Latest
CMO Strategy Insights
Successful CMOs master strategy beyond just marketing. This list? It’s all about higher-level CMO strategy: investments, budgets, organization.
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Essential reading
What is Marketing Leadership?
Insights from the world’s largest ever study on CMO impact and success.
The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader
Thomas Barta and Patrick Barwise decode the secrets of marketing leadership success.
Take the Marketing Leadership Test
Within 5 minutes, find your Marketing Leadership strengths. Free. Anonymous. Fun!
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CMO Central
How global senior marketers drive business and shape their own careers.
CMO Strategy Insights
Successful CMOs master strategy beyond just marketing. This list? It’s all about higher-level CMO strategy: investments, budgets, organization.
CMO Leadership Insights
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
Japanese marketing leadership articles / マーケティングリーダーシップに関する記事
Japanese marketing leadership articles by Thomas / マーケティングリーダーシップに関する記事
What makes a CMO successful? Lessons from over 300 Interviews
What author and podcast hosts Drew Neisser learned from interviewing over 300 chief marketing officers.
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Tools & Workshops
Level up your growth leadership game.
The Marketing Leadership Masterclass
The Marketing Leadership Masterclass is the complete toolkit to help marketers build their influence and boost their career.
The Global CMO Fellowship
Applications for the European CMO Fellowship 2024 are now open (and close 16 October)!
The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader
Thomas Barta and Patrick Barwise decode the secrets of marketing leadership success.
Take the Marketing Leadership Test
Within 5 minutes, find your Marketing Leadership strengths. Free. Anonymous. Fun!
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Keynotes
Change leadership keynotes by Thomas.
Keynote: The Wingmate Effect—Collective Leadership in Turbulent Times
Successful leaders rally their teams, drawing from the collective strength of their crew. I’ve come to call them Wingmates.
Keynote: Still Trusted Advisor—Building Client Relationships in a New World
In the era of AI, great client leaders provide more than just the right answers. It’s about the right questions. It’s about understanding. On two levels: rational and emotional. The more clients know, the more they are craving for what only humans can give: intimacy.
Keynote: When is Your Moment … to be Brave?
Thomas’s new research unveils a profound truth: transformation begins when talented dare to leave their comfort zones—and go big!
Keynote: The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader
Experience the keynote from the world’s largest ever study on marketers’ success.
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1-Minute Series
Marketing leadership nuggets: bite-sized insights for success.
1 Minute Marketing Leader #20: Unfollow the Bin-Fluencers
In Marketing there’s a lot of “fake news”. Find your own truths. Unfollow the “Bin-Fluencers.”
1 Minute Marketing Leader #20: Unfollow the Bin-Fluencers
In Marketing there’s a lot of “fake news”. Find your own truths. Unfollow the “Bin-Fluencers.”
1 Minute Marketing Leader #18: Be the Chief Mood Officer
When you are leading a team, you are the Chief Mood Officer too.
1 Minute Marketing Leader #19: Show the fire in your eyes
To inspire others, you have to be inspired yourself first. Inspired by a dream. Inspired by a goal. Inspired by things you care about.
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Interviews
Dialogues with global change leaders.
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Boutros Boutros, Emirates
For my Forbes CMO column, I sat down with Emirates’ marketing head Boutros Boutros. Together with his team Boutros has built one of the world’s most admired airline brands. Here are three nuggets you might find interesting:
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Greg Lyons, PepsiCo
Greg Lyons, Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America and I spoke about marketing leadership and empathy.
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Virginie De Beco, Sennheiser
For my Forbes column, I have spoken with Virginie de Beco, Sennheiser’s Global Head of Consumer Marketing. Virginie.
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Podcasts
In conversation with Thomas Barta.
Podcast: Marketing Leadership Powers
What are the challenges for marketers this year? Conor Byrne and Thomas explore.
Podcast: Getting your CEO to buy in
Jeff White and Thomas discuss how leaders can get buy-in at the top—and enjoy the journey.
Time For A Reset: Podcast
Paul Frampton and Thomas talk about bravery, leadership—and why it’s time to reset.
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In case you missed it …
Every article? In perfect chronological order.
CMO Strategy Insights
Successful CMOs master strategy beyond just marketing. This list? It’s all about higher-level CMO strategy: investments, budgets, organization.
Is brand activism endangering your business?
From our Harvard Business Review article: Brand activism’s tricky. You care about a cause. Your customers want action. You’re ready to dive in. But hold up.
Apply now for the 2025 CMO Fellowship
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.
