Deloitte Digital CMO: No playbook exists for modern marketing

Mark Singer, chief marketing officer at Deloitte Digital, told Business Insider that the current marketing environment lacks a standard playbook. "There is no playbook for how marketing is working today," Singer said.

Successful CMOs need to be "entrepreneurial and very comfortable in ambiguity," he said. That requires a kind of bravery, Singer added, not just about trying new things but also accepting that not every experiment will pay off.

Singer argued that CMOs are well positioned to become the next CEOs. "They are the ones really looking across the organization helping to shape what works," he said, particularly as early adopters of AI tools and strategy.

The comments come as marketing leaders face pressure to show returns on AI investments while navigating a fragmented media landscape. Singer's remarks suggest the role demands tolerance for uncertainty and a willingness to test approaches without guaranteed outcomes.