company tries to present itself as an ideal workplace, while the candidate showcases their most impressive achievements. Both sides are hesitant to mention difficulties, real pressures, or their weaknesses. They come together based on an idealized image of each other, only to be disillusioned when faced with the day-to-day reality of the job.

"Overcoming Hurdles": The Real Challenges for a CMO in Vietnam

This misalignment in expectations creates specific challenges for marketers at every level of business in Vietnam.

1. Challenges in a Large Vietnamese Corporation:

• The "Chairman" Culture: Large corporations in Vietnam are often led by founders with immense influence and personal decision-making power. A CMO must be extremely skillful in navigating and persuading the "big boss," who might make marketing decisions based on gut feeling rather than data.

• Internal Politics: Corporations often have many different business units, each with its own goals and pressures. A CMO must be a talented diplomat to gain cooperation and consensus for joint campaigns, instead of getting caught in internal resource wars.

• Organizational Inertia: Implementing a new idea or a modern marketing system in a cumbersome organization with many old processes is a real battle, requiring persistence and excellent project management skills.

2. Challenges in an SME:

• Resources Are Everything: This is the biggest challenge. A marketer in an SME often has to be a real "superhero," doing everything from strategy and content writing to running ads and design. A tight budget and limited staff force them to be extremely creative and efficient.

• Short-Term "Survival" Mindset: For an SME owner, today's cash flow and sales are paramount. Marketing is often seen as a "cost" rather than an "investment." Marketers must constantly prove their immediate value and frequently have to "educate" leadership on the importance of long-term brand building.

3. The Overarching Challenge: Proving Marketing's Contribution: This is a classic but ever-present challenge. In a business environment where the Sales department is always seen as the hero bringing in the money, how can Marketing prove its value convincingly?

• The Language Barrier: Sales speaks the language of tangible numbers: revenue, contracts, units sold. Marketing often speaks of "engagement," "reach," "brand love." The CMO's challenge is to translate these marketing metrics into business results.

• Proving ROI: No matter where you are or what you do, a marketer always has to answer the question: "My money, where did you spend it and what did it bring back?" Sales brings back contracts, clear numbers. Marketing brings back "brand awareness," "brand love." I've had to learn to translate that "love" into numbers the boss can understand. You have to show that this campaign helped grow new users, and that campaign helped increase sales. That's the only way for marketing to be respected and seen as an investment, rather than a cost.

Conclusion: There Are No Lone Heroes, Only a Collective Effort

So where is the way out? Having gone through all of this, I believe the answer lies in changing the mindset of the entire organization. Managers who believe the customer is the company's only true "profit center" will see the traditional organizational pyramid as obsolete.

• The traditional model places top management at the apex, middle management in the middle, and frontline employees and customers at the bottom.

• Successful marketing companies today have completely inverted that chart. The highest priority is the customers. Next in importance are the frontline people who meet, serve, and satisfy these customers. Then come the service managers, whose job is to support the frontline people so they can serve customers well. And finally, at the very core, is top management, whose most important job is to hire and support good service managers.

To transform into a truly market-driven company, the business needs to build a "passion" for customers across the entire organization, not just in the marketing department. When that happens, the role of the marketer and the CMO also changes. Marketing no longer has sole "ownership" of customer interactions. Instead, the CMO's task is to integrate all customer-involving processes to ensure the customer sees a "single face" and hears a "single voice" when they interact with the firm.

This journey requires effort from both sides. No single CMO can change an entire organization alone without the commitment and empowerment of the CEO, as well as the alignment of other departments. Conversely, an organization cannot become customer-centric without a marketing leader who has enough vision and courage to lead that change.

Ultimately, being "customer-oriented" is necessary, but it's not enough. To win in the long run, an organization must also be relentlessly creative and innovative. That is the real game of marketing in the modern world.

Jasmine Nguyen