The four disconnects reshaping marketing today and tomorrow
Turn pressure into performance: How midmarket CMOs can close the confidence gap in the AI era.
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Your guide to overcoming the pressure cascade
Expectations are soaring. Budgets aren’t.
Midmarket CMOs are being asked to deliver breakthrough growth, with the same resources as last year. IDC’s latest Executive Insights Brief reveals the four biggest disconnects putting marketing teams under pressure and what to do about them.
Grounded in fresh data from 237 midmarket tech CMOs, this research-led guide surfaces the biggest misalignments between C-suite vision and marketing execution. You’ll get a proven framework to sharpen strategy, close performance gaps, and reposition marketing as a confident driver of growth.
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What’s inside
From insight to action:
Each section follows a clear, repeatable format to help you act fast:
- The disconnect: What’s out of sync and why it matters
- The impact: Strategic and operational risks for CMOs
- The evidence: Key data points from IDC’s global research
- The fix: Practical moves to close the gap now
- Executive buy-in: How to align with C-suite expectations
Learn how to turn pressure into performance
The four disconnects redefining marketing leadership
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1. The illusion of AI adoption
AI pilots are everywhere, but true integration is rare. Many marketing teams believe they’ve embraced AI, yet lack the infrastructure, talent, and governance to scale it. The result? Overconfidence that masks capability gaps and stalls real progress.
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2. Growth goals vs. Grounded teams
The C-suite is focused on net-new growth. Marketing? Still prioritizing retention and efficiency. This disconnect limits strategic alignment and keeps marketing from leading where it matters most.
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3. The budget deadlock
The ask is bigger. The budget isn’t. As pressure mounts to deliver AI innovation and measurable impact, flat budgets leave little room to reallocate or reinvest. Without strategic reprioritization, opportunity is lost and trust erodes.
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4. The execution gap
The strategy is clear: AI-powered, personalized customer journeys. But without dedicated teams, defined roadmaps, and clear accountability, even the best plans stall. Execution readiness is no longer optional. It’s the differentiator.