CMO Confidential

Richard Sanderson, a leader in executive compensation at Spencer Stuart, shares crucial insights on navigating salary negotiations. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging the verbal offer stage to align on compensation terms without damaging trust. Richard discusses how to identify employers’ negotiation styles and the variety of negotiable elements including severance and relocation costs. He also advises on conducting a multi-year cash flow analysis and being transparent about pay structures to alleviate team anxiety, providing a roadmap for securing fair compensation.

In this insightful discussion, Richard Sanderson, Practice Leader at Spencer Stuart, unpacks the intricacies of executive compensation for marketing leaders. He highlights the challenges of scarce CMO pay data and the significance of understanding salary, bonuses, and equity. Topics include the critical differences between RSUs, options, and PSUs, as well as timing and best practices for negotiating offers. Richard also emphasizes the importance of being aware of new pay-equity laws and the strategy behind making your 'one big ask' at the offer stage.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Dwight Hutchins, Senior Managing Director of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and a Northwestern Adjunct Professor, previously Managing Director at Accenture focused on Consumer Products, Health Care and Public Service. Dwight shares his thinking on why marketers should be prepared to reduce expenses and shift resources into a re-imagined future versus incrementally evolving spend and structure. Key topics include: his belief that the complexity of marketing has resulted in many instances of wasted spending; the importance of "unaided first brand response;" why it's important to be "ahead of the expense reduction game;" and how to focus on working versus non-working dollars. Tune in to hear how about reducing $1B in spend to fund new initiatives and a "wild west" story about a battery on-pack promotion.The Fine Art of Reducing Marketing Expense in an AI WorldThis week on CMO Confidential, Mike Linton sits down with Dwight Hutchins—Senior Partner & Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group and adjunct professor at Northwestern—to tackle the question every CMO hears from the CFO: “Keep the top line growing… and cut your budget.”Dwight explains how to find waste without hurting performance, where AI actually improves efficiency (and where it doesn’t), how to test into cuts with confidence, and why many brands still miss “sufficiency” by spreading spend like peanut butter. We dig into frequency capping, working vs. non-working ratios, zero-based budgeting (used sanely), org design, insource vs. outsource, and a real-world case where a company freed up billions and redeployed it to growth channels. Stay for his “Wild West” in-store marketing story—complete with batteries taped to milk.Sponsored by Typeface — the AI-native, agentic marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets across channels, safely integrated with your MarTech stack. See how leaders like ASICS and Microsoft scale personalized content with Typeface.⸻⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Intro & guest: Dwight Hutchins (BCG)02:05 – The market reality: uncertainty, shifting buyer values06:10 – CFO pressure: “grow and cut” in the same breath09:20 – AI spend vs. payoff: recalibrating expectations12:25 – Media fragmentation & the “peanut butter” budget problem15:55 – Where AI helps most: measurement, targeting, creative ops19:10 – Forensic cuts case study: freeing up massive dollars23:10 – Finding waste: frequency caps, ad length, quality controls27:05 – “First Fast Response”: demand spaces & brand power30:20 – Sufficiency & focus: stop starving campaigns33:05 – Working vs. non-working: ratios that actually move results35:20 – Zero-based budgeting (in moderation, with data)37:10 – Org & ops: redesigning execution, in/outsourcing lines38:55 – Fun story: the “batteries-on-milk” promo & promo ROI40:00 – Final takeaways & sponsor⸻CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Dwight Hutchins, Boston Consulting Group, BCG, marketing efficiency, reduce marketing spend, AI in marketing, marketing analytics, media mix optimization, frequency capping, working vs non-working, zero-based budgeting, ZBB, demand spaces, brand strategy, executive leadership, CFO CMO alignment, budget cuts, marketing operations, insource vs outsource, creative operations, measurement and attribution, marketing governance, content at scale, Typeface, Typeface AI, generative AI for marketing, agentic AI, MarTech integration, CMOs, marketing leadership, board expectations, growth and efficiency, case study, social media shift, campaign sufficiencySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kate Bullis and David Wiser, Managing Partners and Global Marketing Practice Leaders for ZRG Partners. Kate and David translate their extensive search experience into a pre-game, game time, and post game look at the errors candidates make during the recruiting process. Key topics include: why