Why Most CMOs lack Strategic Patience

And What to do about it

Why Most CMOs Struggle with Strategic Patience

The average tenure of a CMO is shorter than that of most C-suite peers. At the same time, marketing is being asked to deliver more immediate revenue impact, measurable brand growth, creative excellence, and organisational leadership.

At a fraction of last year’s budget.

In this environment, patience is not just in short supply. It often feels like a luxury.

Yet the principles of long-term brand building are well-established. Marketers know that salience takes time. Emotional memory structures require consistency. And campaigns that perform best over time are often those that resist the temptation to change too quickly.

So if the evidence is clear, why is strategic patience so rare? Why do so many CMOs abandon strong platforms, shift brand codes, or reallocate budgets away from brand investment long before those decisions can deliver results?

This article argues that the issue is not a lack of understanding. It is structural, cultural, and political. Strategic patience is difficult to maintain because the systems around the CMO are not built to support it. Without deliberate effort and internal alignment, even the most disciplined marketer will find it difficult to keep long-term brand building on track.

This is not a theoretical challenge. It is one of the most significant risks to brand value today.