CMO Confidential

Mike Linton // I Hear Everything Podcast Network
  • 4.7 (30)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

Wonder what it's like to control millions of dollars of marketing budget? Manage hundreds of people? Make the decisions on which ideas get to market? The CMO Confidential podcast shares how it feels to be in that chair of the shortest-tenured position on the C-suite. We detail the long, hard road most ideas take to get to market & how challenging it is to get the best ones through. Hosted by Mike Linton -- the former P&G Brand Manager who went on to be the Chief Marketing Officer of Best Buy, eBay, and Farmers Insurance, as well as the Chief Revenue Officer of Ancestry.com and the head marketer at Remington -- this show serves as an ongoing lesson plan for how to get, do, keep, and handle the pressures of the CMO job.

  1. 4d ago

    Bob Liodice | 31 Years, 1 Industry: Bob Liodice Looks Back and Shares His Future Perspective: Part 1

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Bob Liodice, the long-time CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). Bob shares thoughts on the rapidly evolving marketing landscape, why AI won't necessarily translate to growth, the challenges of the CMO position, and the importance of lifelong learning and curiosity to successful careers. Key topics include: - Why you need to rip up your playbook every year - The need to value brands from a financial perspective - The idea of getting comfortable enough with all of the tools, data and media to make informed decisions - The evolution of cross media measurement including the Aquila model being pioneered by the ANA and a number of companies and associations Tune in to hear how he grew the ANA from 188 member companies to 1,600 (representing over 20,000 brands) and a story about media waste and transparency. ⏱️ Chapters 1:08 - State of Marketing and Industry Evolution 8:54 - AI, Consumer Discovery, and Funnels 11:41 - The Complex Job of the CMO 17:44 - B2B and B2C Marketing Convergence 21:18 - Solving Cross Media Measurement This episode is sponsored by NOAN - the company that builds a fact layer for your brand, creating a single source of truth for your team, both human and agent. Learn more: getnoan.com/cmo. Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. Sep 22

    Kipp Bodnar | Why Judgement & Taste are Key Advantages in an AI World

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Kipp Bodnar, CMO of HubSpot and author of the newly released book, "Loop: A New Growth Model for an AI-First World." Kipp discusses why the marketing funnel is no longer useful, his belief that AI has ushered in a new era where judgement and taste provide the biggest edge, and why "great marketing has to hurt." Key topics include: - The importance of mentions and attributions - How judgement and taste can be learned - Why you should strive for "counterfactual insights" - Tips for finding top caliber employees Tune in to hear a story about the Savannah Bananas and why "You've got to be like Taylor Swift - remarkable and prolific" with your marketing. ⏱️ Chapters 2:18 - The Broken Funnel and AI Disruption 5:04 - Attribution Models in the AI Era 7:48 - Content Quality and AI Slop 10:45 - The Role of Judgment and Taste 17:10 - Non-Binary Decisions and Big Bets 24:49 - CMO and CIO Collaboration 26:39 - Metrics, Creators, and Modern Marketing 31:27 - Practical Advice and Closing Thoughts This episode is sponsored by NOAN - the company that builds a fact layer for your brand, creating a single source of truth for your team, both human and agent. Learn more: getnoan.com/cmo. Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  3. Sep 15

    Michael D'Esopo | Why CMOs are Losing Influence: The Trust Trade-Off

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Michael D'Esopo, CEO of Lippincott, formerly the President and Director of Brand Strategy. Michael shares research on more than 500 senior marketing leaders which highlights the pressures on CMOs to balance their focus between growth, AI, the customer experience, immediate results, and more. Key topics include: - The risk of having too much focus on short-term results - The importance of having a customer agenda - Why stakeholder alignment is one of the key things to get right - The need to translate marketing to C-Suite objectives Tune in to hear a story about adidas and why you shouldn't do market research at a wedding. ⏱️ Chapters 0:19 - Introduction to Michael D'Esopo 0:38 - The CMO Trust Study Findings 4:19 - The Trust Trade-Off and Short-Term Pressure 8:34 - Aligning Marketing with C-Suite Goals 13:51 - Expansion of the CMO Remit 19:37 - Impact of AI on Marketing 22:58 - Alignment, Focus, and Customer Experience 27:59 - Advice for Marketers and Final Stories Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  4. Sep 8

    Emily Frager | Communications and PR are Having a Moment

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Emily Frager, Chief Client Officer at FleishmanHillard, board member of USC Annenberg Center for PR, formerly CMO of Lennar Ventures. Em discusses why public relations has become a much more important business function, how AI has changed the game, and the need for speed in reputation management. Key topics include: - The shift from downstream reaction to upstream planning - The importance of organization and governance - Why a data-driven "ground game" matters more than ever - How to "be prepared" Tune in to hear why the fear of being wrong usually complicates and slows your reaction and why the Taylor Swift wedding NDA is a masterclass in control. ⏱️ Chapters 1:42 - Communications and PR Moment 9:46 - Shifting From Publicity to Engineering 17:45 - Best Practices and Governance 24:50 - Agency Partnerships and RFPs 29:37 - Major Stories and Practical Advice Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  5. Sep 1