thorough preparation includes self awareness, a "shopping list" and pattern recognition; how "playbooking," talking too much, and disengagement can doom your interview; and best practices for turning down an offer, handling a disappointment, negotiating an offer, and accepting the opportunity. Tune in to hear why you should never turn down a written offer and other things to avoid if you want to stay off of the search firm's "Do Not Call List." What are the biggest mistakes CMOs make during the interview process?This week on CMO Confidential, host Mike Linton sits down with Kate Bullis and David Wiser, Managing Partners at ZRG and two of the most experienced executive search leaders in marketing. Together, they break down the interview process into Pre-Game, Game Time, and Post-Game—sharing where CMOs most often stumble and how candidates can set themselves up for success.If you’re a C-Suite executive, board member, or aspiring marketing leader, this episode delivers unfiltered insights into how top recruiters evaluate CMOs and what separates successful candidates from the rest.Sponsored by  @typefaceai  — the generative AI platform helping the world’s biggest brands scale personalized marketing in hours, not months.⸻⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Welcome and introduction03:15 – Why interviewing for a CMO role is uniquely challenging07:40 – Pre-Game: Preparing beyond the résumé13:05 – What search firms and boards are really looking for17:50 – Game Time: How to manage the actual interview23:30 – Mistakes CMOs make when telling their career story29:10 – Post-Game: Following up and maintaining momentum34:20 – The role of references and backchannel checks37:50 – Final advice for candidates and boards40:00 – Wrap-up and sponsor message⸻📌 TagsCMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Kate Bullis, David Wiser, ZRG Partners, CMO interview tips, marketing executive search, chief marketing officer, CMO mistakes, CMO hiring process, how to become a CMO, executive interview prep, board expectations for CMOs, marketing leadership, CMO role design, interview strategy, executive recruiters, marketing careers, marketing C-Suite, executive search firms, leadership hiringSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Shiv Singh, CEO of Savvy Matters, former CMO of Lending Tree and author of AI For Dummies and The 5 Marketing Truths You Won't See at Cannes. Shiv shares why he believes AI is killing marketing jobs, how the CMO Role is breaking down due to overlap with other functions, and how "Big Tech is running marketing." Key topics include: how walled gardens make the job harder; why the optics of Cannes are terrible; and the reason marketers should work to fully understand technology. Tune in to hear how AI is making us less intelligent and why Cannes should move to San Francisco. DescriptionWhat you won’t hear on the Croisette. Former LendingTree CMO and Marketing with AI for Dummies author Shiv Singh joins host Mike Linton to unpack his viral “5 marketing truths you won’t hear at Cannes”—from AI’s real impact on jobs and creativity to why the CMO role keeps breaking under overlapping scopes, walled gardens, and distorted budgets.We dig into the zero-click search era, big tech as the new kingmakers, how to rebuild orgs AI-first, and what practical steps CMOs should take this quarter (hint: learn the tech, ship agents, and embed marketers into tech teams).In this episode • AI is changing performance, creative, and strategy—faster than the hype cycle • The CMO job: too wide, too blurry, and overlapped with the rest of the C-suite • Walled gardens & retail media: measurement theater vs. business impact • Zero-click search & AI Overviews: when your best customers never hit your site • “AI-native” org design: agents, code-as-deliverable, and the marketer-as-technologist • Why Cannes optics can backfire—and what a substance-first festival could look like • Playbook for CMOs: weekly show-and-tells, code literacy, and cross-functional embedsAbout our guestShiv Singh is CEO of Savvy Matters, co-founder of AI Trailblazers, former CMO of LendingTree, and a longtime brand leader (Pepsi, Visa). He writes and speaks widely on AI’s impact on marketing, org design, and growth.Sponsor — TypefaceLegacy tools weren’t built for AI. Typeface is the first multimodal platform where agentic workflows handle everything from brainstorming to launch across every channel. Transform one idea into thousands of on-brand assets—text, images, and video—at enterprise scale, with security and seamless MarTech integrations. See how brands like ASICS and Microsoft move from brief to personalized campaigns in hours: typeface.ai/cmo.If you’re enjoying CMO Confidential, please like, subscribe, and share. New episodes every Tuesday; companion newsletter every Friday.