Gartner for Marketers
As CMOs review spending priorities, here are the trends to know about so you can focus on the best investments.
Budgets are receding.
Your results don’t have to.
Gartner CMO Spend Survey
2017 – 2018

Marketing budget growth takes a turn
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Optimize cost commitments
Build a proactive cost optimization strategy, addressing all areas of spend you control.
Review your programs and commitments, thinking through costs vs. contributions.
Following three consecutive years of growth, marketing budget growth has slipped from its peak of 12.1% of company revenue in 2016 to 11.3% in 2017.
2017
2016
2015
2014

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Build look-alike audiences based on your most valuable customers.
Not all current customers are worth keeping. Think about lifetime value and profitability.
CMOs estimate that for every $1 they spend to retain a customer, it would cost $3 to acquire a customer.
Build relationships with the right
customers
CMOs play it safe by focusing on existing customers

Determine the most cost-effective way to bridge resource gaps.
Design your marketing organization based on your strategic goals and objectives.
Find the best mix of people and partners
WHAT YOU CAN DO
SERVICES
LABOR
Together, labor costs and services constitute more than half (53%) of the total marketing budget, with 27% spent on labor (down from 28% last year) and 25% spent on services (up from 22% last year).
CMOs struggle to balance resources by increasing agency spend and reducing labor spend

GET THE FULL REPORT
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*Based on Gartner’s 2018 – 2018 CMO Spend Survey
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