Gurugram: MMA Global India, in collaboration with GroupM, WPP’s media investment arm, has launched the 5th edition of the Modern Marketing Reckoner 2025: The CMO’s Guide to Growth Hacking. Unveiled at the 14th edition of MMA IMPACT India in Gurugram, the report delivers a bold roadmap for marketing leadership in a fast-evolving business landscape.
Developed with insights from over 50 seasoned marketers, strategists, and digital pioneers, the Reckoner decodes the new-age playbook for CMOs navigating an environment defined by hyper-growth, digital acceleration, Gen Z’s shifting behavior, and the creative disruption of Generative AI.
Prasanth Kumar, MMA Global India Co-Chair & CEO – GroupM South Asia, stated, “In a world where technology is disrupting faster than what businesses can adapt to, the marketing function today stands at a defining inflection point. Amidst an environment where consumer behaviour is constantly evolving and expectations growing sharper, this Reckoner reflects a growing consensus: that growth must be engineered, not expected. It calls for a new kind of leadership—one that balances creativity with accountability, experiments boldly, and always keeps business outcomes in focus. At GroupM and MMA Global India, we see this report as more than a publication—it is a leadership guide for CMOs, built for a new era where growth is not just a goal, but a shared responsibility across the boardroom.”
Positioned as a strategic compass for modern marketers, the report focuses on growth hacking not as a shortcut, but as a mandate for agility, purpose-driven leadership, and results. It provides thought-provoking insights and tangible tools to steer marketing strategies amidst constant transformation.
Moneka Khurana, Country Head & BOD, MMA Global India, added, “Growth hacking is now the CMO’s core responsibility—it is not about shortcuts, but about bold action, rapid experimentation, and measurable impact. In today’s fast-changing market, real growth comes from curiosity, courage, and mastering the art of duality at every stage between diverse audiences and brand and performance at every stage. Shaped by the expertise of over 50 practitioners and thinkers across the MMA member ecosystem, this is a must-consume collective offering tools, insights, and provocations CMOs need to lead with purpose and agility. Because in a world defined by change, the ultimate hack is how we choose to lead.”
Key themes explored in the Reckoner include:
Gen Z’s redefinition of brand engagement
Quick commerce disrupting distribution models
Premiumization as a lasting shift in consumer behavior
Purpose-driven brands evolving beyond marketing campaigns
Segmentation and precision targeting in a post-mass-marketing age
Generative AI’s role in enabling hyper-personalization and decision speed
The CFO mindset for CMOs—ROI-driven, financially disciplined leadership
Capturing the pulse of boardroom conversations and frontline innovation, the report positions CMOs as growth architects who must lead with speed, substance, and sustainability. It underscores a broader industry reckoning—one where experimentation trumps assumption, performance outweighs legacy, and marketing success is measured by meaningful, measurable outcomes.
With MMA’s global member base and GroupM’s deep market influence, the Modern Marketing Reckoner 2025 stands as a definitive guide for marketing leadership in the modern era.