⸻Chapter Markers00:00 – Welcome & Sponsor: Typeface01:45 – Introducing Shiv Singh & “5 Truths You Won’t Hear at Cannes”05:10 – Truth 1: AI is changing jobs, creativity, and strategy10:20 – The CMO role is broken: scope, overlap, and alignment15:05 – Walled gardens & retail media: why measurement is broken19:45 – Truth 2 & 3: Big Tech as the new kingmakers24:20 – Zero-click search & the rise of AI-driven discovery28:50 – Truth 4: Cannes optics and why it’s “not for everybody”32:40 – What CMOs should do: tech fluency, coding, weekly experiments36:00 – Superintelligence and the AI-native org of the future39:00 – Practical advice & closing thoughts⸻CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Shiv Singh, Savvy Matters, AI Trailblazers, LendingTree, Pepsi, Visa, Cannes Lions, marketing truths, AI in marketing, agentic AI, AI agents, zero-click search, AI Overviews, walled gardens, retail media networks, big tech kingmakers, Google, Meta, TikTok, YouTube as TV, Performance Max, marketing org design, CMO role, C-suite alignment, measurement, marketing strategy, creative automation, knowledge workers, superintelligence, LLMs, large language models, marketer as technologist, code literacy, AI native organization, marketing experimentation, weekly show and tell, brand building, B2B marketing, B2C marketing, marketing leadership, executive insights, podcast for CMOs, Typeface, Typeface AI, typeface.ai/cmo, ASICS, Microsoft, customer acquisition, CAC, CLV, marketing ROI, retail media, AI transformation, marketing jobs and AI⸻See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Dr. Dan McCarthy, Professor of Marketing at Maryland and leading practitioner of Customer Lifetime Value. Dan shares insights from his privacy research based on Apple's "App Tracking Transparency" (ATT) initiative commonly known as "Ask App Not to Track" which include a significant impact on business results, a degradation of CAC, and a disproportionate hit to small companies. Key topics include: how the elimination of a Facebook customer ID negatively impacted revenue, why averaging marketing results can be a profit killer, and why analytical time frames matter. Tune in to hear updates on Dan's other research including Peloton, loyalty programs and "How everyone is cheating their way through college." CMO Confidential: The Disparate Impact of Privacy Policy — with Dr. Dan McCarthy (UMD) on ATT, CLV & CACWhat happens to your revenue when attribution breaks? In this episode, 5x CMO Mike Linton sits down with Dr. Dan McCarthy (Professor of Marketing, University of Maryland; leading practitioner of Customer Lifetime Value) to unpack Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and its ripple effects on marketing performance. Dan shares new research showing how the loss of a Facebook customer ID degraded click-through, CAC, and revenue—with disproportionate pain for smaller, Facebook-heavy brands.We dig into why averages kill profit (stop using blended CAC/CLV!), how channel-specific, time-varying metrics drive smarter allocation, and the practical playbook for marketers in a post-IDFA world. Dan also updates us on his other research—Peloton, loyalty & subscription programs (DoorDash/Postmates), and the “everyone is cheating their way through college” debate and what it means for teaching and real-world readiness.What you’ll learn • How ATT broke cross-site attribution and raised CAC while lowering revenue yield • Why small DTC brands took the biggest hit, and how (or if) they can recover • The danger of blended CAC/CLV vs. channel-specific, time-varying metrics • Subscription insights: novelty vs. maturity effects, and behavior after cancellation • Action items to protect growth when signal quality declinesAbout our guestDr. Dan McCarthy is a professor at the University of Maryland (formerly Emory) and one of the foremost experts on CLV and customer-based corporate valuation. His work spans privacy’s impact on e-commerce, subscription economics, loyalty programs, and public-company customer metrics.Sponsor: TypefaceTypeface helps the world’s biggest brands move from brief to fully personalized campaigns in hours, not months. With its agentic AI marketing platform, one campaign becomes thousands of on-brand experiences across ads, email, and video—with enterprise-grade security and seamless MarTech integrations. Learn more at typeface.ai/cmo.Subscribe for more C-suite-level conversations every Tuesday, and catch our Friday newsletter with the top insights.⸻00:00 – Intro & sponsor: Typeface AI01:35 – Meet Dr. Dan McCarthy & ATT explained05:00 – How ATT broke attribution and raised CAC09:15 – Why small brands took the biggest revenue hit13:30 – The danger of blended CAC & CLV averages17:20 – Practical advice: channel-specific, time-varying metrics21:00 – Updates on Peloton & subscription research25:00 – The “everyone is cheating in college” debate28:00 – Final advice: beware of irrational subscriptionsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott Lindquist, CFO of CNA Financial and former CFO of Farmers Insurance, shares insights on marketing and finance. He explains the four CFO archetypes and how strategic partnerships with CEOs drive growth. Scott delves into why insurers have become marketing powerhouses and the importance of demonstrating 'marketing math' to skeptical CFOs. He provides practical tips for onboarding a new CFO, avoiding boardroom pitfalls, and highlights the need for a dedicated Marketing CFO to bridge the gap between finance and marketing.