CMOs have a broad, ever-changing purview.
They’re expected to know something about everything. To magically generate demand with a limited budget. To convince the C-Suite that marketing actually works (especially when it comes to that dirty word, “brand”). Tack on a limited number of hours in the day to lead, cajole, and negotiate in isolation and at hyper-speed, and you’ve got yourself a pile of challenges no one would envy.
Fortunately, CMOs don’t have to go it alone. Below, find the top 7 CMO communities that we recommend for marketing execs looking to problem-solve with peers in a safe space.
- CMO Huddles for B2B CMO Strategy
- The CMO Club for Networking and Events
- 6sense Coffee Talk for Weekly Strategy Sessions
- Chief for Women in Leadership
- Exit Five for Marketing Career Growth
- Pavilion for Growth Marketing Career Advice
- Marketers That Matter for Exploring New Leadership Models
1. CMO Huddles
Best Community for B2B CMO Strategy
“Bringing together highly effective CMOs to share, care, and dare each other to greatness.”
Website: https://cmohuddles.com/
Who can join: B2B CMOs / executive-level heads of marketing at companies with over 35 employees. Direct reports can attend Bonus Huddles.
How to Join? Apply for a Guest Pass at CMOHuddles.com/guest-pass.
Features:
- Monthly “Huddles” (moderated discussions among a matched peer group)
- Pithy Weekly Recaps
- Exclusive Slack Channel Access
- 1:1 Peer Matching
- PR opportunities
Membership fees? Yes.
About: Being a CMO is a tough job on a good day, so why go it alone when you can be supported by over 100 B2B peers committed to sharing, caring, and daring each other to greatness?
Everything about CMO Huddles is designed to be a force multiplier, helping B2B CMOs make faster, better, and more informed decisions. Where one inspired hour a month delivers 10 hours of perspiration saved.
This exclusive community is a place for CMOs to network, connect, and solve current marketing challenges in a safe environment, with access to intimate monthly huddles, an always-on Slack channel, special guest speakers, 1:1 peer matching, a resources library, and more. There are also opportunities to be featured on Renegade Marketers Unite, the top-rated podcast for B2B CMOs, and in other media outlets such as Ad Age. This relatively young group has already grown to 100+ CMO members (affectionately known as “huddlers”) and is seeing more join every day.
2. The CMO Club*
*Please Note: With the recent layoffs at Salesforce, the fate of The CMO Club is currently in limbo. We’ll update this list as we get more information.
Best Community for Networking and Events
“The World’s Most Engaged Community of Innovative CMOs”
Website: https://thecmoclub.com/
Who can join: B2B and B2C CMOs, or any senior marketing executive, with an annual marketing budget over $1 million.
How to Join? Apply on their website.
Features:
- Live and recorded webinars
- Private CMO/VP dinners and summits with no vendor selling permitted
- Exclusive roundtable events at SXSW, Cannes, NRF, CES, and other Industry events
- Custom “inner circle” member subgroups for specific problem-solving advice
Membership fees? Yes
About: The CMO Club is a community of CMOs who have come together to share best marketing practices and learn from one another. It’s a place where you can network with like-minded individuals and gain insights from other senior marketing executives at successful companies like Sysco, Office Depot, and Wells Fargo around the world.
With 35+ global chapters, this community has regular content ranging from CMO perspectives, reflections, research, and recaps. Located in big cities such as London and Chicago, CMO club events offer members the opportunity to convene in-person at dinners and other fun, helpful gatherings. The members also take part in live virtual events, including conferences and smaller interest group meetings to discuss popular and niche marketing topics.
3. 6sense Coffee Talk
Best Community for Weekly Strategy Sessions
“Coffee. Connection. Community.”
Website: https://6sense.com/cmo-coffee-talk/
Who can join: B2B CMOs or heads of marketing.
How to Join? Register on their website.
Features:
- Virtual meetings every Friday at 8 AM ET or PT
- A resource library including crowd-sourced content from 2000+ CMOs
Membership Fees? No.
About: Coffee Talk is a community that helps you connect with other CMOs weekly through a marketing live stream. The community serves as a place where top minds within the industry come together to discuss current trends in marketing, business growth strategies, product development, and more. You can register to join the virtual meeting every Friday at 8 AM ET (New York) or 8 AM PT (San Francisco).
Coffee Talk runs live every week but if there isn’t an event happening during your preferred time zone then don’t worry! There are plenty of resources available online through their blog posts or videos featuring expert speakers discussing various topics related specifically to Chief Marketing Officers such as “The Future of Marketing Automation” or “It’s Time to Redefine the Role of the CMO.” These articles provide valuable information that can help coach your CMO mindset, and improve your overall marketing strategy.
