In this week’s event, Chris discusses the recently released 2024 Gartner CMO Survey and its implications for marketing budgets, strategies, and benchmarks within the B2B space. Chris provides his critical perspective on the validity and applicability of this benchmark data for different company sizes and industries. He stresses the importance of interpreting these surveys carefully, especially when they are primarily derived from large enterprise companies, and not necessarily applicable to smaller or early-stage firms. Throughout the discussion, Chris emphasizes the necessity of marketing leaders understanding and communicating effectively with their finance teams. He highlights how CFO’s skepticism towards marketing reports impacts budget approvals and how CMOs can bridge this trust gap. Furthermore, Chris reflects on the changing dynamics of marketing budgets in the current economic climate, advising companies to focus on efficient, profitable growth instead of getting caught in the "do more with less" mentality. If you want to have a conversation with Chris and present your current questions, roadblocks, or projects you’re working through, make sure to attend this weekly event every Tuesday at 12 central. Register here. Can’t make the event but have a question for Chris? Submit it here. Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing this episode. Get unlimited podcast editing at www.hatch.fm