CMOs today face a rapidly growing AI landscape, an explosion of digital channels, changing consumer expectations and the ongoing need to prove marketing’s value to stakeholders. In 2025, the role of a marketer is arguably more complex than ever before.

As marketing leaders try to navigate this shifting landscape, helping the brands they champion to achieve continued success, we recognised that it’s a great time to take a temperature check of their challenges, concerns and changing attitudes.

Censuswide’s Voice of the CMO report explores the views of 500 CMOs and over 1,500 consumers across the USA. The report is designed to help CMOs and marketing leaders benchmark their performance, discover common challenges and gain an understanding of their peers and customers.

The key themes covered in the report are:

• The role of marketing in 2025
• Brand discovery and connection
• Brand discovery and connection
• Measuring marketing’s impact

Key findings include:

• 94% of CMOs are already using generative AI tools and 79% are already using traditional AI. However, the AI adoption in marketing seems to be outpacing how comfortable consumers feel about brands using AI
• Almost half (48%) of US consumers want or expect brands to take a public stand on social/political issues
• Almost all CMOs see environment / sustainability (fighting climate change) (96%) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) (94%) as important4 components of their brand’s identity
• CMOs who use market research as a measurement tool are much more likely than those who do not to have stakeholders that are fully invested in marketing (73% vs 57%)

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