GoKawiilMarketing leaders push back on claims that the CMO role is disappearing
Commentary circulating in business media periodically declares the chief marketing officer role obsolete, citing flatter organizational structures, decentralized marketing functions, and AI tools that can generate campaigns quickly. A counterargument holds that these same forces make experienced marketing leadership more essential, not less, since someone still needs to set strategy and judge what automated output actually serves the brand.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
As AI lowers the cost of producing marketing content, the scarce resource becomes judgment about what to say and why, not the ability to generate copy or ads. Companies that read automation as a signal to cut senior marketing leadership risk conflating faster execution with better strategy, a gap that often only becomes visible after brand damage or wasted spend.
- Reports of the CMO's demise recur regularly but rest on shifting, inconsistent arguments.
- AI and decentralization change how marketing work gets done, not whether leadership is needed.
- Strategic judgment remains distinct from content production speed enabled by automation.
Source: fastcompany.com, 2026-09-09
Published there as: “Don’t believe what you read about the ‘death of the CMO’”
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