管理和测量营销支出以实现增长和回报（英）-76页_1mb

The CMO Survey Summary - August 2021

Core Content

The 27th edition of The CMO Survey, conducted in August 2021, highlights the evolving role of marketing leaders in the context of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report focuses on how marketing spending is managed and measured for growth and returns, emphasizing the increasing reliance on digital marketing and the challenges of proving marketing impact.

Main Points

Digital Marketing Growth

• Digital marketing spending now accounts for 58% of marketing budgets, up by 15.8% over the last year.
• The digital marketing transformation has advanced, with 73% of companies led by senior marketing leaders.
• Companies with >10% Internet sales are more likely to have a digital marketing transformation, being 2.5 times more likely than those with <10%.

Marketing Leadership and Responsibilities

• Marketing leaders are taking on more strategic responsibilities, including leading digital transformations and preparing for board meetings and earning calls.
• 73% of companies are in emerging, integrated, or institutionalized phases of digital marketing transformation, up from 31.1% a year ago.

Marketing Spend and Performance

• Overall marketing spending increased by 5.2% over the last year and is expected to grow by 13.4% next year.
• Digital marketing spending is expected to grow at 14.7% next year, slightly slower than the overall marketing growth.
• Marketing expenses as a percentage of revenue have declined since 2017, while they have increased as a percentage of the overall company budget.

Pressure to Prove Marketing Impact

• 58.7% of marketing leaders report increased pressure from CEOs to prove the impact of marketing efforts.
• 45.1% report increased pressure from CFOs, and 32.1% from the board.
• Short-term impact is predominantly proven quantitatively, while long-term impact is more qualitative.

Marketing Budget Setting

• The most common approach is to set budgets based on the previous year's expenses (41.1% of companies).
• Building a budget from scratch is the least common approach (27.9% of companies).
• Marketing leaders use aligning with business priorities, setting return expectations, and explaining hypotheses when making the case for marketing spending.

Marketing Metrics and Performance

• Short-term impact is reported by 66% of companies with >10% Internet sales.
• Long-term impact is more challenging to prove quantitatively, with only 45.1% of companies with high Internet sales relying on quantitative long-term impact.

AI and Machine Learning

• Current usage of AI and machine learning in marketing is 11.8%, but is expected to triple to 37.7% over the next three years.
• Companies with >10% Internet sales show the highest AI/ML adoption.

Key Insights

• Largest companies (in terms of sales and employees) are the most optimistic about the U.S. economy.
• B2C Services and B2C Product sectors report the highest optimism, while Communications/Media and Mining/Construction report the lowest.
• Companies with >10% Internet sales lead in digital marketing investment, particularly in website optimization, digital media and search, and data analytics.
• Online experimentation and A/B testing and app improvement receive less attention, with 46% and 18.4% of companies investing in these areas, respectively.

Summary of Survey Participation

• 282 marketing leaders participated in the survey.
• 94.1% of respondents are at VP-level or above.
• The survey had a 10.1% response rate, with participants from 2791 top marketers at U.S. for-profit companies.

Economic Sector Breakdown

• Technology (Software/Platform): 21.9%
• Professional Services/Consulting: 11.1%
• Manufacturing: 10.4%
• Consumer Packaged Goods: 10.0%
• Communications/Media: 7.9%
• Healthcare: 7.5%
• Banking/Finance/Insurance: 6.5%
• Retail: 6.5%
• Transportation: 3.2%
• Energy: 2.9%
• Mining/Construction: 2.5%
• Education: 2.5%
• Consumer Services: 2.2%
• Wholesale: 2.2%
• Pharmaceuticals/Biotech: 1.4%
• Real Estate: 1.4%

Industry Sector Breakdown

• Top sectors by digital marketing investment:
  • Transportation: 22.5%
  • Education: 20.0%
  • Retail/Wholesale: 18.5%
• Bottom sectors:
  • Pharmaceuticals/Biotech: 1.7%
  • Consumer Services: 3.8%
  • Energy: 5.6%

Key Findings

• B2C Services and B2C Product have the highest levels of digital marketing expertise, with 6.8 and 6.5 on a 1-10 scale.
• Real Estate and Pharma/Biotech report the lowest expertise in digital marketing.
• Consumer Packaged Goods and Healthcare are the most likely to report quantitative long-term impact.

Marketing and DE&I

• Marketing leaders are increasingly involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) strategies.
• The work-from-home vs. work-from-office debate is expected to affect the marketing workforce, with a focus on remote work and digital tools.

Conclusion

The CMO Survey highlights the growing importance of digital marketing in driving business growth and the increasing pressure on marketing leaders to demonstrate ROI. While digital marketing is a top priority, challenges remain in proving long-term impact and integrating AI/ML into marketing practices. The survey underscores the need for marketing leaders to align with business strategies, explain hypotheses, and engage with the C-suite to secure support for their initiatives.