It's a perennial concern: companies need good marketing, but many don't trust those they hire to do the job. Marketers have a credibility problem because the creativity that is their lifeblood often runs counter to the discipline required to excel in other parts of the organization.

According to recent interviews with more than 30 European CEOs and chief marketing officers (CMOs), this long-simmering stew—exacerbated by fragmenting customer segments, brands, and channels—is now boiling over in Europe, just as it has in the United States.¹ These complications heighten the need for effective marketing while expanding its scope beyond traditional duties, such as managing brands and conducting consumer research.² Today's marketers must tailor and integrate their strategies with a more complex set of approaches to product development, supply chains, manufacturing, and sales. Doing so may often mean investing more resources in training and support infrastructure and encouraging marketing employees, from the front lines to the senior team, to break out of the traditional silos that can impede the marketing organization's progress.

More than half of those interviewed were underwhelmed by their marketers' analytical skills and business...