Unleashing Growth: The Modern CMO’s Playbook for 2025
At the highly anticipated 14th edition of MMA IMPACT India, MMA Global India and GroupM unveiled the Modern Marketing Reckoner 2025: The CMO’s Guide to Growth Hacking. Now in its fifth edition, this groundbreaking report serves as a powerful playbook for marketing leaders navigating a world characterized by constant disruption, rapid digitization, and ever-evolving consumer expectations.
A Roadmap for Success in a Fast-Paced Landscape
Developed through collaboration with over 50 top marketers, strategists, and innovators, the report provides a detailed roadmap for successfully navigating the current marketing landscape. It dives into essential themes, including:
- The shifting loyalties of Gen Z
- The rise of generative AI
- The trend of premiumization
- The disruptive power of quick commerce
“In a world where technology is advancing faster than businesses can adapt, the marketing function finds itself at a critical inflection point,” stated Prasanth Kumar, Co-Chair of MMA Global India and CEO of GroupM South Asia. “This Reckoner highlights a growing consensus: growth must be engineered, not expected.”
Beyond Traditional Paradigms
At its essence, the Reckoner encourages CMOs to transcend conventional marketing leadership. It promotes a mindset steeped in experimentation, agility, and measurable results. Growth hacking, as defined in the report, is not about taking shortcuts; it’s about being sharper, faster, and more adaptive.
“Growth hacking is now the core responsibility of the CMO,” remarked Moneka Khurana, Country Head and Board Member of MMA Global India. “It demands bold action, rapid experimentation, and measurable impact. True growth is born from curiosity, courage, and mastering the art of duality.”
A Dual Consumer Landscape
This duality is particularly evident in India’s complex consumer ecosystem. Urban markets gravitate toward hyper-personalization and premium offerings, while rural India—predicted to account for 55% of internet user growth by 2025—seeks affordability and accessibility. In this fragmented market, marketers must harmonize scale with soul, performance with brand-building, and tradition with technology.
Key Imperatives for Growth Hacking Success
The report identifies several essential imperatives necessary for achieving growth hacking success:
- Embrace experimentation: Transition beyond established models to test, learn, and iterate swiftly.
- Anticipate change: Proactively address shifts in consumer behavior and technology.
- Encourage creative problem-solving: Foster cross-functional collaboration and break down silos.
- Future-proof marketing: Build agile systems that enhance long-term capabilities.
Furthermore, the report emphasizes the rising expectation for CMOs to act like CFOs, maintaining a rigorous focus on ROI, financial discipline, and resource efficiency.
A New Era of Leadership
Ultimately, the Modern Marketing Reckoner 2025 is a clarion call to lead differently. As Khurana concludes, “In a world defined by change, the ultimate hack is how we choose to lead.”
Interested in delving deeper? Access the full report here.
