by Thomas Barta | Feb 20, 2026 | Marketing Leadership
The New Zealand retailer’s decision to pause ad spend for eight weeks isn’t the cavalier move some say, but an A/B test all marketers should follow closely. In the fast-moving retail category, eight weeks is an eternity. Especially if the CMO of a retail brand pauses...
by Thomas Barta | Jan 21, 2026 | Marketing Leadership
Performance marketing has an evil twin: brand marketing – another term that promises clarity, but mostly delivers the opposite Just before Christmas, I wrote a column arguing that performance marketing should be retired. It’s a misleading label for direct response...
by Thomas Barta | Dec 22, 2025 | Marketing Leadership
Two small words can do big damage. ‘Performance marketing’ gives marketers and C-suites the wrong idea about return on investment and needs to be retired. Somewhere during the digital gold rush, a new term crept into the profession: performance marketing. No one knows...
by Thomas Barta | Nov 19, 2025 | Marketing Leadership
Amazon’s decision to cut 14,000 jobs this quarter – roughly half the number initially feared – confirms what most boardrooms already know: artificial intelligence isn’t just a productivity tool, it’s a restructuring driver. Forget the polite language about “culture”...
by Thomas Barta | Nov 11, 2025 | Marketing Leadership
The oldest—and hardest—marketing research question is: “Why do people buy?” Most people simply delegate the answer—feeding a US $140 billion research industry (ESOMAR). The problem? Many results are skewed, unreliable, or plain wrong. I learned that the hard way....
by Thomas Barta | Nov 3, 2025 | Marketing Leadership
Meaningful product tweaks enable incremental sales, and while most marketers don’t influence product, they can gradually change that. “iPhone 17 Disappointment Triggers $112 Billion Apple Market Value Drop,” the headline read. Apple had just unveiled its new iPhone 17...
by Thomas Barta | Jul 27, 2025 | Essential reading
Are you a growth leader? Take the research-based assessment to see how you lead for growth—and where to lead better. Growth leaders are different. They drive measurable business expansion. They IGNITE growth through openness and creativity, RALLY people through...
by Thomas Barta | Dec 17, 2024 | Podcasts
What makes or breaks marketing leaders? The ability to lead the growth agenda.I recently joined Vinnie Romano’s Growth Colony podcast to talk marketing leadership. Three insights we’ve covered:1. AI can’t lead change—you can. AI is a powerful tool for...
by Thomas Barta | Nov 8, 2024 | CMO Central
Successful CMOs master strategy beyond just marketing. This list? It’s all about higher-level CMO strategy: investments, budgets, organization. Here’s what I’ve found useful over the past decade. The list will keep growing, and I hope you’ll find something...
by Thomas Barta | Oct 16, 2024 | Marketing Leadership
Brand activism is tricky. You care about a cause. Your customers want action. You’re ready to dive in. But hold up. Even with the best intentions, not all your customers may follow. Some might even feel sidelined. Brand activism? It’s a minefield—and a true leadership...
by Thomas Barta | Oct 10, 2024 | Marketing Leadership
Many CMOs already know: The Marketing Academy CMO Fellowship is one of the top leadership programs out there. And here’s the thing—it’s closing soon. The big idea? Turning marketing leaders into future CEOs. A great CEO knows how to shape the future—spotting...
by Thomas Barta | Oct 9, 2024 | CMO Central
Successful CMOs are skilled leaders. Here’s a “cheat sheet”. After 15 years of digging through research and insights on CMO leadership, I’ve found a few standout pieces (from credible sources and my own work). I’ll keep adding to this list and hope you find something...
by Thomas Barta | Oct 3, 2024 | CMO Central
Here are Japanese marketing leadership articles from my Nikkei X Trend column and other outlets.こちらは、私のNikkei X Trendコラムやその他の媒体でのマーケティングリーダーシップに関する日本語での洞察です。 なぜマーケターは社内で影響力を発揮できない？ 背後に3つの溝 マーケター成功の条件 価値創造のゾーン外で働いていませんか？ 「売ればいい」時代は終わり マーケターのための“4つの行動指針”...
by Thomas Barta | Jun 11, 2024 | Keynotes
Recently, a client had asked me to craft a keynote which I titled “The Wingmate Effect—Collective Leadership in Turbulent Times.” Perhaps you’ll find some of these ideas useful. In this post: HEADING1 HEADING1 HEADING1 In the eye of the storm Markets...
by Thomas Barta | Dec 5, 2023 | Keynotes
Trusted Advisor How to build trusted client relationships in an AI It’s a big question. One I address in my latest client relationship keynote. We’re in the midst of a seismic shift. It’s like the industrial revolution, but for relationships....
by Thomas Barta | Sep 4, 2023 | Tools & Workshops
Marketers love their customers, their work, and making an impact. But then reality hits: budgets, silos, inertia. Great ideas stall. We’ve seen it happen too often. Thomas Barta and Syl Saller built this class for the Marketing Leadership Institute to help you...
by Thomas Barta | Aug 29, 2023 | Tools & Workshops
Enabling marketing leaders of today to become the CEOs of tomorrow. Many CMOs already know: The Marketing Academy CMO Fellowship is among the top leadership programs out there. The big idea? Turning marketing leaders into future CEOs. A great CEO knows how to shape...
by Thomas Barta | Aug 29, 2023 | Keynotes
The keynote for growth leaders AI, the digital revolution, sustainability—the rules of business keep turning upside down. To lead for growth, business leaders must become braver. Hear the surprising insights from the world’s largest ever study on brave customer...
by Thomas Barta | Aug 21, 2023 | Essential reading, Marketing Leadership
For success, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) often hone in on their technical marketing skills. They might be missing the mark. Our data from the world’s largest ever study on CMO impact reveals a profound truth: it’s leadership that move the needle....
by Thomas Barta | Aug 19, 2023 | Essential reading, Tools & Workshops
The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader: For this groundbreaking leadership book, I teamed up with London Business School professor Patrick Barwise to answer one question: what makes an effective and successful marketing leader? We conducted the largest ever global study...
