Latest news with #IBMCMOStudy2025
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Indian CMOs to prioritise CX, tech modernisation and business model innovation: Study
HighlightsAccording to the IBM Chief Marketing Officer Study 2025, 63 percent of Indian Chief Marketing Officers are now accountable for delivering profitability, closely aligned with the global average of 64 percent. While 44 percent of Indian Chief Marketing Officers believe their function is ready to integrate agentic artificial intelligence, only 26 percent feel they possess the necessary talent to achieve their goals over the next two years. Indian Chief Marketing Officers excel in ecosystem focus, with 62 percent prioritizing partnerships as a strategic initiative, compared to the global average of 47 percent. The modern chief marketing officer faces a stark reality: despite commanding larger budgets and more sophisticated tools, most marketing organisations are structurally incapable of delivering the results that boards now demand. This is not merely an operational challenge, it has become an existential threat. According to the IBM CMO Study 2025 , CMOs are under growing pressure to drive profitability and revenue growth while navigating the complex demands of AI integration , ecosystem leadership and talent transformation. The findings from the global study, conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV), reveal that 63 per cent of Indian CMOs are now accountable for delivering profitability, closely aligned with their global counterparts at 64 per cent. Furthermore, 53 per cent are directly responsible for driving revenue growth, signalling the CMO's expanding influence well beyond traditional brand stewardship. Indian CMOs are also prioritising future readiness. Their current focus includes customer experience , technology modernisation, and business model innovation, alongside efforts to scale service delivery and improve marketing and sales effectiveness. However, these ambitions are challenged by critical capability gaps in areas such as responsible AI, talent readiness, and data utilisation. The study highlights a widening disconnect between strategic aspiration and practical execution, particularly in the age of generative AI. 'As AI radically transforms how businesses engage, operate, and grow, Indian CMOs are uniquely positioned to lead this shift by harnessing AI responsibly,' said Tuhina Pandey, director - APAC communications and marketing, India and South Asia, IBM. She added, 'While the potential of AI is clear, what's needed now is a bold new playbook, one powered by trusted data, skilled talent, cultural reset, and AI augmentation.' The study's findings in India provide sharper insight into this tension between opportunity and capability. While 44 per cent of CMOs believe their function is ready to integrate agentic AI, only 26 per cent believe they have the necessary talent to achieve their goals over the next two years. Just 23 per cent have prepared their teams for the cultural and operational shifts that AI agents are expected to bring. The data gap is equally pressing. Although 63 per cent agree that the value of generative AI lies in proprietary data, only 1 per cent of enterprise data is currently being utilised. This suggests that while the strategic direction is understood, the underlying infrastructure and readiness to support it are still lacking. Organisational silos continue to hinder progress. Only one-third of organisations report having a cross-functional view of the customer journey. CMOs estimate that achieving alignment across marketing, sales and operations could unlock up to a 20 per cent increase in revenue, yet this integration remains elusive. Indian CMOs do, however, outperform their global peers in ecosystem focus. Sixty-two per cent place partnerships as a strategic priority, well above the global average of 47 per cent. This indicates an emerging recognition that collaborative ecosystems will be central to marketing-led innovation in the years ahead. Ultimately, the role of the CMO is transforming rapidly. Expectations are rising, yet structural limitations remain. The path forward will require more than budget increases or technology upgrades. It calls for a complete rethink of operating models, anchored in responsible AI, agile talent, and cross-functional collaboration , to bridge the gap between marketing ambition and enterprise value.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Indian CMOs under pressure to deliver profitability amid AI, talent and data challenges: IBM study
Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) in India are increasingly being held accountable for delivering not just brand value but also profitability and revenue growth , as they navigate the complex terrain of AI adoption , evolving customer expectations, and workforce transformation, according to the IBM CMO Study 2025 , released today by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV). The global study, conducted in partnership with Oxford Economics, reveals that 63% of Indian CMOs are now directly responsible for ensuring profitability, closely mirroring the global figure of 64%. Meanwhile, 53% of Indian CMOs are tasked with driving revenue growth, marking a significant expansion in the traditional remit of marketing leaders. 'As AI radically transforms how businesses engage, operate and grow, Indian CMOs are uniquely positioned to lead this shift by harnessing AI responsibly,' said Tuhina Pandey, Director – APAC Communications & Marketing, India and South Asia, IBM. 'While the potential of AI is clear, what's needed now is a bold new playbook, one powered by trusted data, skilled talent, cultural reset and AI augmentation.' The study finds that Indian CMOs are aligning their strategies to meet both short-term performance goals and long-term transformation imperatives. They are focusing on customer experience , scalable service delivery, technology modernisation, marketing and sales effectiveness, and business model innovation. These priorities reflect a clear pivot towards future-proofing the organisation while ensuring operational efficiency and customer-centric growth. Despite the enthusiasm around generative and Agentic AI, significant challenges remain. Only 26% of Indian CMOs report having responsible AI guidelines in place to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in automated decision-making. While 44% believe their functions are ready to adopt Agentic AI, just 26% feel confident they have the right talent to meet their goals over the next two years. Only 23% have prepared their teams for the cultural and operational changes that AI will bring. Live Events The study also finds that although 63% of Indian CMOs agree that proprietary data is key to unlocking generative AI's potential, only 1% of enterprise data is currently being utilised, a stark indication of underused digital assets. Organisational silos continue to hamper effectiveness: just one in three organisations has a cross-functional view of the customer journey, and CMOs estimate that fully aligning marketing, sales and operations could lead to a revenue uplift of up to 20%. On a more optimistic note, Indian CMOs are leading globally in forging ecosystem partnerships. Around 62% prioritise external collaboration as a strategic imperative, significantly above the global average of 47%. The IBM Institute for Business Value, in collaboration with Oxford Economics, surveyed 1,800 CMOs and Chief Sales Officers (CSOs) across 33 countries and 24 industries between March and May 2025. Although the roles of CMO and CSO were both included, findings are attributed to 'CMOs' for simplicity. The research explored executive priorities, customer experience strategies, AI and technology adoption, data usage, cross-functional alignment and talent readiness.
