Same executive board, different roles. Historically, that’s been how CIOs and CMOs work and operate across a company. But as we close out 2024, this siloed approach must come to an end. For brands to be more relevant, competitive, and innovative in 2025, they need to identify and invest in opportunities for synergy and collaboration between these two roles. After all, the CIO and the CMO will be the most powerful voices in the room in 2025.

And according to research from Adobe, they are ready to join forces. Most CIOs (95%) said that partnering with the CMO makes the company’s customer experience better; 93% expressed that innovation improves as well. While it has always been important, better experiences across the entire customer lifecycle will be a key driver and differentiator for brands in 2025.

CIOs and CMOs must both lead on customer experience

Today’s customer wants the best of both worlds when it comes to customer experience: privacy and personalization. This presents challenges—particularly with the increased reliance on data and need for stronger data security and transparency initiatives. How will CMOs and CIOs work together to ensure frictionless, memorable, and hyper-personalized customer experiences?

Real-time data is a good place to start. CIOs are the gatekeepers of this data and understand the importance of governance and protection. CMOs know how to take this data and use it to inform and influence marketing campaigns. The result? Data-driven, digital-first strategies that offer a deeper look at buyer behavior and preferences. By utilizing real-time data, CIOs and CMOs demonstrate that they not only understand the customer, but they care about their experience. It’s about interactions and impressions.

Understand buyer needs through real-time data

According to McKinsey research, 71% percent of customers today expect personalized experiences from companies and 76% say they will change vendors if the experience doesn’t please them. Delivering such experiences relies heavily on data analytics.

Like today’s customer, technology has become more sophisticated and complex. Customers are no longer getting information on one platform or in one place and as a result, we have seen a greater shift toward and focus on omnichannel strategies. Real-time data plays a big role here, allowing marketers to adjust and pivot messaging and campaigns. CIOs and CMOs should utilize the power and potential of data and AI-driven insights that allow brands to connect the dots between online and offline, creating fewer touchpoints to meet the customer where they are. Whether it’s social media ads, push notifications, or connected TV (CTV), it’s about creating the best offline and online experience for the customer whether they choose to engage or not.

As organizations increasingly rely on data to inform decision making and drive customer engagement, guaranteeing the integrity and security of that data is paramount. Given the sensitive nature of customer data, particularly in marketing, both CIOs and CMOs must align to ensure that data is handled responsibly. In addition to protecting data and ensuring compliance with global regulations such as Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), both roles are responsible for ultimately maintaining customer trust.

Collaboration through a unified data strategy helps establish a balance between usability and security. Both roles have equal responsibility to ensure that data is collected and handled responsibly. In addition to setting clear guidelines on data collection, storage, processing, and sharing, ensuring that both teams are on the same page, this strategy must also include key evaluation criteria for any data partners or vendors the marketing teams works with. This is especially true when working with content syndication and lead generation providers to ensure that they follow data privacy regulations and adhere to better transparency standards. Through a more collaborative approach to compliance, both leaders can mitigate risks and protect the organization from potential legal repercussions.

Drive success through stronger collaboration

In 2025, CIOs and CMOs will need to work together to find the balance between delivering more personalized buying experiences while increasing data security and privacy concerns. It’s estimated that 75% or more enterprises will experience at least one ransomware attack next year—which makes ensuring data privacy across every touchpoint not just good for business, but a necessary business requirement. Together, CIOs and CMOs play a pivotal role in making the most of data and managing it responsibility.

It’s up to both teams to ensure data is obtained, stored, and used in compliance with regulations, and gain full transparency from outside content syndication and lead generation providers concerning how they capture, process, and evaluate audience data. This collaboration not only helps fortify data but also strengthens brand trust, serving as a strategic differentiator and a powerful driver of growth in 2025 and beyond.

Keith Turco is the CEO of Madison Logic.