The Evolving Role of CMOs in Sports
By Allie Crone, Vice President at TurnkeyZRG
The role of Chief Marketing Officers in sports is undergoing a rapid transformation. What was once a position focused primarily on sponsorships and promotions, has expanded into a multifaceted leadership role that now requires a blend of innovation, digital savvy, and fan engagement expertise. It has grown beyond the “door to door” experience that was previously of utmost importance.
In today’s sports landscape, fans expect and crave immersive experiences. Technology has revolutionized how teams and athletes connect with their audiences, through social media, live-streaming, or AR/VR. As a result, CMOs are tasked with shaping the entire fan journey, ensuring each touchpoint, from in real life at games to interacting online, feels personalized and engaging.
When working with hiring managers, certain skills consistently stand out when evaluating talent for CMO roles. First and foremost is digital expertise. Today’s current and rising CMOs must stay ahead of emerging platforms and fan engagement trends. While they don’t need to dive into the technical details, they must have the knowledge to make strategic decisions that incorporate digital innovation.
Next, data literacy is essential. CMOs must not only interpret data to inform their strategies but also balance it with creativity to craft fan-first experiences that resonate. Modern CMOs use data to understand fan preferences and behavior, allowing them to create targeted and meaningful campaigns. This shift from broad advertising to data-driven personalization is key to staying competitive.
Last is storytelling, a skill often overlooked with the desire to drive revenue. However, brands are increasingly leaning on narrative-driven marketing to build emotional connections with fans, making storytelling a critical asset for future CMOs. The ability to bridge the gap between creative vision and analytical insights is now an essential skill. Developing and enhancing these skills will help you stand out in today’s competitive sports marketing landscape.
CMOs are no longer just brand builders, they are the architects of the fan experience. Those who embrace this evolution will shape the future of sports marketing.
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ABOUT TURNKEYZRG
Founded in 1996, TurnkeyZRG is a highly specialized talent recruitment/executive search firm filling C-level, senior-level and mid-management level positions throughout sports, entertainment and media. Over the past 25 years, TurnkeyZRG has filled more than 1,400 positions throughout sports, entertainment and media. TurnkeyZRG helps teams, leagues, stadiums, arenas, theaters, college athletic departments, events, sponsors, agencies, media companies, private equity companies and other clients identify, recruit and hire the very best management talent. Turnkey now benefits from ZRG’s global footprint, full array of industry practice groups, data-driven, analytical search tools, and technology investment in changing the way executive search/talent recruiting is done. TurnkeyZRG becomes a tech-enabled disrupter of the prior executive search model. For more information about TurnkeyZRG, visit www.turnkeyzrg.com.