CMO Corner
The core challenge facing brands is not marketing strategy, but organizational structure
The marketing industry brings together the most creative talent, yet organizations can still fail due to systemic design flaws. The 2026 CMO Survey by Deloitte and Duke University shows that more than one-fifth of marketing leaders believe the biggest capability gap is a shortage of people, time, and budget, rather than a lack of skills. As AI changes the way consumers encounter brands, the linear funnel becomes obsolete, and organizational silos become obstacles to integration. This article argues that brands need to achieve cross-functional collaboration through organizational structure design to produce consistent brand signals, thereby winning trust and growth in an AI-driven environment.
American Eagle Partners with Rising Football Star Lamine Yamal, Opening a New Five-Year Collaboration Chapter
American Eagle's five-year partnership with 18-year-old Spanish footballer Lamine Yamal has officially kicked off, with the first advertisement, "Ready for the World," released one day before the World Cup. Brand CMO Craig Brommers gave an interview, discussing the cultural strategy behind the collaboration, balancing short-term and long-term marketing, creator community growth, and the new TikTok Shop channel.
Tropicana refreshes creative expression, brand strategy remains unchanged
On June 8, Tropicana released its latest master brand campaign "Give Life Some Juice," set in a tropical world, conveying the invigorating feeling after drinking juice through animal characters such as sloths. Brand CMO Chris Tussing stated that this is an evolution at the creative level, not a strategic adjustment; the media strategy remains based on marketing mix modeling (MMM), with a focus on CTV, digital, and social channels. The campaign was produced in collaboration with creative agency Fig and production companies Reset and Untold, and continues the media placement approach of the 2024 campaign "The Juice That Starts It All."
World Cup Tests Marketers' Ability to Prove Sponsorship Value
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is seen as one of the biggest brand marketing opportunities in recent years, but it will also test a more fundamental question: whether marketers can still win attention at scale and prove the value of sponsorship. Gartner predicts that by 2028, 90% of CMOs investing in sports sponsorships will struggle to demonstrate return on investment due to undefined success criteria. This article points out that sponsorship strategies should not be driven solely by exposure metrics but should be planned and measured around three distinct goals: visibility, connection, and trust.
Hyundai CMO on Maximizing the Value of Official FIFA World Cup Sponsorship
Hyundai, as the official mobility partner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, launched its U.S. marketing campaign 'Next Starts Now' on June 1. Hyundai Motor America's Chief Marketing Officer Sean Gilpin detailed the layout of this 360-degree integrated marketing effort: from a 60-second brand film, Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot, and youth soccer training camps, to social media content on platforms like TikTok, Meta, and YouTube, as well as offline fan festival experiences. He emphasized that amid inflation, high interest rates, and high fuel prices impacting the automotive industry, the brand needs to leverage comprehensive activation to capture the full value of sponsorship and build a long-term brand fan base through sports marketing.
Litter-Robot's First Chief Marketing Officer: Driving Growth in the Cat Owner Market Through Marketing
After Whisker appointed its first CMO, Hew Loyd, the company launched the 'The Future is Feline' initiative, aiming to position cats as ideal companions and expand the market through the Litter-Robot product line and subscription services. In an interview, Loyd discussed topics such as brand positioning, marketing strategies for high-priced products, handling the topic of pet waste, and technology-driven growth.
Zevia CMO on How 'Radically Real' Soda Is Stepping Up Marketing
Zevia's Chief Marketing Officer Kirsten Suarez sits down for an exclusive interview, explaining how the brand uses its 'radically real' positioning to counter artificial ingredients and the AI trend, and reveals the two-year partnership strategy with Cardi B and the pace of marketing investment.
DoorDash appoints former Amazon executive Tim Castree as Chief Marketing Officer
DoorDash announced on May 18 that it has appointed former Amazon executive Tim Castree as Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Castree will succeed Kofi Amoo-Gottfried and will be responsible for driving brand growth and global market expansion.
Foot Locker Launches Year-Round Basketball Brand Platform Under New Chief Marketing Officer
Foot Locker launches year-round basketball brand platform "Hoops Lives Here," led by new CMO Brett O'Brien, in partnership with agency Someplace, covering broadcast, social, digital, out-of-home, and in-store channels, and featuring several NBA and WNBA stars.
AI Remains Top Priority for CMOs, but Investment Lags: Gartner
Gartner's CMO spending survey shows that AI remains a top priority for marketing executives, but insufficient infrastructure and budgets constrain scaling efforts. 70% of CMOs rank AI leadership as a key goal for 2026, with only 30% believing their organizations have the necessary infrastructure. Marketing budgets account for 7.8% of company revenue, roughly flat compared to 7.7% in 2025, but AI-optimized organizations average an 8.9% revenue share.