In economic downturns, the marketing budget is often the first to get slashed. Why? Because many CEOs believe that marketing is unable to deliver results where it counts: the bottom line.

Nirmalya Kumar argues that marketing’s future depends on altering its function and mindset to address the burning questions CEOs care about most. Kumar, who counsels top executives at multinational corporations, challenges marketers to change their role from tactical implementers of traditional marketing functions—like advertising and promotion—to strategic coordinators of organization-wide, transformational initiatives aimed at profitably delivering value to customers.

Kumar outlines seven strategy-focused, cross-functional, and bottom-line oriented initiatives that can put marketing back on the CEO’s agenda—and elevate its role in shaping the destiny of the firm.