2025 Comms Budget & Structure Benchmarks

In this episode, Gartner Analyst Iliyana Hadjistoyanova discusses key findings from the 2025 Gartner CCO Spend Survey. Communications leaders will get access to a unique dataset that will enable them to pressure-test their investment decision, defend their current budgets and give them the confidence to ask for more resourcing, if needed.Iliyana Hadjistoyanova supports communications leaders in managing their functions and teams. Her research and advisory work covers areas such as strategy building, operating models, governance, measurement, agency management and talent development. She is passionate about helping clients prioritize high-value work and connect it to business goals in clear, measurable ways. 

In this episode, Gartner experts Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst and Alexandra Bellis discuss how successful B2B CMOs expand their focus from helping buyers buy to helping buyers manage change. This approach breaks through customers’ uncertainty and builds their confidence to buy and change with you. The discussion includes how to segment your buyers using Gartner’s change readiness profiles.Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst is a VP of research in the Gartner Marketing practice, finding new ways of solving B2B and B2C strategic marketing challenges. Her role involves setting annual research agendas and harnessing the collective expertise of marketing analysts and research methodologists to generate actionable insights.Alexandra Bellis, Ph.D. is a director of quantitative analytics and data science on the Gartner for Marketing Leaders' Quantitative Innovation Advanced Analytics team. In this role, she primarily focuses on survey data collection and analysis for the Marketing and Communications Peer and Practitioner Research teams.Disclaimer: Gartner is an impartial, independent analyst of the Information Technology industry. All content provided by other speakers is expressly the views of those speakers and their enterprises. The information should not be construed as a Gartner endorsement of said enterprise’s products or services.

In this episode, Gartner advisor Brianna Lux and Gartner researcher Michelyne Chavez discuss Gartner’s updated Toolkit: Communications Core Competency Framework and Assessment.This Toolkit enables chief communications officers (CCOs) to assess their team on competencies critical to delivering value to the organization. The discussion includes an overview of the structure and function of the Toolkit, as well as a conversation around six new competencies that are increasingly important for communicators to thrive in today’s evolving business environment.Brianna Lux is a director of advisory for Gartner. In this role, Brianna partners with CCOs and communications leaders to identify, understand and advise on their challenges related to leadership and functional management. This includes strategy, org structure, budget, measurement and team development, as well as internal communications, including leader and manager comms, change comms and strategy comms.Michelyne Chavez is a principal on Gartner’s Communications research team. She has experience researching corporate branding, employer branding, corporate reputation management and executive communications.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analysts Matt Moorut and Leah Leachman discuss Gartner’s annual Genius brand research. This discussion covers key areas distinguishing Genius brands from their peers, and the specific tech and talent strategies that drive these. These insights form a roadmap that CMOs can learn from to improve their own performance.Matt Moorut is an analyst for Gartner for Marketers. He provides Gartner's clients with guidance on various channel marketing topics. He is principally responsible for producing Gartner's analysis on email marketing and supports clients on search marketing, mobile marketing and omnichannel strategy.Leah Leachman is an analyst with Gartner for Marketing Leaders. She advises customer experience and marketing leaders on how to develop strategies that drive customer loyalty, retention, advocacy, and growth.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner VP Analyst Nicole Greene, and Quantitative Analytics and Data Science Advanced Analytics Director Alexandra Bellis use new data to discuss how CMOs and CCOs can effectively move to a more strategic implementation of AI in order to drive growth and navigate reputation management. They explore the disconnect between widespread AI spending and measurable benefits, why productivity gains are uneven, and the importance of culture for AI adoption. This episode is a must-listen for any business leader looking to harness the potential of AI while mitigating its risks across strategic planning horizons.Nicole Greene is a VP Analyst for Gartner for Marketers who analyzes marketing strategy, trends and practices with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, content marketing and digital experience. Nicole’s cross-functional work on AI helps Gartner clients who are preparing their organizations for disruption.Alexandra Bellis, Ph.D. is a director of quantitative analytics and data science on the Gartner for Marketing Leaders' Quantitative Innovation Advanced Analytics team, with expertise in survey data collection and analysis.

CMOs and CCOs dealing with a social media landscape that’s more fluid than ever are asking themselves and their teams: “What’s the big picture, and how do we prioritize our social media efforts?” On this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner social media expert Claudia Ratterman unpacks the complexities of the social media landscape, focusing on consumer insights and shifting behaviors. She also goes into potential TikTok ban, its impact on influencer marketing, and changes to Meta's policies that could affect brand safety.CMOs and digital marketing leaders will hear about strategies to future-proof their efforts by staying agile and informed, as well as gain actionable insights to maintain a strong social media presence and keep their marketing strategies effective.Claudia Ratterman is a director analyst for Gartner for marketers, based in Los Angeles, California. For the last 16 years, Claudia has been helping brands achieve business results by providing actionable, objective insight around social media marketing.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Brianna Lux discusses how ongoing change in organizations is requiring chief communications officers (CCOs) and chief marketing officers (CMOs) to constantly re-establish themselves, disrupting their ability to influence within their networks. The discussion includes how to use best practices from the world of corporate brand and reputation management and apply them to interpersonal relationships.Brianna Lux is a Director of Advisory for Gartner. Brianna partners with CCOs and communications leaders to identify, understand, and advise on their challenges related to leadership and functional management, including strategy, org structure, budget, measurement, and team development, as well as internal communications, including leader and manager comms, change comms, and strategy comms. Her unique experience of having a certificate in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance, along with her 10+ years of performing improv comedy outside of Gartner, allow her to bring her empathetic listening skills, collaboration, and creative energy to every client interaction.

In this episode, Gartner VP Distinguished Analyst, Andrew Frank, discusses how comms and marketing leaders can adapt generative AI (GenAI) models to reflect their brands, both stylistically and substantively. The discussion includes how organizations can use various tools and techniques to create unique, proprietary models and realize the benefits of increased scale and efficiency, consistency of voice and messages, and better support for creative thinking.Andrew Frank is a VP distinguished analyst with Gartner for Marketing Leaders. Mr. Frank specializes in best practices for data-driven marketing, including how organizations can use data to drive sales, loyalty, innovation, brand value and other business goals. He also focuses on emerging marketing technology and trends, including marketing applications of AI and machine learning, algorithmic marketing and marketing in emerging environments, such as metaverse and Web3.

On this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Kate Muhl leverages Gartner’s proprietary quantitative and qualitative consumer research to paint a vivid picture of consumer life — and brand challenges — in the postinflation era. The discussion hones in on the consumer trends and cultural themes that will matter to CMOs and their organizations in 2025, as well as thought starters on making the most of those trends.Kate Muhl is a Gartner analyst specializing in cultural and consumer insights. Kate has been researching and advising on the consumer and U.S. culture for nearly two decades.

In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Augie Ray discusses how to consider customer attrition throughout the end-to-end journey. By assessing not just where customers are lost but the cost of that loss as well, CMOs can best identify the touchpoints where customer abandonment most harms business outcomes. Doing so permits them to proactively work to prevent churn or to monitor for signals to reactively prevent attrition, delivering growth and improved lifetime value.Augie Ray is a Gartner Vice President Analyst covering customer experience (CX) for marketing and CX leaders. His coverage topics include the ROI of CX, CX strategy and governance, how CX leaders secure and retain sponsorship, the buy/own/advocate customer journey, voice of the customer (VoC) and survey strategies, customer journey mapping, CX analytics and measurement, the importance of word of mouth (WOM) in CX, persona development and marketing's role in corporate social justice initiatives.