CMO Leadership Insights
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
Japanese marketing leadership articles / マーケティングリーダーシップに関する記事
Japanese marketing leadership articles by Thomas / マーケティングリーダーシップに関する記事
Keynote: The Wingmate Effect—Collective Leadership in Turbulent Times
Successful leaders rally their teams, drawing from the collective strength of their crew. I’ve come to call them Wingmates.
Keynote: Still Trusted Advisor—Building Client Relationships in a New World
In the era of AI, great client leaders provide more than just the right answers. It’s about the right questions. It’s about understanding. On two levels: rational and emotional. The more clients know, the more they are craving for what only humans can give: intimacy.
The Marketing Leadership Masterclass
The Marketing Leadership Masterclass is the complete toolkit to help marketers build their influence and boost their career.
The Global CMO Fellowship
Applications for the European CMO Fellowship 2024 are now open (and close 16 October)!
Keynote: When is Your Moment … to be Brave?
Thomas’s new research unveils a profound truth: transformation begins when talented dare to leave their comfort zones—and go big!
What is Marketing Leadership?
Insights from the world’s largest ever study on CMO impact and success.
The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader
Thomas Barta and Patrick Barwise decode the secrets of marketing leadership success.
Take the Marketing Leadership Test
Within 5 minutes, find your Marketing Leadership strengths. Free. Anonymous. Fun!
The Marketing Leadership Masterclass: Sep 12, 2023
The Marketing Leadership Masterclass is back! Starting September 2023, the next global group of marketing leaders will get together to learn the secrets of...
Does the CMO matter? 5 facts every CEO must know
Five separate studies leave no doubt: CMOs and strong marketing teams are essential for company success.
What makes a CMO successful? Lessons from over 300 Interviews
What author and podcast hosts Drew Neisser learned from interviewing over 300 chief marketing officers.
Marketers need more sense to stem the tide of CMO firings
CMO Transitions are happening at an unprecedented rate. What to do?
Podcast: Marketing Leadership Powers
What are the challenges for marketers this year? Conor Byrne and Thomas explore.
Keynote: The 12 Powers of a Marketing Leader
Experience the keynote from the world’s largest ever study on marketers’ success.
If CMOs don’t stand for growth, they stand for nothing
Coca-Cola’s ditching of its chief marketing officer role for a chief growth officer is a clear warning to CMOs: stand for growth, or lose it all.
Why CMOs are always the first to go
The average chief marketing officer in large U.S. firms leaves after just 4.1 years, while the CEO stays around for eight. It is not good for business.
Why CMOs must side with the revenue camp
Influential CMOs are associated with revenue, yet too often marketers are not. They’re missing the point. It’s time for CMOs to get into the revenue camp.
CMOs: it’s time to up the game in team skills building
Every CMO agrees: skills are central for marketing teams’ business impact and internal standing. But when it comes to building those skills, the marketing department is too often undermanaged and underfunded. It’s time for CMOs to catch up.
CMOs and the ‘confidence thing’
Marketers often ask: “Do I have what it takes to step up and shape my company’s customer agenda?” But when good marketers hold back, companies may struggle to grow and customers are worse off. That’s when it’s time to add more fuel into marketer’s tank: confidence.
Why open books give you more power in the C-Suite
Why are CFOs so powerful? They have crucial and credible financial data every CEO wants to see. Competing with a CFO’s credibility can be hard if your own data is forward looking—or if your work’s impact is hard to measure. Don’t try to compete—change the game. Open the books!
How the CMO can add most value
In theory, the CMO role should be exalted, but reality is different. New evidence suggests many CMOs are missing the needs of an important customer: their own company. It’s time to change this.
Keynote: Customer Freak
How can CEOs build organizations that grow in times of rapid change and disruption? Hire more customer freaks.
マーケティングリーダーシップテスト:あなたの強みを見つける
マーケティングリーダーシップテスト:あなたの強みを見つける
マーケティングをリードするのはマーケティングをすると同じではありません。世界最大のマーケティングリーダーシップ調査では、マーケティングをリードすることは360度のタスクであることがわかりました。世界で最も成功しているマーケターは、上司、同僚、チーム、そして自分自身を巻き込む方法を知っています。
McKinsey: Can CMOs and CFOs be friends?
CMOs and CFOs always had a special relationship. Five steps can strengthen the ties between the two.
Podcast: Getting your CEO to buy in
Jeff White and Thomas discuss how leaders can get buy-in at the top—and enjoy the journey.
1 Minute Marketing Leader #20: Unfollow the Bin-Fluencers
In Marketing there’s a lot of “fake news”. Find your own truths. Unfollow the “Bin-Fluencers.”
1 Minute Marketing Leader #18: Be the Chief Mood Officer
When you are leading a team, you are the Chief Mood Officer too.
