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Flat budgets fuelling innovation
The roundtable discussion saw five CMOs share their challenges, solutions and best practices when it comes to their strategic priorities for the year ahead. A key theme that emerged was the impact of flat budgets.
“It might be a little crazy, but I actually love that we need to do more with less because it’s creating constant creativity.”
Rather than seeing flat budgets as a limitation, the CMOs viewed it as an opportunity to hone in on successful channels and devise new, creative solutions. As one CMO explained:
“[Previously] You’d make a plan for the year, you’d make a budget for the year and then you’d get pushed back… Now I do it in reverse. They give me a number and I’ll build a plan according to it… otherwise you’re playing a song and dance with the CFO… I know the objectives, I know the drivers. I’m a conservative guy. I will make sure that I come under the budget.”
Aligning internal stakeholders
Strong leadership and a positive internal mindset were identified as key to managing flat budgets effectively. As one CMO stated, it’s about sharing a common goal – for marketing to be a growth catalyst. This requires driving change in how things are done and positioning marketing as the growth agent within the business.
Flexible budgeting models
The CMOs faced varying budgeting models, with some operating on a business case scenario and others working with a set budget. One CMO explained the benefits of the business case approach:
“That model forced me when times were tight to play smart in terms of which are the channels that are bringing me the highest return on investment with a minimal spend.”
Experimenting and testing
Constant experimentation and testing emerged as a critical success factor. This helps with benchmarking and identifying the right channels based on maximum returns. CMOs found that less traditional digital channels were outperforming more traditional ones like trade shows and PR.
“We’ve had channels that have historically performed really well, but this year haven’t and there’s this belief in sales that we’ve got to hang on.”
However, CMOs noted that dropping underperforming channels can cause internal friction, particularly with sales teams. Aligning on success metrics is key to resolving these differences.
Streamlining and AI
The discussion highlighted the role of AI in driving efficiencies, with use cases including RFP creation, coding, chatbots and website translation. However, the CMOs agreed that AI should be limited to backend tasks, with caution advised for front-end content creation.
Talent shortages
Attracting and retaining the right talent emerged as a significant challenge. As one CMO noted, this talent gap represents a significant opportunity to drive growth:
“It’s more an opportunity to drive growth and having that power within the team to really pick and choose where we invest. It’s really up to us to kind of see the best possible outcome depending on the actions we take.”
Agile Strategies
Many CMOs have moved away from annual marketing plans, instead opting for 6-monthly or quarterly strategies to maintain agility. As one CMO explained:
“If I budgeted for something in the beginning of the fiscal year, it might not happen down the line. So I do my strategy six months at a time, I never do an annual strategy anymore. It doesn’t work. Things are shifting fast. So, [operating a budget by business case] serves my strategic goals as well, because I can easily shift from one to the other with more agility. And then I can justify it to the board or the C suite with metrics.”
CMOs navigating the challenging business environment of 2025 have found ways to thrive despite flat budgets. By embracing constant experimentation, streamlining processes with AI, and adopting agile, data-driven strategies, they are able to focus on the channels and initiatives that drive the highest return on investment. However, aligning internal stakeholders and addressing talent shortages remain significant hurdles. Ultimately, the CMOs emphasised that the key to success lies in fostering a culture of creativity, adaptability and disciplined execution – qualities that will be essential for B2B marketers to succeed in the years ahead.
If you’d like to see how your team can optimise its efforts and do more with less, or you would like to join one of our CMO roundtables, get in touch.
