Podcast: CMO Decoded with Ben Smith.

For the third episode of the Wildfire PR podcast, I sat down with Ben Smith, Wildfire’s Head of Insights and Strategy, to discuss the findings from our latest research study, CMO Decoded.

Based on responses from 100 UK-based CMOs, the study explores what marketing leaders really think about technology vendors, what influences their buying decisions, the role of AI in marketing, and why so many tech brands are failing to stand out with their current PR and comms appraoch.

Podcast Highlights

What is CMO Decoded and why did Wildfire create it?

Ben: CMO Decoded is part of Wildfire’s audience research programme. We want to understand the people our clients are trying to sell to as deeply as possible.

That means looking beyond purchasing decisions and exploring how they view the world, what pressures they’re under, how optimistic they feel about the future, and what they expect from technology suppliers.

For this report, we surveyed 100 UK-based CMOs from organisations of various sizes to understand what matters most when choosing technology partners.  

What do CMOs want from technology vendors?

Alex: One thing that stood out to me was the gap between what tech brands are saying and what CMOs actually want to hear.

Ben: The gap is very real.

More than 90% of marketers told us they want to work with genuine experts and recognised industry leaders. Yet many technology brands continue to focus heavily on product features and technical specifications.

In fact, 63% of marketers said technology vendors focus too much on technical details and not enough on solving real business problems. More than half also believe most tech brands look and sound the same.

The message is clear: marketers want expertise, insight, and outcomes—not feature lists.  

How can technology brands build trust with CMOs?

Ben: Trust is really about proof.

Marketers want evidence that you understand their world and can deliver results. Customer case studies are incredibly valuable because they demonstrate success with organisations facing similar challenges.

But proof can come in many forms. Data, research, industry insight, and evidence that you genuinely understand the problems marketers face can all contribute to trust.

The key is moving beyond assertions. Anyone can claim their product is great. The brands that win are the ones that can prove it.  

What makes a technology vendor credible in the eyes of CMOs?

Ben: Two stood out.

The first was clear data and evidence. The second was having a strong industry presence.

Marketers don’t simply trust claims made on a company website. They want to see evidence, validation, and visibility beyond a vendor’s own channels.

Being active in the market, contributing to industry conversations, publishing original research, and maintaining a visible presence all help establish credibility.  

What type of content do CMOs engage with most?

Alex: Was there any particular content format that stood out?

Ben: Yes. Industry data was the clear winner.

CMOs are busy and often don’t have time to track every trend, competitor move, or market development. They value content that helps them understand what’s happening in their industry.

More than 90% of marketers said they want technology brands that teach them something new.

Case studies ranked highly as well, which again comes back to proof. But perhaps the most interesting finding was that creative campaigns ranked third.

Marketers appreciate creativity because they want to work with brands that understand marketing and can demonstrate strong marketing themselves.  

Why are creative campaigns more effective than product messaging?

Alex: Creative campaigns ranked above a lot of traditional B2B content. Why?

Ben: Because marketers don’t buy from spec sheets.

People often assume buyers make decisions based entirely on features and functionality, but the data suggests there’s much more to it.

Marketers want to work with brands they feel aligned with. They want partners who share their values, understand their challenges, and communicate in a way that resonates with them.

Creativity helps build that connection in a way product messaging alone rarely can.  

Why does so much B2B thought leadership fail?

Alex: One surprising finding was that thought leadership ranked relatively low. Why?

Ben: I don’t think marketers dislike genuine thought leadership. I think they dislike bad thought leadership.

There’s an enormous amount of content online that claims to be thought leadership but offers nothing original or useful.

Real thought leadership teaches people something new. It provides a unique perspective, introduces fresh ideas, or challenges conventional thinking.

If you’re simply repeating what everyone else is saying, that’s content marketing—not thought leadership.  

How can technology brands create better thought leadership content?

Ben: Originality.

Good thought leadership looks beyond the company and its products. It places ideas within the context of wider industry trends, business challenges, and market developments.

Too many brands focus entirely on themselves. The most effective thought leadership focuses on the audience and the broader issues they care about.

That’s what creates value and that’s what captures attention.  

Are CMOs tired of hearing about AI?

Alex: Every tech brand seems to be talking about AI. Are CMOs getting bored of it?

Ben: Surprisingly, no.

One of the most unexpected findings was that more than half of marketers disagreed with the statement: “I am bored of hearing about AI from technology vendors.”

CMOs remain highly optimistic about AI and its role in marketing. They are using it themselves, their teams are using it, and organisations increasingly expect them to adopt it.

So AI remains a powerful topic.  

What kind of AI messaging resonates most with CMOs?

Alex: So should every technology company be leading with AI?