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kim Whitler, professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, board member, and former GM and CMO. Kim shares insights from more than a decade of research with over 500 CMO's including how 50+% of roles are misaligned, the huge gap between CEO's and CMO's, the fact that misalignment results in weaker financials, and her belief that better position matching would "prevent" the "cure" of firing the CMO. Key discussion topics include: why the CMO position has the most variance in the C-suite; the importance of matching responsibility, experience and status; and why she thinks search firms can do a better job. Tune in to hear marketing analogies to the New England Patriots line-up and James Bond movie casting.Colonel Mustard, in the Study…with the Job Spec? Why Poor Role Design Shortens CMO Lifespans | CMO ConfidentialWelcome back to CMO Confidential, the podcast that takes you inside the drama, decisions, and politics that go with being the head of marketing. Hosted by 5x CMO Mike Linton (Best Buy, eBay, Farmers Insurance, Ancestry.com).This week, Mike welcomes back Dr. Kim Whitler, Professor of Marketing at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, former CMO, board director, and one of the foremost researchers on the CMO role. Kim has spent 14+ years analyzing 500+ interviews and hundreds of job specs to uncover why nearly 54% of CMO roles are misaligned—and what that means for tenure, effectiveness, and marketing’s reputation in the C-Suite.From her groundbreaking research (published in HBR, Sloan Management Review, and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science) to real-world board and executive experience, Kim breaks down:* Why job specs often set CMOs up to fail* The massive perception gap between CEOs (who think roles are well-designed) and CMOs (who don’t)* How status, responsibility, and experience combine to drive—or derail—firm outcomes* The practical questions every CMO candidate should ask before taking a job* Why “throw away the job spec and write your own” might be the smartest advice you’ll hear🎙️ Whether you’re a CMO, CEO, board member, or aspiring marketing leader, this is a masterclass in role design, negotiation, and how to set marketing up for real impact.---📌 Episode Chapters00:00 – Welcome to CMO Confidential01:30 – Introducing Dr. Kim Whitler04:00 – Why CMO job specs often fail08:15 – Defining “misalignment” in CMO roles13:00 – The role of status, responsibility & experience18:30 – The CEO vs. CMO perception gap24:00 – Practical questions every CMO candidate should ask30:00 – Negotiating role design & avoiding pitfalls33:30 – Kim’s closing advice & final story- About Our Sponsor: Typeface AIThis episode is brought to you by Typeface AI www.typeface.ai/cmo — named Company of the Year by Adweek, a TIME Best Invention, and one of Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech.Typeface helps the world’s biggest brands move from business brief to fully personalized campaigns in hours, not months. Their agentic AI marketing platform scales a single campaign into thousands of on-brand experiences across ads, email, and video—all while integrating seamlessly with your MarTech stack and maintaining enterprise-grade security.See how brands like Asics and Microsoft are transforming marketing with Typeface at typeface.ai/cmo.---🔔 Don’t miss a single episode—subscribe on **YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify**.👍 Like this video if you enjoyed the conversation and drop your takeaways in the comments!#CMOConfidential #MarketingLeadership #KimWhitler #CMORole #MarketingStrategy #TypefaceAISee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CMO Confidential Interview with Tom Goodwin, author, speaker, and former innovation head at Publicis, Zenith, and Havas. Tom discusses his belief that today's CMO's are overly focused on efficiency versus marketing principles and that the contemporary playbook has been created by tech companies focused on performance metrics. Key topics include: an unhealthy focus on the speed of measurement and short-term results; marketers having a "feeling of vulnerability" if they haven't heard of new tech; and the fact that many of the hyped direct-to-consumer brands like Casper and Ridge Wallets aren't actually doing that well. Tune in to hear the underestimated impact of "beauty" and a story about being locked out of a self-driving car. 🚨 New Episode of CMO Confidential 🚨This week, host Mike Linton (5x CMO: eBay, Best Buy, Farmers Insurance, Ancestry.com) sits down with Tom Goodwin — author, speaker, and former global head of innovation at Publicis, Zenith and Havas.Tom argues that today’s marketing playbook has been hijacked by tech platforms obsessed with performance metrics and short-term efficiency. In this wide-ranging conversation, we cover:✅ Why CMOs are over-indexing on efficiency at the expense of brand-building principles✅ The fear of irrelevance driving marketers to chase every new technology trend✅ How speed of measurement is warping long-term thinking✅ Why many direct-to-consumer darlings like Casper and Ridge Wallets aren’t as successful as headlines suggest✅ The underestimated role of beauty and creativity in building lasting value✅ A wild story about being locked out of a self-driving carWhether you’re a CMO, founder, board member, or just obsessed with the future of marketing, this episode is a must-listen.👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more insider conversations on what it really takes to be a modern CMO.#CMO #MarketingLeadership #TomGoodwin #CMOConfidential #BrandBuilding #MarketingStrategy #CMOInsights #DigitalMarketing #Innovation⸻CMO Confidential,Tom Goodwin interview,Tom Goodwin marketing,CMO podcast,CMO role,CMO insights,marketing leadership,marketing podcast,brand building,marketing strategy,digital marketing,marketing efficiency,marketing principles,innovation in marketing,short term vs long term marketing,beauty in branding,CMO advice,marketing leadership podcast,marketing tech trends,direct to consumer brands,CMO discussion,marketing innovation,self-driving car story,CMO lessons0:00 – Welcome & Intro: Meet Tom Goodwin2:15 – Why CMOs Overvalue Efficiency6:40 – The Tech-Driven Marketing Playbook11:05 – Vulnerability & Fear of Missing Out on New Tech15:20 – The Problem with Short-Term Metrics19:00 – DTC Myths: Casper, Ridge Wallet & Beyond23:45 – The Undervalued Power of Beauty & Creativity28:10 – Locked Out of a Self-Driving Car (Story)30:15 – Final Takeaways & Wrap-UpSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with David Aaker, Vice Chair of Prophet, author of numerous marketing books including Aaker on Branding 2nd Edition, formerly a Haas School of Business Professor. David discusses the history of brand equity starting with the BCG model from the 90's and why that model and scanner data drove a short-term sales focus at the expense of brand equity. After years of progress, he believes we are now experiencing "A revival of short-termism." Key topics include: the differences between B2B and B2C brand building; the need for marketers to appreciate that brands aren't built in isolation; and how to break through in a hostile communications environment. Tune in to hear why he believes "There are easy ways for companies to build better brands," and case studies from Dove and Uniqlo. Brand value has been discussed for decades—so why isn’t it a universally accepted business principle? In this episode of CMO Confidential, host Mike Linton sits down with branding legend David Aaker, Vice Chair at Prophet, author of 18 books, and widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Branding,” to unpack why the fight for brand equity is far from over.From the origins of brand equity in the 1990s to today’s hostile marketing environment, Aaker shares insights on: • Why brand should be treated as a long-term asset, not a short-term tactic • How short-termism and performance marketing are eroding brand value • The difference between B2B and B2C brand management (and why organizational values matter more in B2B) • Examples of brands that have nailed disruptive innovation and purpose-driven branding (Dove, Uniqlo, Habitat for Humanity) • Why most companies are managing brands poorly in today’s cluttered, skeptical media environment • How AI could democratize creativity and make professional branding accessible to more companiesPacked with history, frameworks, and practical examples, this conversation will change the way you think about brand value, brand portfolios, and how to make your brand truly indispensable.00:00 – Introduction to CMO Confidential & Guest David Aaker01:15 – Why Brand Value Still Isn’t a Universally Accepted Principle03:45 – The Birth of Brand Equity in the 1990s06:10 – Short-Termism, Performance Marketing, and the Brand Erosion Problem08:35 – How to Justify Brand as an Asset (Case Studies & Examples)11:20 – The Visibility Advantage and 14 Dimensions of Brand Value13:05 – Why CFOs and Boards Believe in Other Brands, but Not Their Own15:10 – B2B vs B2C Branding: Key Differences and What Matters Most17:45 – Why Many Companies Are Managing Brands Poorly Today20:00 – Branding in a Hostile Communication Environment22:05 – The Power of Brand Portfolios, Companion Brands, and “Silver Bullet” Brands24:30 – Examples: Uniqlo, HeatTech, and the Westin Heavenly Bed26:10 – Super Bowl Advertising: Breaking Through Clutter and Skepticism28:00 – AI, the Democratization of Creativity, and the Future of Branding29:20 – Final Advice: Your Duty as a Marketer to Build the Brand as an Asset30:15 – Closing Remarks & SubscribeHere’s your list fully hashtagged and comma-separated:#cmoconfidential, #DavidAaker, #brandvalue, #brandequity, #brandstrategy, #marketingstrategy, #brandingadvice, #B2Bbranding, #B2Cbranding, #brandmanagement, #shorttermism, #performancemarketing, #purposedrivenbranding, #DoveRealBeauty, #UniqloHeatTech, #HabitatforHumanity, #marketingleadership, #brandportfolio, #brandeddifferentiators, #brandedenergizers, #brandedsourceofcredibility, #hostilemediaenvironment, #disruptiveinnovation, #AIinbranding, #democratizationofcreativity, #CMOpodcast, #marketingpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.