CMOs and the decision-making dilemma

Today’s CMOs live at the intersection of creativity, data, and speed. They’re expected to launch campaigns that resonate with culture, track ROI in real time, anticipate shifts in consumer behavior, and report to the C-suite or board with clarity and conviction.

But in reality, most CMOs are drowning in noise. Their inboxes overflow with trend reports. Slack channels ping constantly with updates. Vendor decks pile up with “insights” that are out of date before they’re even read.

What CMOs really need is not more data. They need clarity. They need a feed of curated, relevant, and timely signals that tell them what matters, why it matters, and what to do about it.

In other words, they need their own For You Page.

That’s exactly what Signals delivers: a hyper-personalized, always-on feed of cultural, consumer, category, and competitive updates tailored to a brand’s world. Think of it as the CMO’s FYP: a place where the most important inputs rise to the top, sparking action and storytelling.

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Why the “For You Page” analogy works

TikTok changed how we consume information

The concept of a “For You Page” was popularized by TikTok, where users scroll endlessly through a personalized stream of content selected by algorithms that learn their preferences. It’s addictive because it feels like the feed knows you. It surfaces exactly what you didn’t know you wanted.

CMOs need the same experience for work

Now imagine applying that same idea to business. Instead of cat videos and dance trends, the CMO’s FYP surfaces:

• A competitor launching new packaging in their category
• A cultural shift around sustainability influencing consumer behavior
• A spike in shopper interest in a new ingredient
• Early buzz from a creator campaign making waves

These aren’t just “nice to know” updates. They’re Signals that directly inform campaign strategy, product positioning, and executive narratives.

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The problem with how CMOs get insights today

Too many sources

Most CMOs rely on a patchwork of dashboards, vendor reports, and internal updates. But data is scattered and siloed across platforms like Nielsen, social listening tools, CRM dashboards, and research libraries.

Outdated by the time it’s read

By the time a quarterly report lands on a CMO’s desk, the moment has often passed. Competitors and consumers move faster than static reporting cycles can keep up.

Lack of context

Raw data points are useless without context. A chart showing declining category sales might spark panic, but without cultural or competitive context, CMOs can’t tell if it’s a temporary blip or a long-term shift.

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Enter Signals: The CMO’s FYP

A hyper-personalized feed

Signals offers CMOs a personalized stream of inputs, curated from competitive updates, cultural shifts, consumer behavior trends, and internal research. Just like TikTok’s FYP, Signals learns from interactions. Save, share, or “ask about” a Signal, and the system gets smarter, serving more of what matters most to that leader.

Always-on relevance

Instead of waiting for quarterly reports, CMOs can open their feed each morning and see the most urgent updates affecting their category, brand, or audience. It’s foresight at the speed of culture.

And it’s built for how executives actually work today—on the move. One of our alpha testers put it best: “90% of my foresight collection is done on my phone.” And yet most tools are still only accessible on desktop. Signals are scrollable, tapable, and always on, available via both the mobile app and browser. Whether a CMO is commuting, between meetings, or prepping for a presentation, their personalized feed is literally in their pocket.

Immediate actionability

Every Signal comes with context (“Why this matters”) and a next step: tap to run a Suzy Speaks interview, ask a clarifying question in Ask Suzy, or generate a decision-ready brief with citations.

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Key benefits of treating Signals as the CMO’s FYP

1. Staying ahead of culture

Culture moves faster than ever. Whether it’s a meme, a trend, or a social movement, brands that move quickly win relevance. Signals ensures CMOs aren’t blindsided—they see cultural shifts as they emerge and can brief creative teams accordingly.

2. Anticipating competitor moves

Signals surfaces competitor launches, campaigns, and shifts in real time. That means CMOs can respond faster, whether with counter-messaging, innovation pivots, or retailer storytelling.

3. Contextualizing consumer behavior

Instead of drowning in raw consumer data, CMOs get curated insights: why Gen Z is rethinking social media, why sustainability is rising in their category, why new ingredients are catching fire. These insights turn numbers into narratives.

4. Fueling executive storytelling

When Signals are used in conjunction with Ask Suzy, they can feed directly into decision-ready briefs. With a few taps, CMOs can turn their FYP into a one-pager for the CEO or a board deck with citations and quotes.

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How Signals fits into the bigger picture

Signals don’t live in isolation. They’re part of a connected workflow that makes insights usable across the research lifecycle:

• Signals → Ask Suzy: When a Signal sparks curiosity, CMOs can instantly ask, “What does this mean for our Q4 campaign?” and get a grounded synthesis with sources.
• Signals → Speaks: If a trend looks big, CMOs can launch fast AI-moderated interviews to validate consumer sentiment.
• Signals → Stories: Within minutes, Signals can be woven into a creative brief, retailer pitch, or board-ready story.
  
  

This integration ensures Signals isn’t just a feed of content. It’s a starting point for decisions.

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Real-world use cases for CMOs

Campaign message optimization

A Signal about shifting consumer attitudes toward health sparks a CMO to reframe creative briefs for an upcoming campaign.

Competitive intelligence

A Signal about a rival’s new ad campaign triggers a quick response strategy, ensuring the brand isn’t caught flat-footed.

Retailer negotiations

A Signal showing shopper interest in sustainability becomes the proof point in a retailer pitch deck.

Executive alignment

A Signal about cultural shifts among Gen Alpha becomes the cornerstone of a CMO’s quarterly update to the board.

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Why CMOs love the FYP analogy

The genius of TikTok’s FYP is its ability to cut through infinite noise and surface only what’s relevant. CMOs face a similar challenge in their professional lives: too much data, too little clarity.

Signals solve that problem by curating what matters most for their role, brand, and moment. The FYP analogy isn’t just clever marketing. It’s a real description of how Signals change the way CMOs consume insights.

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What makes Signals different from “trend reports”

1. Always-on, not static: Signals update daily, not quarterly.
2. Interactive, not passive: CMOs can like, save, share, or ask about a Signal, shaping their feed over time.
3. Integrated, not isolated: Signals connect directly to research (Ask Suzy, Speaks) and deliverables, unlike static PDFs.
4. Decision-ready, not just interesting: Every Signal is tied to “Why this matters” and the ability to turn it into an action or story.
   

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The future of decision-making: From dashboards to feeds

Dashboards had their moment, but they were built for analysts, not executives. CMOs don’t want to log into a dashboard, filter through charts, and interpret data. They want a feed: a FYP that delivers the most important inputs in a format they can consume quickly.

Signals represent this shift: from static dashboards to dynamic, conversational feeds. From data dumps to decision-ready stories. From information overload to clarity.

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Conclusion: Every CMO needs their FYP

In a world where consumer preferences change daily and competitors move fast, CMOs can’t afford to operate with stale insights or fragmented data. They need a feed that feels like it was built just for them; curated, contextual, and actionable.

That’s what Signals provides: the For You Page for CMOs. It’s the daily habit that keeps them ahead of culture, competitors, and consumers. It’s the feed that doesn’t just inform, but sparks action.

Because in today’s business landscape, the brands that win are the ones whose leaders don’t just keep up with change. They see it coming. And with Signals, every CMO can.

Sign-up here to get free Signals in your in-box + exclusive access to the new Suzy app featuring Ask Suzy.

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