Unlocking CLO Growth: Why the C-Suite Divide Holds Marketers Back
New research reveals the costs of widening C-suite divides—and why CMOs must bring CEOs and CFOs into the conversation if CLO is going to unlock its full growth potential.
The CLO Challenge for CMOs
Chief marketing officers know that CLO has moved from “experimental” to “essential.” It’s one of the few performance channels that delivers incremental, attributable sales at scale, while aligning with consumers’ demand for value. Yet, CLO often faces the same hurdle: CMOs struggle to secure budget from CEOs and CFOs who remain more comfortable funding legacy channels like Google and Facebook ads.
This disconnect is costing companies real growth. In today’s environment—defined by consumer fragmentation, rising acquisition costs, and pressure on margins—CLO should be at the heart of a brand’s strategy. But too often, it sits at the margins.
Why C-Suite Alignment Matters
LuckyDiem’s work with retailers and financial institutions confirms what McKinsey’s research highlights: companies that embed the CMO-CEO-CFO axis into strategic planning outperform their peers.
When marketing leaders are integrated into business decisions, companies grow revenue 1.4x faster.
When there’s a single executive championing customer-centric growth, performance jumps 2.3x.
For CLO marketers, this means the opportunity isn’t just proving campaign results—it’s reframing CLO in language the C-suite values: incremental revenue, margin growth, and customer lifetime value.
The Disconnect in CLO Funding
While 80% of CEOs and 77% of CMOs agree marketing is underfunded, marketing’s share of company sales budgets is actually shrinking. CLO gets squeezed even further because its unfamiliarity makes it an easy line item to cut.
The irony? CLO delivers what CEOs and CFOs say they want: clear ROI, closed-loop measurement, and cost-efficient customer acquisition. The gap isn’t in performance; it’s in translation.
What CLO Marketers Should Do Differently
To close this gap, CLO marketers must adopt three mindsets:
Custody of the Customer
CLO data reveals who customers are, where they shop, and how to re-engage them. CMOs should position CLO as the organization’s single source of truth for incremental customer behavior.
A General Manager’s Lens
CLO marketers must frame performance not just in terms of impressions or redemptions, but P&L impact—incremental sales, margin contribution, and ROI.
C-Suite Collaboration on Metrics
CLO offers one of the cleanest attribution models in marketing. Use this to build alignment with CFOs by co-defining a measurement framework that bridges fast-twitch results (sales lift) with long-term value (retention, LTV).
CLO as the Bridge to Growth
Every C-suite leader claims to put the customer at the center—but only CLO can prove it in dollars. For CMOs, that means the path forward isn’t just running better campaigns; it’s making CLO the bridge that reconnects marketing to strategy, finance, and growth.
LuckyDiem helps leading brands and financial partners do exactly that. By making CLO a C-suite conversation—not just a marketing tactic—companies can unlock new budgets, new customers, and new growth.
👉 Ready to reframe CLO for your C-suite? Let’s talk. info@luckydiem.com