Over the previous 12 months, The Clever Marketer, in collaboration with the CMO Council, has revealed a set of government video interviews that collectively supply a revealing snapshot of contemporary advertising and marketing management. Whereas the titles and visitors differ, the conversations constantly floor the identical actuality: the function of the CMO has expanded nicely past model stewardship into knowledge, know-how, progress, and enterprise management.
This “Greatest Of” have a look at the CMO Govt / CMO Council Interview Sequence highlights essentially the most resonant themes—and why these discussions matter now.
Storytelling Isn’t Elective — It’s Strategic
A number of interviews reinforce that storytelling stays central to advertising and marketing management, whilst know-how accelerates change.
In her dialog with The Clever Marketer, Priya Girishankar, CMO, storyteller, and model builder with expertise at Disney and The Los Angeles Occasions, frames storytelling as a strategic working system—not a artistic layer utilized on the finish.
“Storytelling isn’t nearly model voice—it’s how organizations align internally and join meaningfully with prospects.”
Girishankar explores how trendy CMOs should stability creativity with accountability, making certain narrative readability throughout channels, groups, and enterprise fashions.
That theme continues within the interview with Jarryd McDonald, Founder and CMO of Tradition Cartel, who brings an entrepreneurial lens to model constructing. McDonald discusses the transition from company advertising and marketing to founding a world artistic studio, emphasizing belief, authenticity, and long-term model fairness.
“Model love solely works if it’s constructed on credibility and consistency.”
Development Is a Methods Drawback, Not a Marketing campaign Drawback
Development takes heart stage in conversations with leaders working near income and operations.
Didi Azaria, CEO of Workiz, provides a practical have a look at scaling service-based companies by means of automation, AI, and operational self-discipline. His interview focuses much less on principle and extra on eradicating friction throughout the shopper and worker expertise.
“Development occurs when advertising and marketing, operations, and know-how cease working in silos.”
Equally, Corinne Schmid, VP of Advertising and marketing at Tucows, discusses the problem of promoting extremely technical merchandise within the web infrastructure and area registry house. Her perspective underscores the significance of readability—each externally and internally.
“Advertising and marketing in technical markets means translating complexity into confidence.”
Information, Id, and AI Are Now Core CMO Obligations
Throughout the collection, one theme is unmistakable: CMOs are more and more accountable for the standard, governance, and activation of buyer knowledge.
In her interview, Allyson Dietz of TransUnion discusses analysis performed with Forrester on knowledge complexity and identification decision, highlighting how fragmented knowledge undermines each personalization and belief.
“You possibly can’t personalize experiences when you don’t belief the info behind them.”
That knowledge basis turns into much more essential within the age of generative AI. Tom Kaneshige, Chief Content material Officer on the CMO Council, shares insights from the Council’s analysis on AI-driven aggressive benefit, reframing AI as an accelerant—not a shortcut.
“AI doesn’t repair damaged knowledge or processes—it exposes them.”
Commerce, Engagement, and the Shift to Conversations
A number of interviews discover how engagement fashions are evolving from transactions to ongoing relationships.
Kevin Zhang, CEO of Phoenix Applied sciences, discusses digital memberships and recurring income as a path to sustainable ecommerce progress—putting CMOs on the heart of value-exchange design.
Within the QSR and real-time engagement house, Johann Van Der Westhuizen, CEO of uKnomi, examines how AI and IoT are reworking the drive-thru expertise by connecting operational knowledge with personalization.
In the meantime, Pieter De Villiers, CEO of Clickatell, focuses on conversational commerce—the place messaging, immediacy, and two-way interplay redefine loyalty activation.
The Increasing Mandate of the Trendy CMO
Bringing the collection collectively, Donovan Neale-Could, Govt Director of the CMO Council, displays on how the CMO function itself has advanced—from model steward to enterprise strategist.
“Right this moment’s CMO sits on the intersection of progress, know-how, and buyer belief.”
A Collective View of Advertising and marketing Management
Taken collectively, the CMO Govt Sequence paints a transparent image of contemporary advertising and marketing management: strategic, data-literate, operationally grounded, and deeply customer-centric.
For CMOs navigating fixed disruption, these conversations supply each perspective and sensible steering—rooted in real-world expertise.
