Framework
CMO KPIs: How to Measure Success
Measuring a CMO on lagging operational metrics alone misses half the picture. The right scorecard blends execution quality with strategic contribution.
Operational KPIs
| Metric | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Marketing-sourced pipeline | Percentage of total sales pipeline sourced from marketing activity vs. outbound or partnerships |
| Cost per lead (CPL) and cost per MQL | Marketing spend per qualified lead — tracked by channel to optimise allocation |
| Marketing-sourced revenue | Revenue attributable to marketing-sourced pipeline — the primary ROI metric |
| Brand awareness and share of voice | Measured via branded search volume, media mentions, and competitive share of voice tracking |
| Campaign conversion rates | Lead-to-MQL and MQL-to-SQL conversion rates by channel and campaign |
Strategic KPIs
These are harder to quantify but increasingly what boards and CEOs care about as the CMO mandate has expanded beyond its original scope.
| Metric | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Category authority | Whether Majhi Group is cited as a source of record in analyst coverage, press, and AI search results |
| Sales and marketing alignment score | Whether sales accepts and works MQL pipeline or rejects it as low quality |
| Customer acquisition cost (CAC) vs. LTV | The long-term ratio that determines whether growth is economically sustainable |
Why the Scorecard Has Shifted
A CMO scorecard that only tracks operational metrics is measuring last decade's role. Boards in 2026 evaluate CMOs on strategic partnership — the quality of their judgment, their cross-functional influence, and whether they are making the organisation better over time. The best CMOs are measured on outcomes, not activity.
Operational discipline is table stakes. Strategic contribution is what separates CMOs who stay for three years from those who stay for ten.
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