Scan the headlines, and it's hard to miss the narrative: “CMO Tenures Continue to Shrink,” “Is Marketing Losing Its Seat at the Table?” “The Fragmentation of the Marketing Function.” It's tempting to interpret these as signs of a discipline in decline. But look closer and a different story emerges – one of reinvention, renewed relevance and opportunity.
Marketing has always been the engine of growth. At its best, it doesn't just drive awareness – it fuels innovation, demand and advocacy. In an era of unprecedented complexity – where customer expectations evolve overnight and channels proliferate – marketing's ability to understand markets, create value and drive growth has never been more essential.
Yet to seize this opportunity, marketing leaders must confront some hard questions. How can marketing reclaim its role as a strategic driver, not merely a service department? How do marketers demonstrate impact beyond impressions and clicks, aligning their work with revenue, ROI and stakeholder value? How must the function evolve in the age of AI, where skills, tools and expectations shift daily?
This issue invites you to reflect on where marketing stands in your organization – and where it could go. Leading scholars explore how marketing can reclaim its rightful place at the center of the business and how it can remain not just relevant but indispensable: the champion of growth, customer centricity and innovation.
We hope the ideas presented here challenge assumptions, highlight blind spots and spark new conversations. Marketing's comeback isn't about returning to the past – it's about redefining the future.
Let's get to work.