Ben: You absolutely need an AI story, but AI shouldn’t be your entire story.

Having AI capabilities is increasingly becoming table stakes. What matters is how AI helps customers achieve better outcomes.

CMOs care less about whether a platform uses AI and more about what that AI enables them to do.

The strongest AI narratives focus on future vision, business value, and practical impact—not simply the presence of AI itself.  

Why do CMOs say AI content all sounds the same?

Alex: One statistic that jumped out was that 60% of marketers believe AI has made content sound more generic.

Ben: That’s because there’s a big difference between using AI well and using AI badly.

Some companies use AI to sharpen ideas, increase efficiency, and improve quality. Others use it to mass-produce generic content.

The issue isn’t AI itself. It’s whether organisations are using it to create genuinely useful, differentiated content or simply producing more noise.  

What role does media coverage play in influencing CMOs?

Alex: Were CMOs still actively engaging with trade media?

Ben: Very much so.

Major business publications remain important, but specialist trade publications also ranked highly among the most-read sources.

For marketers, publications like Marketing Week and specialist MarTech titles remain highly influential.

Ignoring trade media would be a mistake because these channels continue to play a significant role in shaping opinions and buying decisions.  

What kind of media content captures CMOs’ attention?

Alex: What are they most interested in reading?

Ben: Unique opinions were the clear winner.

CMOs want fresh perspectives, original ideas, and commentary that helps them see challenges differently.

Product announcements and partnership news ranked much lower.

That doesn’t mean those announcements have no value, but they shouldn’t dominate your communications strategy. Original thinking is what truly captures attention.  

How are CMOs using AI to research suppliers?

Alex: One statistic that stood out was that 46% of CMOs use AI to research suppliers.

Ben: That’s a significant shift.

Almost half of CMOs are now using AI tools to identify vendors, explore options, and gather recommendations.

This reinforces the importance of strong content, media coverage, and industry visibility. The same factors that influence traditional discovery channels increasingly influence AI-generated recommendations too.  

What is the biggest mistake technology brands make when targeting CMOs?

Alex: If there was one takeaway from the research, what would it be?

Ben: Differentiation matters.

The data shows marketers want brands that are bold, creative, and distinctive. Yet most believe technology companies currently look and sound remarkably similar.

The brands that stand out are the brands willing to take creative risks, develop a clear point of view, and communicate in a way that feels different.

Being memorable isn’t risky anymore. Being forgettable is.  

FAQs

• What is CMO Decoded?

  CMO Decoded is Wildfire’s latest audience research report, based on a survey of 100 UK-based CMOs. Designed for PR and communications professionals looking to influence marketing leaders, the study explores how CMOs evaluate technology vendors, what shapes their buying decisions, how they view AI, and the factors that make brands stand out. The report provides practical insights to help technology companies and their agencies build more effective communications strategies that resonate with senior marketing decision-makers.

• What do CMOs look for when choosing technology vendors?

  Wildfire’s research found that CMOs are looking for more than product features and technical specifications. They value expertise, industry leadership, and clear evidence that a vendor can deliver results. Customer case studies, original research, and a strong market presence all help build trust. Ultimately, CMOs want partners who understand their challenges and can demonstrate real business impact.

• What content do CMOs engage with most?

  Wildfire’s research found that industry data is the most valued content type among CMOs, with marketing leaders looking for insights that help them understand trends, competitors, and market developments. Case studies also ranked highly because they provide proof of results, while creative campaigns performed surprisingly well by demonstrating strong marketing in action. For PR and communications teams, this highlights the importance of creating content that contributes genuine industry insight rather than simply promoting products. CMOs are particularly drawn to content that teaches them something new, builds credibility, and helps them make better business decisions.

• How important is AI when marketing to CMOs?

  Wildfire’s research found that AI remains a highly important topic for CMOs, with many marketing leaders optimistic about its role in the future of marketing. However, simply talking about AI is no longer enough. CMOs are more interested in how AI helps solve problems, improve outcomes, and create business value than the technology itself. The most effective AI messaging focuses on practical impact rather than technical capabilities.

• How can technology brands stand out to CMOs?

  Wildfire’s research found that differentiation is one of the biggest challenges facing technology brands today. Many CMOs believe vendors look and sound too similar, making it difficult to distinguish between them. Brands can stand out by developing a clear point of view, investing in creative campaigns, sharing original insights, and communicating in a way that feels distinctive. The research suggests that being memorable, authentic, and audience-focused is often more effective than relying on product-led messaging alone.

  For brands looking to stand out and influence CMO buying behaviour, Wildfire creates award-winning PR campaigns that help technology companies build credibility, stand out from competitors, and reach senior marketing decision-makers.