The CMO Survival Guide

This article offers some survival tips for chief marketing officers, including the importance of doing your homework before stepping into the role, being fully accountable for all marketing investment, establishing strong partnerships within the company, and developing a strong personal network.

The CMO Survival Guide

Jim Garrity

In their 2001 album title song, “Survivor,” Destiny's Child said it well:

I'm a survivor

I'm not gonna give up

I'm not gonna stop

I'm gonna work harder

I'm a survivor

I'm gonna make it

I will survive - keep on survivin'

My years of experience in marketing suggest that this is sound advice, but survival in this mercurial role seems to require a lot more than simply working harder. In my career, I've held marketing leadership roles at IBM, Compaq, and First Union/Wachovia (merged in 2001). As I retire and look back on...

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