    Aneesh Dhawan | The AI Trust Gap in Research and What to Do About It

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Aneesh Dhawan, the Co-Founder and CEO of Knit, an AI Native Research Firm. Aneesh shares toplines from Knit's AI Trust Survey of 150+ enterprise research leaders and details how the biggest fear has morphed from potential job loss to AI outputs without expert, human judgement. Key topics include: - The difference between data, insights and storytelling - Why research utopia may be just around the corner - Tips for vendor selection - The importance of good governance habits Tune in to hear why your research leader will eventually function like a Head Chef. ⏱️ Chapters 1:30 - AI in Market Research 3:06 - AI Trust Index Findings 4:28 - Greatest AI Researcher Fears 7:01 - Governance and Human Judgment 11:31 - ROI and AI Slop 14:14 - The Future of Research 16:09 - Choosing AI Research Vendors 18:05 - Governance and Best Practices 24:26 - Addressing the Trust Gap 27:03 - Advice for AI Implementation Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. Aug 25

    Rishad Tobaccowala | A Leading Futurist Takes Stock of 2026

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Rishad Tobaccowala, author of "Rethinking Work," formerly the President of Starcom and the Publicis Chief Strategy & Growth Officer. Rishad discusses the rise of "alien intelligence" and why it is unstoppable and ungovernable, how the generational divide is getting worse, and his belief that many marketers have "outsourced marketing." Key topics include: - Why AI is like "hydrochloric acid burning through your org structure" - The rising importance of facts versus storytelling - Why "jobs are a silly phase work is going through" - The reason work should be easier for seasoned employees Tune in to hear a story about Madam Bovary and why you should ask AI to write your obituary. ⏱️ Chapters 01:42 - The Five Big Factors in the Marketplace 07:01 - Implications for the Marketing Front 19:13 - The Path Forward for Leaders 26:49 - AI as Hydrochloric Acid 31:11 - Closing Advice & Wrap-Up Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. Aug 18

    Kristin Wozniak | Too Much Data & Not Enough Thinking - Are You Following Goodhart's Law?

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Kristin Wozniak, Chief Growth Officer and Data Officer at Cosmo5, formerly SVP Analytics and Strategy at Cossette Media. Kristin discusses why she believes many leaders have developed an unhealthy obsession with data, how "the need for certainty" stifles innovation, and Goodhart's law, which states "when a measure becomes a target, it's no longer a good measure." Key topics include: - The risk of constantly wanting more data and dashboards - The need for "buddy metrics" - Why you should link KPI's, compensation, and business results - The concepts of "AI Brain Fry" and "Hiding Behind the Data" Chapters 🕚 1:23 - Unhealthy Data Obsession Among Leaders 5:23 - Symptoms of Data Overload 8:38 - Managing Data and Innovation Blockers 14:32 - Understanding Goodhart's Law in Marketing 16:15 - Gaming Metrics and Personal Incentives 19:42 - Challenges with Retention Metrics 23:33 - Strategies for Data-Obsessed Companies 28:46 - Team-Based Metrics for 2027 30:43 - The Data Disconnect Story Tune in to hear a great cobra example and a story on tortoise and turtle research. Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  8. Aug 11

    Maryam Banikarim | What CMO's Talk About Behind Closed Doors

    A CMO Confidential Interview with Maryam Banikarim, Chair of The Wall Street Journal CMO Council, Co-Founder of The Longest Table, and 5-time CMO. Maryam discusses how the industry is evolving, the continuing importance of data and storytelling, why many leaders are wondering "if they want the job," and how every CMO job is different. Key topics include: - Why so many people have a side hustle - How younger employees see corporate jobs as "higher risk" - Why the key to success is "knowing how to pick yourself up and recover" Tune in to hear why you should "Stop blaming your parents!" and how a key character for the late '70s show Taxi was created. ⏱️ Chapters 1:46 - AI and Marketing Evolution 6:13 - CMO Role and Responsibilities 10:39 - Agency Trends and Side Hustles 19:39 - Community Building and Leadership 25:46 - Working with Executive Boards 29:07 - Managing Career Setbacks 32:20 - Personal Anecdotes and Conclusion Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives. #CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentric See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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4.7
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Wonder what it's like to control millions of dollars of marketing budget? Manage hundreds of people? Make the decisions on which ideas get to market? The CMO Confidential podcast shares how it feels to be in that chair of the shortest-tenured position on the C-suite. We detail the long, hard road most ideas take to get to market & how challenging it is to get the best ones through. Hosted by Mike Linton -- the former P&G Brand Manager who went on to be the Chief Marketing Officer of Best Buy, eBay, and Farmers Insurance, as well as the Chief Revenue Officer of Ancestry.com and the head marketer at Remington -- this show serves as an ongoing lesson plan for how to get, do, keep, and handle the pressures of the CMO job.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Linton // I Hear Everything Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    186
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All Rights Reserved 2023
  • Show Website
    CMO Confidential

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