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CEO–Marketing Gap Survey

We are inviting selected founders, CEOs and business leaders to share how they use marketing today, where it supports growth, and where the gap still exists between business ambition, marketing capability and commercial outcomes. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes. Responses will be analysed in aggregate for an insight report for founders and growth businesses.
1. Which best describes your role?
Founder / Co-founder
CEO / Managing Director
COO / Commercial Director
Investor / Board member
Other
2. What stage best describes your business today?
Pre-seed / Seed
Series A
Series B
Series C
Established SME
PE-backed / investor-backed business
Corporate innovation / new venture
Other
3. Which sector best describes your business?
SaaS / B2B technology
Fintech
Insurtech
Financial services
Events / media / experience-led business
Professional services
Consumer / retail / hospitality
Other
4. What does your current marketing setup look like?
Founder-led, no dedicated marketing hire
One junior/mid-level marketer
Small in-house marketing team
In-house team plus agencies/freelancers
Agency-led with no senior internal marketing leader
Senior marketing leader in place
No clear marketing structure today
*

5. What do you see as the core function of marketing in your business today?
Please select all option that applies.

[Choose at least 1 item]
Opti Other: please specify
Reporting on marketing performance and activity
Not clearly defined today
Building brand awareness and visibility
Creating content, campaigns and communications
Understanding customers and market opportunities
Generating leads and supporting sales
Driving measurable business growth
Shaping positioning, proposition and go-to-market strategy
6. How confident are you that marketing is currently supporting business growth?
1 = not confident at all
10 = highly confident
7. What is your biggest business challenge right now?[Please select 1-2 items]
Generating enough qualified pipeline
Converting interest into revenue
Retaining customers / reducing churn
Entering a new market
Launching a new product or proposition
Differentiating from competitors
Scaling after funding
Aligning sales, product and marketing
Building brand trust and visibility
Making better use of budget
Other

8. What frustrates you most about marketing today? *( Select top 3)

[Please select 1-3 items]
Team lacks senior direction
Budget feels wasted
I do not know what 'good marketing' should look like
Hard to measure ROI
Other
Marketing feels reactive, not proactive
Too much activity, not enough commercial impact
Messaging / positioning is unclear
Lack of clear strategy
Weak sales and marketing alignment
Poor lead quality
Over-reliance on agencies or freelancers

9. What is your Top 3 marketing priority for the next 12 months? ( Select top 3)

[Please select 1-3 items]
Improve positioning and messaging
Strengthen the marketing team
Other
Increase brand awareness / trust
Make better use of AI / marketing technology
Build a clearer marketing strategy
Launch a new product, service or market
Reduce wasted spend
Improve marketing reporting and ROI
Build more qualified pipeline
Improve conversion from lead to customer
10. If marketing could fix one thing tomorrow, what would you want it to fix first?
Other
Help sales convert more effectively
Help us stand out in the market
Stop wasting budget on low-impact activity
Bring in better quality leads
Create a clearer growth plan
Make our proposition clearer
Build stronger brand trust
Give the team better direction
Prove what is working and what is not
Improve customer retention
11. Where do you think the biggest marketing gap sits in your business?
AI and automation
Execution capacity
Strategy and direction
Senior leadership
Not sure
Agency / supplier management
Demand generation / lead generation
Measurement and reporting
Customer insight
Marketing operations / infrastructure
Commercial acumen
Brand and positioning
*
12. In challenging business conditions with stalled growth and unmet revenue targets, how likely are you to consider reducing the marketing budget or eliminating the marketing function?
Very unlikely
Very likely
13. What type of marketing support are you most likely to consider in the next 12 months?[Checkboxes]
(Choose all that you will consider in the next 12 months)
Full-time junior/mid-level marketing hire
Full-time senior marketing hire
Part-time marketing support
Interim marketing leader
Fractional CMO / fractional marketing leader
Project-based specialist
Agency support
Freelancer support
Not planning to hire or outsource
Not sure yet
14. What do you wish your marketing team understood better for your business?
Think about investor pressure, cash flow, sales targets, speed, risk, budget, uncertainty, decision-making or the need for clearer commercial language.
15. Would you like to receive the final CEO–Marketing Gap insight report?
Yes, please send me the report
No, thank you
*
16. Would you be open to a follow-up interview or case study?
Yes, I would be open to a follow-up interview
Yes, I would like to be considered for a free fractional CMO case study / audit
Maybe — please contact me with more information
No, thank you
Leave your contact details (Q17- 20) in case you wish to receive the report or participate in our interview and case study further . It is completely optional.
17. Full name
18. Company email address
19. LinkedIn profile
Optional
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