How do CMO-CSO Partnerships Unlock Competitive Advantages?

The dividing line between overperforming and underperforming organisations could lie in how senior leaders perceive sustainability.

Top-performing companies are approaching environmental and social priorities as strategic growth opportunities rather than regulatory cost centres, according to research that examines the commercial impact of cross-functional leadership alignment.

The CMO-CSO Playbook, a collaborative report written by Google, Ipsos, UNGC, the ANA, the Institute for Real Growth (IRG) and Ad Net Zero, explores why strategic collaboration between marketing and sustainability functions could be essential for delivering measurable business value alongside environmental progress.

The findings suggest that leading performers embed sustainability within long-term strategic planning, apply marketing thinking to environmental initiatives and unlock organisational resilience, brand equity and pricing power as a result.

The leadership gap

The research identifies a disparity in executive partnership. In overperforming organisations, one in four Chief Marketing Officers report an effective working relationship with the Chief Sustainability Officer, compared with approximately 13% at underperforming organisations.

Overperformers also demonstrate markedly different planning horizons, with 70% prioritising long-term thinking compared to only 23% in underperforming companies, while 67% collaborate effectively across departmental boundaries.

This executive partnership blends complementary capabilities. Marketers contribute customer insight, segmentation, storytelling and scale, while sustainability leaders provide technical credibility, measurement frameworks and accountability.

Kate Brandt, CSO at Google wrote on LinkedIn: "Bridging the gap between marketing and sustainability isn't just good for the planet, it's a competitive advantage that can drive innovation and transformative growth.

"Realising this potential requires a new level of collaboration between CMOs and CSOs."

Strategic value creation

The playbook outlines that overperforming organisations align value creation across colleagues, customers, communities and capital markets, treating sustainability as "built-in" strategy rather than a separate workstream.

"Our interviews about what it takes to drive such a long-term sustainable business growth strategy, what the IRG calls 'Humanized Growth', find that it takes enormous leadership conviction and strength and that more effective partnering is essential," says Marc de Swaan Arons, IRG Founder, in the report.

Practical examples demonstrate how this executive alignment translates into revenue. IKEA's Circular Hub extends product lifecycles through repair, resale and spare parts, while Suncorp's "One House to Save Many" programme builds resilience to extreme weather and strengthens insurance uptake.

Baukjen's Pre-Loved collection adds a resale revenue stream whilst enhancing brand reputation.

Operational leadership decisions

Marketing operations can account for a notable share of corporate emissions, which means Chief Marketing Officers face mounting pressure to address carbon output within their own functions.

The playbook sets out immediate leadership priorities including reusing assets from libraries before commissioning new content, switching diesel generators for renewables, selecting central or virtual sets to reduce air travel and designing materials for disassembly and reuse.

In the report, CMO and CSO of 7-Eleven Marissa Jarratt says: "We have found that integrating our sustainability storytelling seamlessly into our overall company communications strategy is important so that the two feel holistic to employees, franchisees, partners and customers alike."

The research urges leaders to adopt metrics that track both business outcomes and sustainability progress, citing Haleon's Health Inclusivity Index as a model for measuring value creation beyond sales alone.

"Authentic sustainability communication requires evidence before eloquence. Real-world conservation efforts and transparent actions create the foundation for credible messaging that builds consumer trust," the report states.

"Insights teams can serve as the bridge between Sustainability and Marketing, providing data to demonstrate benefits within specific categories and brands," says Nathalie Alquier, CSO, Danone in the report. "It is about data and neutral position, but beyond this, it is really about 'human to human', about personalities and creating trust."

The report implies that CMOs and CSOs who ground decisions in stakeholder insight, align strategy and incentives and organise for interdependence can scale sustainable choices and deliver durable growth.