About the Survey

Get acquainted with the survey, its partners, and key people.

Mission

The CMO Survey collects and disseminates the opinions of marketing leaders in order to predict the future of markets, track marketing excellence, and improve the value of marketing in companies and in society.

History

The CMO Survey was born out of three frustrations that became opportunities to further the field of marketing. First, marketing leaders are often not interviewed by the press or investors for their views on critical marketplace trends or company marketing activities. CMOs need more exposure to promote their role as marketing experts. Second, marketing leaders have limited benchmarks for marketing spending and actions within and across their industries. Armed with better information, marketing leaders can build a stronger case for resources they need to grow their companies. Third, because marketing disclosures often are not required from companies, and because a great deal of marketing happens within business units but is reported at the overall firm level, marketing strategy scholarship often uses imprecise measures of marketing, which limits its implications.

With the support of Bob Lusch, then Chairman of the Board of the American Marketing Association, and colleagues at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Christine Moorman began interviewing marketing leaders and CEOs to determine their most important marketing questions. A set of seven topics and related questions was created and the first survey was administered in August 2008. By 2009, an electronic survey was in place. Questions are added in each survey to examine new and timely marketing topics. Because the goal of the survey is to improve the value of marketing in organizations and in society, reports are provided free of charge to all practitioners, educators, students, and members of the press. Current partners are Deloitte, the American Marketing Association, and the Fuqua School of Business.

Founder and Director

Christine Moorman headshot

Christine Moorman is the T. Austin Finch, Sr. Professor of Business Administration at The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. Her research interests are focused on marketing strategy with a particular emphasis on how customers, managers, organizations, and financial markets learn about marketing. Professor Moorman has published her research in top marketing and management journals and she is the author of Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value (with George Day), which was awarded the 2011 Berry Book prize for the best book in the field of marketing and Strategic Market Management (with David Aaker). She was named the AMA-Irwin-McGraw-Hill Distinguished Marketing Educator in 2018, a Fellow of the American Marketing Association in 2017, and awarded the 2012 Paul D. Converse Award for significant contributions to the advancement of science in marketing. Her research has been supported by grants from the Marketing Science Institute and the National Science Foundation. Christine is available to discuss survey results and conduct media interviews. Learn more about Christine Moorman.

Survey Partners

Partners support The CMO Survey with intellectual and financial resources. Individual company data are never shared beyond The CMO Survey.

Deloitte Logo

Deloitte’s CMO Services recognizes that CMOs are facing immense change and pressure to deliver. Not just for marketing, but for the health of their businesses. Deloitte helps CMOs solve their challenges in brand strategy, customer engagement, customer analytics, marketing operations, digital innovation, and risk mitigation. They help marketing professionals imagine, deliver, and run the future.

To learn more, email Deloitte at: CMO@deloitte.com or visit: CMO.deloitte.com

Fuqua Logo

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business attracts and nurtures a new kind of business leader who has the power to bring out strength in others and move teams forward toward a common purpose. Our community is made up of students and faculty from around the world who thrive in an environment with differing viewpoints. We bring them together to inform a leadership style that inspires entire organizations to do better while doing what’s best. With everything from full-time programs to those for working professionals, Fuqua gives students a safe place to push their limits and try new things in the format that works best for them. Ultimately, we measure the success of our graduates by their impact on workplaces and the world around them, by their relationships and reputations. Learn more at fuqua.duke.edu.

American Marketing Association Logo

The American Marketing Association (AMA) is the largest marketing association in North America. It is a professional association for individuals and organizations involved in the practice, teaching and study of marketing worldwide. The AMA is a resource that marketers turn to every day to deepen their marketing expertise and achieve better results for their companies. AMA members are connected to a network of experienced marketers nearly 40,000 strong. AMA offers highly acclaimed training series, professional conferences and events focused on the immediate needs of marketers, as well as trends shaping the future. AMA.org, is the everyday connection to marketing data, articles, case studies, best practices and a career center. Additionally, the AMA is the source for the field’s top magazines and journals, including Marketing News. Through local and collegiate chapters, AMA members are connected with the best people and the best practices. For more information on the AMA please visit AMA.org.

Fellows

Colleen Hickey
Colleen Hickey is a second-year MBA student at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Prior to Fuqua she worked as a Consultant for Deloitte Consulting, specializing in Data Analytics and ERP System Implementations. Colleen attended the Villanova School of Business for her undergraduate degree where she majored in Marketing, Business Analytics, and Management Information Systems. Colleen is excited to leverage her passions for Marketing and Analytics, and their intersection through working on The CMO Survey and expanding her knowledge on the overall field of Marketing.
Holly Larson Headshot
Holly Larson has created content for dozens of brands including top 10 banks, Citrix, FIS, Hitachi Vantara, Microsoft, SAP, and others. Ms. Larson’s expertise is in developing strategic messaging frameworks; media op eds; thought leadership; and product launch, sales enablement, and partner marketing campaigns.
Julia Reifman is a first-year MBA at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Prior to Fuqua, Julia was a management consultant at KPMG, specializing in customer experience consulting. Julia attended the University of Maryland, College Park for her undergraduate degree where she majored in Marketing and Information Systems. Julia is excited to leverage her consumer insights background to understand trends in the marketing landscape through The CMO Survey.
Michelle Seals
Michelle Seals is a second-year MBA at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Prior to Fuqua, Michelle was a Senior Consultant at Deloitte Consulting, specializing in the Customer and Marketing portfolio. She has a passion for marketing technology and learning how it can give companies a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Michelle is interested in gaining a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and how it can drive a CMO’s decision making process while working for The CMO Survey.
Srivastava Vertika
Vertika Srivastava is a first-year MBA at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Prior to Fuqua, Vertika has spent a decade in CPG and Retail Luxury industries and worked on 8 different brands. Been the part of first-time brand launch team in India for Kate Spade and Scotch & Soda. Her last stint was at L’Oréal as Senior Manager- Merchandising and Consumer Activations for Maybelline and NYX Professional Makeup. Vertika is a gold medalist from National Institute of Fashion Technology, India, for her undergraduate degree where she majored in Textile Design and Visual Communication. Vertika is excited to be part of CMO survey, leveraging her creative marketing background to now integrating data analytics and survey results, to enhance her understanding of consumer behavior, market trends, and decision-making which shapes the future of marketing strategies.