Marketing’s C-Suite Playbook, Borrowed from Supply Chain

Crack the code to align marketing with your C-Suite

Like puzzle pieces that almost connect, marketing teams and execs often misalign. Here’s how to close the gap and drive real growth.

A recent EY study highlighted in Supply Chain Management Review found a striking gap: 88% of supply chain executives say the C-suite views supply chain as a cost center, while the same percentage of supply chain leaders believe their function enhances customer experience.

When I saw that, it got me thinking that this disconnect isn’t limited to supply chain leaders. Marketing departments face the same misalignment with the C-suite. Too often, executives see marketing as an expense, while marketing leaders know it’s a driver of brand value, customer trust, and long-term revenue growth.

In this post, we’ll explore parallels between supply chain and marketing leadership challenges and share strategies to close the gap between marketing teams and executive leadership.

1. The Value Misunderstanding

• Supply chain: The C-suite sees logistics as a cost; supply chain leaders see it as a growth enabler.

• Marketing: Executives often view marketing as campaigns and ad spend (cost). Marketers see it as the driver of brand equity, customer experience, and revenue stability.

Marketing takeaway: Reframe marketing’s role in terms executives care about: customer lifetime value, retention, and margin protection.

2. Technology Investment Gaps

• Supply chain: Only 42% of leaders say their organizations have adopted digital supply chain tools like AI and automation.

• Marketing: The same challenge exists with marketing technology. Without investment in martech platforms, automation, and AI, teams struggle to deliver personalization and measure ROI.

Marketing takeaway: Show how tech accelerates growth and efficiency. Share quick wins while advocating for long-term capability.

3. Cost vs. Agility

• Supply chain: Margin pressure pushes leaders to cut costs often at the expense of flexibility.

• Marketing: Under budget pressure, marketing gets reduced to short-term lead generation. But cutting brand and content investments undermines agility to respond to shifting customer expectations.

Marketing takeaway: Position agility as a growth driver. Highlight how brand, content, and testing new channels build long-term resilience.

4. Footprint and Customer Expectations

• Supply chain: Leaders must redesign global footprints to balance cost, risk, and delivery speed.

• Marketing: Teams must rethink channel footprints. Customers expect brands to meet them on the right platforms, with fast and relevant engagement.

Marketing takeaway: Invest in the channels where expectations are highest and where responsiveness matters most.

5. Alignment Is Non-Negotiable

The EY report concludes that supply chain leaders who engage proactively with the C-suite elevate both their function and their careers. The same is true for marketing.

Marketing takeaway: Marketing leaders must advocate for their role as growth partners. Waiting to be asked for metrics or justification only reinforces the perception of marketing as tactical, not strategic.

>>>Closing the Gap Between Marketing and the C-Suite

Fixing misalignment requires marketing leaders to:

• Translate campaigns into financial impact: revenue growth, retention, customer lifetime value.

• Build a shared scorecard with KPIs tied to corporate goals.

• Advocate for marketing technology investments that deliver measurable ROI.

• Balance short-term wins with long-term brand building.

• Engage executives proactively in marketing strategy discussions.

When marketing and the C-suite are aligned, the organization benefits from clearer strategy, smarter investment, and stronger long-term growth.

Cahill Consulting helps marketing leaders earn a seat at the strategy tab. Reach out to learn how.