CMO's: Evolution or Extinction?

UPS is the latest to join the ranks of those who have decided to toss the CMO role in an effort of restructuring. A trend that we’ve seen continue for the last few years, with notable players like Johnson & Johnson letting the position go in 2019 alongside others like Uber and Hyatt Hotels.

But why is this happening and what does it mean? Well, for certain we can say it doesn’t mean that marketing isn’t as vital as it used to be or that the role of marketing in the business structure isn’t working. Rather, it more so lends to the increased complexity of marketing in our digital world and the need for something new.

Though Chief Marketing Officer as a title may be scrapped for these companies, they invest instead in a variety of specialized media partners that can touch on all aspects of reaching their audience. And the contact for these partners may not be the CMO but instead a “Chief Growth Officer” or “Chief Brand Officer”.

In 2021, we wrote a piece on the important things trending for CMO’s and within that wrote: “Seasoned CMOs continue to recognize the value of brand awareness in improving lead quality and volumes.” And that’s what we are continuing to see, that marketing efforts are fragmenting like many other things in the industry, making it more important than ever for growth and brand to be tied together.

Does this mean you need to scrap your CMO role for a Brand Officer? No. What it means is that all leadership personnel need to be cognizant that as marketing shifts, so does the role of the CMO. After all, marketing is just a word, and the definition is constantly changing.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the position is called, what matters is that the c-suite recognizes when the role has changed enough to shift focus. Bringing in partners that are experienced with the smallest of shifts can be an excellent way to do this, as well as creating connections and workflows between leadership so agility on new ideas is a top priority.

The CMO role will continue to evolve with the landscape, and whether the name switches over or not, companies that recognize the needs of their marketing, growth, and brand team members and help create success for them will be better placed to succeed as a whole, both internally and externally.