Why CFOs Are Your Most Important Stakeholders in 2025

By Mark Harrison

Sponsorship marketers, we’ve got a new client in town.

No, it’s not a new Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Growth Officer, or even a new Chief Executive Officer. It’s the Chief Financial Officers of the brands we serve, and in 2025, they will be the most critical audience for you to win over. Whether you are a brand leader, consultant, or partnership builder, the buck starts with the CFO.

An early mentor taught me that you don’t sell to a company; you sell to a person. With the global economic challenges approaching under the brand name 2025, you need to sell to the financial decision-maker. As a person who grew up in the agency world and experienced the shift from selling to brand marketers to procurement directors, I realize this presents a profound change. Those of you who have made a living monetizing the assets of the property who employ you by cultivating an A-list of C-suite contacts, this is the C you should get to know first. Finally, if you have spent your career on the client side and budgetary approvals and corporate planning are old hat to you, don’t get too comfortable, as the upcoming level of scrutiny is bound to be at temperature levels you have never experienced. 

This is not a message to create fear or panic, but it is important that we all pay attention to the situation. The economic headwinds that are already shifting the business landscape are about to get much more turbulent, with changing governments, unrelenting wars, and the growing global food insecurity crisis upending the relatively comfortable landscape we have enjoyed since the end of the pandemic. 

No one in business is more on top of this than the CFO. They are at the helm of navigating turbulent times. Sponsorship marketing, often a playground for creative visionaries and dealmakers, must align squarely with financial strategy and accountability.

Why? Because every dollar spent will face greater scrutiny, and the CFO’s approval will become the key to unlocking budgets that drive the high-impact deals you aspire to close. If you want to understand the decision-making criteria that will be deployed by the CFO at your organization or that of your client, look at the top issues on the minds of CFOs across the globe. Thankfully, recent research provides a clear window into CFO priorities for the year ahead:

• Data, Metrics, and Analytics: According to Gartner, CFOs are doubling on data-driven decision-making, making accurate forecasting and measurable outcomes non-negotiable.

• Efficient Growth: Achieving scalable growth without waste is critical with tight budgets and increasing financial pressures. (Gartner)

• AI and Financial Innovation: CFOs embrace AI and technology to optimize operations and predict future trends. (Decision Inc.)

For sponsorship marketers, your proposals must go beyond feel-good brand associations. You must speak their language: measurable ROI, cost efficiency, and growth-driving investments. This is precisely how a slew of marketers have been able to navigate the internal decision gates to ensure they found common ground where CFOs have played pivotal roles in elevating sponsorship investments:

Nestlé’s KitKat x Formula 1 Partnership: When KitKat signed a global sponsorship deal with Formula 1 in late 2024, the CFO was instrumental in greenlighting the investment. The focus? Reaching younger audiences while ensuring the partnership could yield measurable brand and financial impact. (Reuters)

Nike’s Olympic Media Spend: Nike’s CFO backed a significant increase in media investment for the Paris Olympics, focusing on efficient growth and maximizing their return on the global stage. This demonstrates how major sponsorship decisions hinge on financial feasibility and strategic impact. (WSJ)

Recently, a member of the SponsorshipX community shared a story about their experience negotiating a major naming rights deal for a high-profile U.S. brand.

Initially, the focus was on the usual metrics: brand lift, audience reach, and experiential opportunities. But the game changed when the CFO scrutinized every number presented. This wasn’t just about metrics for marketing—it was about ensuring the sponsorship aligned with broader business goals. The CFO insisted the agency present valuation metrics to the brand’s Board of Directors. This meant justifying the investment with explicit financial models and future revenue projections. Ultimately, the CFO became a champion of the deal—not because they loved sports or events, but because they saw its potential to deliver bottom-line impact.

This is where the game shifts for all of us. A CFO who believes in your strategy can be your greatest ally. Perhaps you’re not already thinking like a CFO; it’s time to start. Here’s how:

1. Lead with Data: Show clear, data-backed insights. Use analytics to demonstrate the sponsorship’s financial impact.

2. ROI is Non-Negotiable: Tie your sponsorship to tangible business outcomes—sales growth, customer acquisition, or efficiency improvements.

3. Lean on Technology: Use AI tools to enhance targeting, measurement, and reporting, aligning with the CFO’s tech-driven focus.

4. Cost-Effectiveness Matters: Prove that every dollar spent is maximized. This isn’t just about creativity; it’s about accountability.

In sponsorship marketing, CFOs have long been the quiet but vital influencers behind major decisions. In 2025, they’ll be front and center. Marketers on both the brand and sales sides must recognize this shift and adapt their strategies accordingly.

When you treat the CFO as your most important client, you elevate your value proposition from creative visionary to strategic business partner. And in a year where every dollar counts, that’s the partnership your brand will value the most.

Let’s make 2025 the year we master the metrics—and win over the most critical stakeholder in the room.

Mark Harrison, Founder, SponsorshipX, mark.harrison@sponsorshipx.com