Relying solely on data leads to ineffective marketing. Lasting impact comes from integrating three pillars: behavioral science (the 'why'), creativity (the 'how' to cut through noise), and data (the 'who' to target). Neglecting any one pillar cripples the entire strategy.

Persuading the C-suite requires more than just data; it demands emotional resonance. The CMO must balance facts with feelings, understanding that internal stakeholders, like consumers, are moved by belief and emotion, not just numbers.

Marketers should use AI-driven insights at the beginning of the creative process to inform campaign strategy, rather than solely at the end for performance analysis. This approach combines human creativity with data to create more resonant campaigns and avoid generic AI-generated content.

Qualcomm's CMO argues that the distinction between brand and performance marketing is a false dichotomy. All marketing must perform by driving resonance that leads to action and measurable business results. The goal is to prove how brand value directly drives business value, a concept supported by data showing top brands outperform market indices.

One-off creative hits are easy, but replicating them requires structure. Truly creative marketing integrates storytelling into a disciplined process involving data analysis (washups, SWAT), strategic planning, and commercial goals. This framework provides the guardrails needed to turn creative ideas into repeatable, impactful campaigns.

A core lesson from Google's long-time CMO, Lorraine Twohill, is a simple three-part formula: know your product, connect it to the user, and showcase the magic. This foundational principle ensures that marketing always centers on explaining how the product's unique value directly helps the customer.

While metrics are important, great marketing is built on genuine human insight. The most resonant campaigns connect with deep human traits. This is why many top CEOs have backgrounds in the humanities, not just STEM; they excel at understanding people, not just algorithms.

The most effective CMOs see themselves as 'architects of growth.' Their core function is to bridge consumer/human growth opportunities with commercial goals, blending the science of data and the art of creativity to design a holistic, company-wide vision for expansion.

Former General Mills CMO Mark Attucks mentored his team to balance analytical rigor with creative intuition. He advised against feeling pressure to be the "smartest person with the best spreadsheet," emphasizing that telling stories that make people feel is equally critical to marketing success.