“Our CFO barely believes in marketing and thinks brand spending is a total waste,” shared 12 CMOs from our community in the last year. Until recently, I offered more sympathy than tips on how CMOs could educate their CFO counterparts. Then I came across Preston Rutherford’s post and thought, brilliant opportunity for "R&D" as defined by Joshua Leatherman, “ripoff and duplicate.”

So, how do you sell a brand to someone trained to kill for cost?

Start With Warren

CFOs revere Warren Buffett. Mention his name, and suddenly, ears perk up like it’s earnings call day. Now drop these Buffittisms on them:

• “A strong brand is really potent stuff.”
• “Brands are moats.”
• “If you can raise prices without losing customers, you've got a great business.”

To Buffett, brand equals pricing power. Moat. Longevity. That’s not marketing fluff—it’s financial strategy. https://lnkd.in/gqpvJkDM

Bring Proof From the Real World

Public companies investing heavily in brand are outperforming expectations and reporting record earnings. Share a few of those results, and your CFO might start asking why you aren’t spending more on brand. https://lnkd.in/gkStuMr7

Give Them Charts and Frameworks

Call it “The Brand Lifecycle,” plot it like a CapEx investment, and suddenly brand spending sounds like smart business. https://lnkd.in/gSdCtkSD

Stack the Endorsements

CFOs, CEOs, and investors—from the boardroom to BlackRock—are backing brand. Six of them even say it out loud in this post. That’s when CFOs start nodding. https://lnkd.in/g5sQ47Nm

Some CFOs Dreamt of Writing Screenplays

Then they became accountants. Give them a dialogue script that scratches that creative itch and explains brand in their language. https://lnkd.in/gadn3JTS

Define What Brand Actually Is

Many CFO, and plenty of marketers, can’t explain the difference between brand and direct response. This chart clears that up. https://lnkd.in/gfyqshcD

Challenge Their Love for ROAS

Higher ROAS can mean you’re underinvesting in long-term growth. This one will trigger them... until the data clicks. https://lnkd.in/gDJtwDc3

Use the 95/5 Rule

Only 5% of your market is currently in buying mode. Brand helps you win with the 95% who’ll buy later. That’s a rule even ex-accountants can love.

Back It All Up With Data

Five big studies. One powerful takeaway: Brand builds future cash flow. Share this and wait for, “Where’d you get this?” https://lnkd.in/gNrE8mHk

The Bottom Line?

Brand isn’t a gamble. It’s a moat. It’s pricing power. It’s long-term value creation.

Just ask Warren.

And Preston Rutherford, thank you for letting me riff off your fine posts.

Written by Drew Neisser