4. Chief
Best Community for Women in Leadership
“A private network for the most powerful women in leadership.”
Website: https://chief.com/
Who can join: Women in the C-Suite, senior executives, and accomplished VPs. Women with 15+ years of experience who are committed to driving impact and supporting others to change the face of leadership.
How to Join? Apply on their Website.
Features:
- Networking with a curated peer group
- Masterclasses
- Guest speakers
- A handy platform and app
- Clubhouses in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Membership Fees: Yes.
About: Praised as “the private club for women executives that helps them ascend to the top ranks and stay there” by CNN, Chief connects you to other female senior executives and accomplished VPs with more than 15 years of experience from companies like Doordash and Samsung to smaller, successful startups. Chief members can engage in small core group discussions, join workshops, utilize the Chief network platform, and host in-person meetings at clubhouses.
Chief’s purpose is at the forefront of every event, so you will be supported at every step of your marketing journey. Chief will guide you with workshops conducted by professors, economists, and renowned experts to increase your influence and pave the way for other women to follow.
5. Exit Five
Best Community for Marketing Career Growth
“Where B2B Marketers Go to Connect, Learn, & Grow.”
Who can join: B2B marketers at any career stage.
Website: https://www.exitfive.com/
Features:
- Access to the private Exit Five Facebook community
- Exclusive, Members-Only Content
- Job Board
Membership Fees: Monthly and Annual Plans.
How to Join? Register for $20/Month on their website
About: Do you want to improve your marketing skills and grow in your field? Join a community of 4,500 Facebook community members who collaborate on all things B2B marketing by sharing curated posts, articles, and feedback daily . Exit Five also provides exclusive content for its members to enjoy like their Exit Five podcast where they interview top CMOs and leaders. The community is active 24/7 with more than 1,000 past posts covering vendors to ABM that you can benefit from.
In promoting community, Exit Five established a Job Board that allows members of the community to seek companies and companies to seek B2B marketers ready to spark change and make results. There is plenty to benefit from within this community for sure!
6. Pavilion
Best Community for Growth Marketing Career Advice
“Run by high-growth leaders, for high-growth leaders.”
Website: https://www.joinpavilion.com/
Who can join: High-growth employees at all positions, across multiple job functions.
How to Join? Apply on their website.
Features:
- Peer-to-Peer Learning and Support
- Knowledge Hub
- 24/7 Q&A Connections
- Small Councils, Private Sub-Communities
- Benchmarking Surveys
- Lunch Roulette
- Training and Certification
- Career Services
Membership Fees:
Pavilion is an application-based community for CEOs, CROs, CMOs, and COOs with over 8.5k members. The membership provides access to their exclusive Slack group chat where you can ask questions, share experiences, and learn from peers who share your challenges. If a question comes up that requires more than just a brief answer from another member though, you can always head over to Pavilon University, which offers classes guaranteed to improve your leadership skills and widen your field of knowledge. Pavilion also hosts at least twenty events per week including webinars, conferences, and podcasts.
If these options are not enough for you, Pavilion also offers an elite executive community called Pavilion Premium where members get together in real life and virtually for non-competitive peer group discussions, exclusive guest speakers, and leadership events.
7. Marketers That Matter
Best Community for Exploring New Leadership Models
Website: https://www.marketersthatmatter.com/
Who can join: Senior marketing executives.
How to Join? Email mtm@24seveninc.com for more information and to see if your company qualifies.
Features:
- Exclusive events like visionary speakers, leadership summits, CMO Dinners, emerging leader forums, shift expeditions, and more.
Membership Fees: Not listed.
About: The Marketers That Matter community is a peer-to-peer network of top marketing executives from companies like Google, Meta, and Nerdwallet. The community meets regularly to pioneer, share insights, and solve problems. As a partner with The Wall Street Journal, MTM has grown to over 1,000 members across the globe who are interested in helping each other succeed through peer mentorship and collaboration.
Marketers That Matter frequently hosts guest speakers in a variety of formats, both virtual and in person. MTM also provides opportunities to meet other members more intimately during CMO dinners and smaller virtual meetings. These meetings have enabled members like Jamie Gersh, CMO of Old Navy, “to engage and learn from marketers transforming the discipline.”
A Final Word on CMO Communities and Coaching Your Marketing Team
Every marketer has a unique personality and style. But, as you can see from this article, there are so many communities out there that cater to each person’s preferences. If you are looking for a place where you can connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for marketing and business, then these seven groups may be just what you need.