CMO Confidential Alex Schultz | CMO at Meta | Marketing at Meta - The View From the Eye of the Storm"
"Marketing at Meta - The View From the Eye of the Storm"
A CMO Confidential Interview with Alex Schultz, the Meta CMO and VP of Analytics, and author of Click Here: The Art & Science of Digital Marketing and Advertising. Alex details why he believes in decentralized analytics and the importance of focusing on core results vs vanity metrics, why AI is a "threshold technology", and why and how the company transitioned to Meta. Key topics include: the barbell distribution of AI competency (native users and very senior experienced leaders); why he believes so strongly in "incrementality measurements"; how he and his team handle the emotional impact of being in the center of political discussions and; why marketers should be thinking about 2027. Tune in to hear a story about affiliate marketing incentives gone wrong and the eBay/Google "Tea Party" incident.
What’s it really like to be CMO at one of the most scrutinized companies in the world?
In this episode of **CMO Confidential**, host Mike Linton sits down with **Alex Schultz**, CMO and VP of Analytics at Meta, for a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation on marketing leadership inside the eye of the storm. Alex breaks down how Meta structures marketing and analytics at global scale, why marketing must be centralized while analytics should not, and what most companies get wrong about “one source of truth.”
The conversation goes deep on navigating nonstop political and cultural pressure, shortening negative news cycles, and keeping teams emotionally grounded when the brand is under fire. Alex also shares some of the clearest executive thinking we’ve heard on AI as a *threshold technology* — where it truly creates leverage, where humans must stay in the loop, and how CMOs should assess AI talent today.
The episode closes with inside stories from the Facebook-to-Meta rebrand, hard-earned lessons from eBay on incrementality measurement, and practical advice for preparing your organization for 2027 and beyond.
If you’re a CMO, CEO, founder, or senior operator responsible for growth, measurement, and brand under pressure — this is required listening.
New episodes of **CMO Confidential** drop every Tuesday.
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## Chapters & Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to CMO Confidential
00:01 – Alex Schultz’s role: CMO & VP of Analytics at Meta
00:03 – Why marketing is centralized but analytics are decentralized
00:06 – “One source of truth” and killing vanity metrics
00:09 – Marketing while constantly in the global spotlight
00:11 – Managing crisis cycles, truth, and comms alignment
00:12 – AI’s real impact on marketing productivity
00:15 – AI as a threshold technology (precision vs. recall)
00:17 – How AI is reshaping analytics, creative, and teams
00:18 – Hiring for AI: the barbell talent distribution
00:22 – Preparing for 2027: information flow and AI philosophy
00:25 – How B2B marketing is (and isn’t) changing
00:28 – Inside the Facebook → Meta rebrand
00:32 – Lessons from eBay: incrementality over last-click
00:36 – What downturns reveal about leadership talent
00:37 – Why Alex wrote his book on digital marketing
00:40 – Affiliate marketing, incentives, and unintended consequences
00:43 – Final advice for CMOs and marketers
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CMO Confidential, Alex Schultz, Meta marketing, Facebook Meta rebrand, marketing leadership, CMO podcast, executive marketing, analytics strategy, marketing analytics, AI in marketing, artificial intelligence marketing, incrementality measurement, digital marketing strategy, B2B marketing, growth marketing, brand under pressure, crisis communications, marketing measurement, performance marketing, last click attribution, marketing org design, marketing podcast
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