Why Strategic Marketing Leadership Belongs at the Executive Table

The Case for Elevating Strategic Marketing Leadership Across the Organisation

Most CEOs believe marketing should drive growth, yet few treat it as a strategic lever. This disconnect isn’t just frustrating; it’s costing companies real traction in competitive markets. Marketing, when boxed into a purely tactical role, loses its ability to influence what matters most: long-term growth. It’s time to reframe the conversation. Marketing is a leadership function. And embracing this truth is the difference between reactive tactics and sustained competitive advantage.

The Problem with the "Department-Only" Mindset

For many companies, marketing is seen as the “make-it-pretty” team. Their primary job? Build decks. Design ads. Write copy. While those tasks have value, they barely scratch the surface of what strategic marketing leadership should deliver. When marketing is viewed as a service provider rather than a strategic driver, three things happen:

1. Lack of Connection to Business Goals – Marketing becomes disconnected from core business metrics. Instead of driving pipeline or influencing revenue, they focus on vanity metrics like impressions or likes.
2. Siloed Execution – Sales, product, and operations don’t integrate marketing insights or collaborate effectively, leading to fractured messaging and disjointed customer experiences.
3. Misaligned Priorities – Without leadership-level visibility, marketing gets prioritised in budget and planning conversations. It becomes reactive rather than proactive.

This outdated mindset limits marketing’s potential and stifles innovation.

What It Means for Marketing to Be a Leadership Function

So what does it look like when marketing operates as a true leadership function?

1. Alignment with Vision and Strategy – Marketing leaders are involved early in business strategy conversations, helping shape go-to-market plans, customer segmentation, and brand positioning.
2. Cross-Functional Support – Strategic marketing leadership requires collaboration across sales, product, finance, and operations. Everyone must see marketing as a growth partner, not just a production house.
3. C-Suite Involvement – Marketing leaders should have a seat at the executive table. Their input should shape key decisions, from product roadmap to M&A positioning.
4. Strategic Budgeting – Rather than being the last to get funding, marketing is proactively resourced based on business priorities and growth objectives.

When marketing is viewed through this lens, it becomes a multiplier across the entire organisation.

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Stevie V Brown MSc is a highly qualified and experienced Marketer having worked for major ad agencies on global brands in a career spanning 23 years. Stevie is CEO of The Change Starter; a boutique marketing consultancy brand based in Australia and operating globally. The Change Starter specialises in transforming marketing strategies and delivering outsourced implementation across all aspects of marketing from traditional to digital. The Change Starter works with growing SMEs across FMCG & grocery, food service, product manufacturing, reselling, b2b services, e-commerce, retail and allied health.