1 Minute Marketing Leader #19: Show the fire in your eyes
To inspire others, you have to be inspired yourself first. Inspired by a dream. Inspired by a goal. Inspired by things you care about.
1 Minute Marketing Leader #17: Be a dealer in hope
For almost every marketing project, you want other to change. You’ll need more than a story—but a good story helps.
1 Minute Marketing Leader #16: Start a movement
If you can’t tell people what to do, why not start a movement?
1 Minute Marketing Leader #15: As an emotional leader, communicate well
How to thrive in a rational world, when you are an emotional leader? Don’t change what you are best at. Instead, try and tweak your communication to fit the audience.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #14 Solve a problem
How to get promoted? How to land that next big project? There’s no silver bullet. Your best bet? Solve a real problem.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #13 Find your work’s worth
Your best work has impact. It changes how people think. It alters how people behave. Does your work have impact? It’s a good question to ask—from time to time.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #12 Side with the revenue camp
If you want to enjoy influence in any organization, you have to stand for what matters. In many firms, that’s profitable revenue—like it or not.
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Boutros Boutros, Emirates
For my Forbes CMO column, I sat down with Emirates’ marketing head Boutros Boutros. Together with his team Boutros has built one of the world’s most admired airline brands. Here are three nuggets you might find interesting:
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #11 Find real customer insights
Most customer insight research goes unread, unvalued, unused. That’s a pity. Time to end the waste.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #10 Beware of the buzzwords
Buzz can be good. Buzzwords rarely are. PS: if in doubt, try “customers”, “revenue”, “profit”
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #09 Tackle big issues
When people cut your budgets, when people don’t put you on that meeting agenda, the reason is often simple. They don’t believe your work is tackling a big issue.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #08 Get inside the V Zone
If you want power in any organization, you must serve both customers AND the company. We call this: working inside the Value Creation Zone. Or V Zone for short.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #07 Know WHY to be brave
How to brave? You can—but there’s a trick. Bravery is purpose minus fear.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #06 LEAD marketing
What is marketing leadership? What matters most for marketers’ business success? Marketing and change leadership skills!
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #05 Ditch your job description
Is your job description right? I bet it’s not. What’s my real job? The answer to this question may not in your job description. It’s in your mind, it’s in your heart
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #04 Bridge the skills gap
Do you have all the skills you need? The answer is probably no. And that’s ok.
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Greg Lyons, PepsiCo
Greg Lyons, Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America and I spoke about marketing leadership and empathy.
Time For A Reset: Podcast
Paul Frampton and Thomas talk about bravery, leadership—and why it’s time to reset.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #03 Bridge the Power Gap
No matter how high you rise, you will always be facing a power gap. Don’t fight it. Set a new goal: Learn to mobilize all the people who can say “no”
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #2 Bridge the trust gap
When your job the about the future, accept you will always face a trust gap. Don’t be angry. Instead, bring people along. Help them understand why your ideas matter.
1 Minute Marketing Leader: #1 Win as a marketer
In collaboration with The Marketing Society I have produced this new series: The 1 Minute Marketing Leader. I hope you’ll enjoy this!
The Whole Marketer: Podcast
Abby Dixon of the Whole Marketer Podcast and I spoke about knowing how to influence, having a dream and building credibility.
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Virginie De Beco, Sennheiser
For my Forbes column, I have spoken with Virginie de Beco, Sennheiser’s Global Head of Consumer Marketing. Virginie.
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Ellie Norman, Formula 1
Recently I sat down with Formula 1 CMO Ellie Norman to talk about the F1 transformation, and what happened to the famous lycra Grid Girls.
The time for marketing is now (again)
For marketers, a massive window for change has just opened—and the prize is big.
How will life look after the crisis?
Marketers are facing a major problem. Post-virus, how will markets change? What are the trends?
Never let a good crisis go to waste
Making change happen is tough. New products? Too risky. Agile working? Maybe next year. Better digital tools? We’ll look into it. Why change when life is good?
What could you create in 90 days?
When the world suddenly stops for 90 days, could you use this time well?
Complete this sentence about the future
Creative accumulation leads to better things. Creative destruction leads to new things. One isn’t better than the other. Both innovations matter.
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Katharyn White, T-Systems
Why Katharyn White wants to redefine the collective impact as marketers.
Look beyond performance
Fran Crippen loved the water. The US long-distance swimmer had beaten his competition many times. 7 medals in 6 years—one gold, four silver, two bronze. Olympic...
Five secrets of marketing career success
A few days ago, The Marketing Society asked me to share with their senior marketers the insights from the largest ever study on marketer success. Seats were...
How to get promoted
Making it to the next level can be exciting. More responsibility, more options, more pay. But how to get promoted? Perhaps your firm has a fixed promotion...
