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Marketing Reporting to CRO

Marketing reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer is one of the worst ideas generated inside the hierarchy of so many organizations.

"By having marketing report to the CRO, we have one revenue organization" -- this is the most common reason cited for the blunder.

The BIG error in this thinking is that the CRO is often a sales leader who defaults to sales thinking when it comes to critical marketing decisions. This is a recipe for disaster.

What would a sales-leaning CRO decide when hiring? One more sales rep or more marketing budget? Likely answer is one more sales rep.

The move also creates a layer of bureaucracy between marketing and the CEO -- the person who is ultimately needed to increase marketing impact.

By having marketing report to the CRO / VP of Sales, the CEO foregoes:

-Taking charge of the brand narrative and story
-Connection to the market and customers
-Understanding and balancing the investment in sales and marketing
-Giving marketing the right budget needed

That's not to say there aren't a few rockstar CROs out there who can lead both. But they are in the minority by a country mile.

Marketing needs to report to the CEO. Without it, marketing doesn't have a seat at the table and the organization continues to be sales-led.

 

To learn more about how to hire the right marketing leaders for PE-backed companies, take a look at our full article: How to Hire Marketing Leaders for PE-Backed Companies.

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