CMO Corner
Coverage of industry leaders from our journalists
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McDonald’s chief marketer steps down, company veteran steps into role
Tariq Hassan will stay on to support the transition as Alyssa Buetikofer, CMO for the brand in Canada, returns to the U.S. business on Feb. 15.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 28, 2025 -
Kimberly-Clark appoints first global chief creative and design officer
AlmapBBDO veteran Luiz Sanches joins the CPG giant, which no longer has a traditional CMO role and recently reorganized its agency roster.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 27, 2025 -
Q&A
J.M. Smucker’s CMO on how brands must face the challenges of 2025
Gail Hollander discusses the convergence of brand building and pop culture and how marketers should think about retail media, AI and other emerging tech.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 27, 2025 -
Q&A
Dunkin’ CMO on building a ‘cinematic universe’ to capture attention
Jill McVicar Nelson explains what the brand has learned from its Super Bowl ads and how it’s facing uneasiness around TikTok’s future.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 22, 2025 -
Deep Dive
How marketers can stay reactive as a TikTok ban looms
Contingency plans are coming into focus as the Supreme Court weighs a decision that could ban the ByteDance-owned app in the U.S. on Sunday.
By Jessica Deyo • Jan. 16, 2025 -
Choice Hotels CMO talks travel ‘maximizing’ in new global ad campaign
Actor Keegan-Michael Key returns for this year’s marketing push, which aims to build brand loyalty, Noha Abdalla shares.
By Jenna Walters • Jan. 14, 2025 -
How Rocket Companies’ rebrand sets the stage for a new Super Bowl approach
A new visual identity looks to position the company as the “most culturally significant and inclusive brand in America,” said CMO Jonathan Mildenhall.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 14, 2025 -
How American Eagle’s CMO avoids AI’s ‘generic creative’ trap
At NRF’s Big Show, Craig Brommers addressed mounting production demands but said delegating more work to AI is a “scary” prospect.
By Peter Adams • Jan. 14, 2025 -
Marketers increasingly prioritize automation investments: report
However, a piecemeal approach to AI reflects a focus on short-term results instead of overarching strategies, per Mediaocean's research.
By Aaron Baar • Jan. 13, 2025 -
Planet Fitness adds CMO from Marriott to build on recent growth
Brian Povinelli’s appointment comes as the gym chain makes redefining its brand strategy a key priority.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 13, 2025 -
Inside Athletic Brewing’s marketing as reach expands for nonalcoholic beer
CMO Andrew Katz explains how a new multimillion-dollar campaign addresses the entrance of more "big guys" into the nonalcoholic category.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 6, 2025 -
Q&A
Domino’s CMO on how Emergency Pizzas meet consumers where they are
Kate Trumbull and Matt Talbot, co-founder of the brand’s AOR WorkInProgress, explain how last year’s marketing efforts set up the chain for 2025.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 2, 2025 -
Column
Campaign Trail: Olipop gets in on holiday cheer with stop-motion yetis
CMO Matt Bruhn explained how the better-for-you brand disrupted Big Soda holiday advertising alongside indie agency Callen.
By Chris Kelly • Dec. 20, 2024 -
P.F. Chang’s finds new CMO in Ticketmaster, PepsiCo marketer
The casual dining chain becomes the latest restaurant brand to hire new marketing leadership as consumer behaviors continue to evolve.
By Chris Kelly • Dec. 17, 2024 -
Nostalgic Jolt Cola returning to shelves as an energy drink
The beverage, popular in the 1980s and 1990s, will be marketed on social platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Facebook in a bid to Gen Z.
By Christopher Doering • Dec. 16, 2024 -
BetMGM hires CMO to accelerate momentum in growing betting industry
Casey Hurbis previously served as chief marketer at Rocket Mortgage, where he oversaw two consecutive Super Bowl ad successes.
By Chris Kelly • Dec. 9, 2024 -
Smashburger’s CMO on righting the brand’s course with a new visual identity
A new app launch followed a recent rebrand as part of new chief marketer Thomas Prather’s work to get the chain’s digital ecosystem moving.
By Chris Kelly • Dec. 9, 2024 -
J. Crew taps Skims marketer as CMO to boost cultural relevance
Julia Collier helped turn Kim Kardashian’s Skims into a trendy name with moves like striking its first major sports sponsorship last year.
By Peter Adams • Dec. 6, 2024 -
Adobe names former Intuit marketer as CMO to expand brand reach
The hire follows Adobe appointing Stagwell as global lead of creative campaigns and social content for its Digital Media business in October.
By Peter Adams • Dec. 2, 2024 -
Why specialty cheese Alouette rebranded right before the holidays
For its 50th anniversary, the Savencia brand of French cheeses is introducing new packaging, sonic branding and its biggest campaign to date.
By Chris Kelly • Nov. 27, 2024 -
How JCPenney’s ‘Really Big Deal Reveals’ campaign is faring so far
The retailer has been averaging 13% to 15% new customers each week during the campaign appearing during Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football.”
By Jessica Deyo • Nov. 26, 2024 -
Q&A
Macy’s CMO on why telling a cohesive marketing story is crucial
With its Thanksgiving Day parade days away, Sharon Otterman explains how the retailer brought its gift guide to life in its holiday campaign.
By Chris Kelly • Nov. 25, 2024 -
Q&A
Bose CMO on driving the brand’s cultural impact and the coming AI shakeout
Jim Mollica, Bose’s first global marketing chief, spoke with Marketing Dive about evolving the 60-year-old brand through more emotionally led marketing.
By Peter Adams • Nov. 21, 2024 -
Deep Dive
‘Merry and bright’: How marketers are evolving for ambitious holiday shoppers
Amid record spending intentions by shoppers, holiday marketing campaigns reflect more diverse media mixes and experiments with artificial intelligence.
By Jessica Deyo • Nov. 13, 2024 -
REI taps former Sephora, Williams-Sonoma exec for chief marketer
Abigail Jacobs will oversee all marketing functions at the outdoor retailer, which has struggled to return to profitability in recent years.
By Cara Salpini • Nov. 12, 2024