Problem / Context
Most agencies look for one signal when trying to find new business:
A new CMO.
It makes sense. CMOs are the buyer. They control marketing budgets. They hire agencies.
But by the time a new CMO is in place, something important has already happened.
The decision to change.
And that decision usually starts somewhere else.
The Signal
A new CEO.
Not every time. Not in every company.
But when a company brings in a new CEO (especially from the outside), it signals something deeper.
The business needs to change.
Growth has stalled. Strategy needs to shift. Pressure is building.
And when that happens, marketing is almost always part of the reset.
Why It Matters
A new CEO does not just inherit a strategy.
They question it.
In the first 90 days, they are asking:
- What markets should we be in?
- What is not working?
- Where can we grow faster?
That creates movement.
Sometimes it leads to a new CMO.
Sometimes it puts pressure on the current one.
Almost always, it creates demand for new thinking.
And that is where agencies come in.
Not because they are needed eventually.
Because they are needed now — before the plan is locked.
The Mistake Most Teams Make
They treat CEO changes like a one-time trigger.
Send an email. Maybe connect on LinkedIn. Then move on.
Or worse, they ignore the CEO entirely and wait for the CMO change to happen.
Both miss the point.
A CEO hire is not a moment.
It is a window.
And that window can last 6–12 months as strategy, budget, and teams evolve.
The Smarter Move
Use the CEO change to guide how you show up — not how fast you sell.
Start with context:
- What was this CEO hired to do?
- What is their background: growth, product, operations?
- What industries are they coming from?
Then qualify the opportunity:
- Is this a category that uses agencies?
- Is there likely to be marketing investment?
- Are there other signals: hiring, repositioning, expansion?
From there, engage the buying committee.
Not just the CMO.
The CFO is thinking about spend.
The CRO is thinking about pipeline.
The COO is thinking about execution.
Each sees the change differently.
So your perspective should reflect that.
How to Use This
Treat CEO changes as a signal to stay close, not jump in.
Follow the company.
Watch how the story unfolds.
Layer in insight over time.
That might look like:
- Sharing relevant research
- Offering perspective based on similar transitions
- Inviting them into conversations with peers
The goal is not to catch them at the perfect moment.
It is to be present when the decision takes shape.
Because by the time an RFP appears, the direction is already set.
And the agencies that win are usually the ones who were there earlier — helping make sense of the change.
The bottom line is this: CMOs may sign the deal. But CEOs often create the reason the deal exists in the first place.
