Your brand is out there. The campaigns are running. Your logo shows up in all the right places.
But here’s the question that too few CEOs ask: Is our marketing actually driving growth—or just activity?
In today’s competitive, digital-first world, marketing is more than a creative function. It’s a strategic engine of growth, brand equity, and revenue acceleration. And if your marketing team isn’t performing at that level, you’re leaving serious money—and market share—on the table.
The challenge? Many mid-market companies are running on outdated playbooks, misaligned messaging, under-leveraged technology, or leaders who aren’t scaling with the business.
That’s why it’s time to pause and take a hard look—not at marketing’s output, but at its impact.
What Great CEOs Do Differently
They treat marketing like a revenue team, not a support team. They assess performance with the same rigor as operations or sales. And they ensure the right leader, strategy, and systems are in place to drive measurable outcomes.
Here are 13 CEO-level checkpoints to evaluate the true health of your marketing engine:
13 CEO Questions to Diagnose Marketing Performance
- Leadership Readiness: Is your marketing leader equipped to drive growth over the next three years—or just maintaining the status quo?
- KPIs That Matter: Are you tracking the right metrics—like CAC, MQL-to-SQL conversions, and ROI—or just vanity numbers?
- Strategic Alignment: Does your marketing strategy directly support your 3-year strategic roadmap and yearly operational plan?
- Content & Creative Quality: Is your content engaging, brand-aligned, and driving action—or just checking boxes?
- Customer Insights: Are marketing decisions driven by real customer data and research—or gut instinct?
- Campaign Results: What’s working—and what’s just loud? Are you seeing consistent ROI from campaigns?
- Digital Performance: How effective is your online presence, SEO, email marketing, and digital ad spend?
- Tech Stack Optimization: Are you using marketing automation and CRM tools to their full potential?
- Sales Alignment: Are marketing and sales truly aligned on messaging, ICPs, and lead handoffs—or operating in silos?
- Budget Discipline: Are you spending with precision—or spreading dollars thin across low-impact channels?
- Customer Experience Feedback: Do your customers feel connected, informed, and compelled—or confused and disengaged?
- Team Capability: Does your team have the skills and support needed to innovate and scale?
- Industry Benchmarking: How do you stack up against top-performing marketing teams in your sector?
Your Call to Action
You’ve made bold moves to grow your business. Now it’s time to make sure your marketing team can grow with it.
Is your marketing department a growth driver—or a cost center? Are you confident in your brand’s ability to attract, convert, and retain your ideal customer?
If not, step in and recalibrate. Audit the team. Upgrade the systems. Rethink the leadership. Align your brand and strategy with precision.
Because marketing shouldn’t just make you look good. It should make you money.
And as CEO, it’s up to you to ensure that it does.