When AI automates the 'assembly line' of marketing execution (list building, coding), the marketer's role shifts from operator to strategist. They are liberated from low-value work to become 'brand governors' who define the strategy, voice, and soul of the brand for AI agents to follow.

With engineer CEOs leading 9 of the top 10 global companies, the C-suite increasingly values analytical rigor. Marketers must evolve beyond gut-feel by embracing a hypothesis-driven, systems-thinking approach. This not only improves decision-making but also enhances communication and credibility with analytically-minded leadership.

In today's fast-moving environment, a fixed 'long-term playbook' is unrealistic. The effective strategy is to set durable goals and objectives but build in the expectation—and budget—to constantly pivot tactics based on testing and learning.

The growth role has evolved from a narrow focus on media buying to a strategic function involved in all business expansion, including new markets, sales channels, and product categories. Growth teams offer a critical viewpoint on customer spending and market trends, acting as thought partners for the entire business.

Coming from product, Wiz's CMO sees marketing as liberatingly low-risk. A bad product feature creates permanent technical debt and maintenance costs. In contrast, a failed marketing campaign can be stopped instantly with no lasting negative impact, which encourages creative and unconventional experiments.

At the VP or C-level, a leader's primary role shifts from managing their function to driving overall business success. Their focus becomes more external—customers, market, revenue—and their success is measured by their end-to-end impact on the company, not just their team's performance.

A controversial but effective organizational structure for B2B firms is to have the Chief Marketing Officer report to the Chief Sales Officer. Since B2B purchasing decisions are primarily sales-led and relationship-based, this hierarchy ensures marketing's activities directly serve sales objectives and contribute meaningfully to closing deals, aligning the entire funnel towards revenue.

The traditional "one-to-many" broadcast model no longer delivers sufficient reach or engagement. Unilever now uses a "many-to-many" approach: the brand develops multiple message expressions, then activates creators to communicate them authentically to their respective audiences.

Position marketing as the engine for future quarters' growth, while sales focuses on closing current-quarter deals. This reframes marketing's long-term investments (like brand building) as essential for sustainable revenue, justifying budgets that don't show immediate, direct ROI to a CFO.