What’s the most essential ingredient in successful B2B marketing?
You might offer any number of different good answers: talent, creativity, strategy, technology, measurement. But in truth, the single most important factor in successful marketing is undeniable, and it’s not any of those things (though it enables them all). And when navigating economic challenges and times of business uncertainty, this ingredient is more important than ever.
It’s investment.
Investment in people. Investment in tools and partnerships. Investment in strategy and data. Growth can’t be automated, and marketing needs resources to thrive. Which is why forging a strong strategic alignment and shared worldview with financial leadership is one of the most critical steps that B2B marketing leaders can take today.
When the relationship between marketing and finance is collaborative rather than combative or disconnected, the entire organization benefits. Let’s unpack some of the principles behind a marketing and finance collaboration framework that actually works, examples of it in action, and tips for building a bridge to the CFO.
Reshaping perceptions of B2B marketing as a “cost center”
Starting from a place of empathy is always helpful. If we’re being honest, it’s easy to see why the knowledge gap exists.
The job of finance is to make sure the numbers add up. In marketing, the math gets quite complex. Timelines are long. Influence is multi-threaded. Impact can be indirect but still deeply meaningful. If we want to be seen as growth drivers and not cost centers, it starts with us doing a better job of demonstrating how value is created through marketing.
Only 35% of marketing leaders are working regularly with finance, down from 42% last year. (CMO Insights Report 2025)
Marketing to the CFO: It starts from within
Before marketing can make its case externally, it must first market itself internally. Research from the B2B Institute and IPA confirms: finance is arguably marketing’s most important stakeholder inside the business.
In their whitepaper, Marketing to the CFO, they shared some troubling findings:
- Non-marketing business leaders significantly undervalue brand contributions. (Only 20% see brands as very important to profitability, and only 11% connect them to future cash flow.)
- Only 2.6% of corporate board seats are held by individuals with marketing experience.
- Executive confidence in B2B marketing’s value is generally even lower than in B2C.
The highest-performing marketers know how to speak the language of finance. They align around a shared understanding of value creation, accountability and evidence-based metrics. They build relationships on trust, mutual understanding and a common vision of what success looks like for the business.
The B2B Institute offers a helpful VALUE framework for marketers:
- Value: Understand how value is created for both customers and the organization.
- Accountability: Be responsible for that value creation.
- Language: Use the language of business and finance.
- Understanding: Build financial fluency and mutual empathy.
- Evidence: Operate with an evidence-based mindset.
Learn more on the topic from marketing experts, including our friend Ty Heath, in the panel discussion below:
What happens when B2B marketing and finance team up?
One of the biggest companies in software, SAS, offers a compelling example of what’s possible when CMO-CFO partnerships are intentional. Their successful strategic alliance was highlighted in an episode of the B2B Marketer’s Best Friend podcast from Marketing Week.
Jennifer Chase, EVP and CMO, and Peter Dean, VP of Global Finance, share how they worked together to reframe marketing not as a cost center, but as a profit driver — an “enabling growth engine for the company.”
What began as periodic budget check-ins evolved into deep functional collaboration. Finance became embedded within the marketing org, participating in decision-making at the campaign and macro levels. Dean and his team understood the goals, challenges and ambitions of marketing, and worked together to allocate resources accordingly.
That’s the type of lockstep partnership that will guide high-growth B2B organizations into the future.
How to speak the language of finance as a B2B marketing leader
You don’t have to be a CFO to build a productive relationship with one. But you do have to understand what matters to them.
Here are a few practical ways to build that bridge:
- Focus on revenue-based metrics: Shift conversations from MQLs and CTRs to pipeline, ROAS and customer lifetime value.
- Set clear timelines and expectations: Be realistic about when marketing initiatives will pay off and the methodical nature of brand-building impact.
- Frame your strategy in terms of risk and reward: Speak to financial leaders in their terms — tradeoffs, upside, ROI.
- Bring evidence to the table: Show your work. Track and share results consistently and transparently.
When marketing and finance share the wheel, businesses make better decisions, waste fewer resources and grow more sustainably.
Read PwC’s report: What’s important to the CFO in 2025
Make your B2B marketing investments count
During times of increased competition, pressure to deliver results and greater marketing budget scrutiny, B2B Marketing leaders don’t just need buy-in from finance; they need active support. A trusted, collaborative relationship makes all the difference in unlocking the full potential of your marketing efforts.
That’s why the strongest marketing strategies win over external buyers and stakeholders in the business alike – starting with finance. When marketers speak the language of value creation, build trust with financial leadership, and align around shared outcomes, they move from being seen as a cost center to being recognized as a strategic growth driver.
At TopRank Marketing, we specialize in helping B2B marketing leaders prove impact and build influence both in the market and inside the organization. Through data-informed strategy, measurable content programs, and integrated campaigns that align with business priorities, we help B2B brands earn the confidence of CFOs and CMOs alike.
Ready to strengthen your marketing investments? Let’s talk.
About the author
Nick Nelson is our friendly neighborhood writer-man. As the Associate Content Director at TopRank Marketing, he is on a mission to energize brand narratives with smart, fun, sharp wordplay. In his free time, Nick enjoys basking in the misery of Minnesota sports fandom, making cringeworthy puns, and smothering all types of food in buffalo sauce.
