What’s the value of involving CEOs in agency meetings?
For the likes of Virgin Atlantic, Rightmove and the RSPCA, having the CEO involved in agency meetings helps streamline decisions and eliminate stress.
It’s uncommon for the CEO to play an active role in the brand’s relationship with its creative agency. Typically, their involvement extends to the final reveal before a campaign launch or assessing marketing budgets in an annual review.
However, much has been written about CMOs earning a seat at the boardroom table and the importance of forming close relationships with the CEO. So, does having the CEO more involved with a brand’s creative agency partners – from pitching to meetings to launch day – benefit or harm the role of marketing?
For property website Rightmove, involving the CEO with the creative agency has been a positive experience, explains CMO Matt Bushby.
“My view is that marketing should play a central commercial role in the growth of any business,” he says. “It needs to be a function that the CEO and the PLC board buys into what we’re doing and the role that that plays in the organisation.”