Forbes CMO Leadership Talk: Mika Yamamoto, Marketo
How can CMOs get a strong voice in the boardroom? Marketo’s Mika Yamamoto shares her views
Do your numbers
When the numbers don’t add up, business dreams evaporate, change movements stall, projects die. Perhaps people love your idea....
The hidden power of the marketing funnel
Last weekend, my partner and I took a bicycle tour to a small village near our home, called Adendorf. Each year, it hosts an iconic garden exhibition – a sales...
Apply for the EU and US CMO Fellowship 2020
For the sixth year in a row, I'll work with The Marketing Academy, McKinsey, and Wisdom to help 40 blue chip marketers on the way to CEO. This year - for the first...
Marketers: Don’t lose sight of the fact your job is to find customers
As a marketer, people are paying you for the firm’s most important job (next to innovation): finding customers – at the lowest possible cost. Finding customers is...
For career success, being relevant trumps being cool
I love the Airbus A380. It’s an engineering masterpiece. The world’s largest airplane. Quiet. Spacious. Loved by passengers. Yet the A380 demonstrates what happens...
Ask customers for feed-forward, not feedback
Who’s the most powerful person in a firm? The CEO? No. The CFO? No. The head of sales? No. It’s the customer. When a customer complains, the CEO sits up. When a...
To instigate change, first build credit
“You can help us build a love brand. I want to hire you,” the CEO said. Nina was thrilled. Her last years in consumer goods had been tough. Tight margins....
Make the middle manager cool again
Who wants to be a middle manager? Not many people. It’s nice to be the trainee – young and cool; it’s nice to be the CEO – with all the power. But the rest? Stuck...
Have more skin in the game
Everyone in the boardroom turned to me in anger. I spent much of my former career doing two jobs: leading large brands and running major marketing transformation...
Don’t recruit yourself
We love the familiar, the recognisable, the known. And when it comes to picking a team member, many people are looking for a clone. Men recruit men. Creatives...
Thrive in a matrix organisation
Do you thrive in a matrix organisation? In a matrix, everybody is in charge--and nobody has all the power. The person who can tell sales what to do, doesn't exist....
To make change happen, ditch your ego
Trust in politicians has evaporated. Consumer trust in brands is at an all-time low. And too many executives don’t trust their bosses. What’s the problem? Perhaps...
Beware the ‘binfluencer’
The internet is great. If you know something and you want to write a blog that 100,000 people read, you can. If you want to do a podcast that 100,000 people hear,...
Three ways to be a bolder leader
Brave leaders change the world. Air traffic controller Anthonius Gunawan saved the 160 souls on board Batik Air 6231, by staying in the tower, so the plane could...
To drive change, walk the halls
You are in the business of change. In fact, we are all in the business of change. We try to get customers to accept our offer. We try to get colleagues to support...
Why marketers struggle in a rational world
Marketers are more emotional than many of their colleagues, which makes earning respect difficult, but they can gain influence by speaking the language of logic.
Tackle big issues
Hard work is appreciated. Or so people hope. That’s why they put in the long hours, go the extra mile, give their best. But then, things go nowhere. The big...
Use the power of the bottom right-hand corner
To make change happen, shed light on the issue. Measure customer feedback, costs, time wasted – whatever your currency is. Make sure your data is solid. Praise those in the top left corner who are doing well; no need to shame those in the bottom right-hand corner – the chart will do it for you.
Build someone’s confidence
Tell people how you got to where you are. Talk about the hurdles. Share your tricks. Give hope. As a leader, the most precious thing you can help others build is confidence. And it’s free.
Set customers free
If you want dissatisfied customers, lock them in.
Have a good fight
For breakthrough results, harmony isn’t the recipe. Fighting is. Under one condition: the fight has to be constructive.
Make the middle seat wider
Tell customers it’s a middle seat upfront. Then, be generous. Give people a free drink, more air miles, a discount coupon, an extra report, your premium service package. Make the middle seat wider.If people feel good about your middle seat, they may come back. For sure, it’s fair.
Lean in, really
Sheryl Sandberg has a point. In her book ‘Lean In’, Facebook’s current COO asks women, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” Sandberg is a public role model....
Find your proper shoe size
“What’s the point of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)?” I asked Marketing Week readers that question. Why? Well, here is a baffling paradox: Each day, the world’s...
Travel more
Use the power of travel for change. In organizations, get people to meet customers, switch departments, take on cross-functional work. Do the same yourself—and leave your country now and then. That one new perspective, that one new idea, that one new priority that you acquire can make all the difference.
Make something better
Elvis didn’t invent rock 'n' roll. Steve Jobs didn’t invent the smartphone.* Google didn't invent web search. All three took an idea, twisted it, made it...