Don’t believe what you read about the ‘death of the CMO’

Every few weeks there’s another headline declaring the “death of the CMO.” The argument changes slightly each time but it’s basically the same thing, some version of: Companies are flattening leadership, marketing is becoming decentralized, AI can create campaigns faster than people can, or automation will replace marketing. The implication is always the same: The role is becoming obsolete. It’s a strange narrative because no other executive position gets treated this way. You rarely see a steady stream of articles asking whether CEOs, CFOs, or CIOs are still necessary. Yet the CMO is constantly portrayed as expendable, as though marketing itself has somehow become less important. I think the opposite is happening. It’s not just about speed Marketing has never been more difficult. Consumers divide their attention across countless platforms and devices. Traditional search is being reshaped by artificial intelligence. Social algorithms change constantly. The number of companies competing for attention grows while the amount of attention available does not. Winning customers today requires far more than buying media or publishing content. It requires clear positioning, disciplined me…