Every CMO faces the same challenge: deliver this quarter, build next year’s pipeline, and still invest in what’s coming after that. But here’s the truth: strategy isn’t about balance—it’s about trade-offs. You can’t over-resource every horizon. The best marketing plans force clarity on where you’ll double down, where you’ll hold, and where you’ll delay. Here’s how I frame it in practice: The Three Horizons of a Marketing Plan 1. Feed the Business This is your performance engi