The CMO Talent Playbook

Creative teams built for speed, scale and the real world

Let's be honest. Marketing hasn't just changed. It's been flipped upside down.

You're expected to deliver global reach, local relevance, and measurable ROI, fast. But old ways of working aren't built for this pace. Legacy agencies, internal team structures, and siloed workflows can’t keep up.

That's where the CMO Talent Playbook comes in.

This isn't theory. It's a practical guide based on HelloKindred’s 25 years of experience. It’s a workable plan to help you build a modern creative engine that is fast, flexible, and aligned to your business goals.

One global client cut creative costs by 200% and increased output by 50% using this model.

Why this guide matters

According to Gartner, just 24% of CMOs had enough budget to execute their 2024 plans. Meanwhile, McKinsey shows agile teams perform 30% better across the board.

If you’re feeling the pressure to do more with less, you’re not alone.

This playbook helps you:

  • Spot where your creative model is holding you back
  • Align marketing, HR, and procurement with clear, outcome-focused language
  • Build a flexible, modern resourcing model that scales with your needs

What’s inside

You’ll get five high-impact plays that leading CMOs are already running:

  1. Build a Centre of Excellence – Less complexity, more momentum
  2. Make creativity scalable – Smart systems, not one-off requests
  3. Embed your talent – In-house feel, without the overheads
  4. Design for agility – Cross-functional, insight-driven teams
  5. Think global, act fast – Offshore talent that adds real value, across timezones

90% of companies now offshore creative. The difference is how they do it.

Why HelloKindred?

We’ve helped CMOs:

  • Embed high-performing teams in Cape Town, Johannesburg and beyond
  • Cut time-to-value with talent ready in under 72 hours
  • Align creative work with actual business goals
  • Build systems that scale without starting from scratch

Let’s rethink the model together

If your team needs to scale smarter–not just bigger–this playbook is for you.

The CMO Talent Playbook – US

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