Marketing teams will fail without financial acumen

Marketing teams don’t get cut because leadership “doesn’t get marketing.” They get cut because too often, marketers position themselves in the wrong conversation.

Explaining the importance of brand, engagement, or awareness feels obvious inside the function but at the executive table, that language doesn’t carry weight. It sidelines you. The best marketing leaders don’t just think in campaigns. They think in P&L, market share, and competitive positioning. They talk about growth, retention, and revenue impact. Marketing isn’t a cost center. It’s a growth engine. But if you want influence, you have to frame it that way - every single time.

The fastest path to credibility isn’t educating leaders on “marketing.” It’s showing them the financial outcomes they care about, and proving that marketing drives them.