Ron McMurtrie

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Automation has a way of making marketing systems look busy—and therefore, healthy. Dashboards fill up, campaigns launch on schedule and follow-up happens at machine speed, creating the impression that marketing teams are becoming more efficient and effective.  But activity isn’t the same as results. For a growing number of marketing organizations, automation has become a way to run faster in the wrong direction. Automation doesn’t fix fuzzy underlying strategies, scattered data or poorly defined handoffs between marketing, sales and product teams. It just moves them out of sight. A workflow that runs smoothly isn’t necessarily a workflow that works. Further, tool sprawl can leave teams struggling to manage and achieve ROI from an ever-growing, unchecked tech stack.  That’s the uncomfortable reality many CMOs are grappling with right now. The proliferation of martech tools has made it easier than ever to automate nearly every touchpoint in the customer journey, yet in too many cases, revenue stalls, churn climbs and teams struggle to explain how—or if—automation is making a positive difference. The real job, then, isn’t just adopting better tools. It’s figuring out what the underlying problem is and whether technology will merely simply help a flawed process fail more elegantly. Members of the Senior Executive CMO Think Tank—a curated group of marketing leaders with deep expertise in digital advertising and technology’s growing role in marketing—have been at the forefront of the AI revolution. Here, they break down the process flaws automation most commonly conceals and share practical diagnostics to help CMOs build on solid ground before adding more speed.

expert panel

Many marketing campaigns are built to grab attention—the scroll-stopper, the headline, the viral hit—with little planning for what comes after. Global ad spending is expected to reach unprecedented levels in 2026—topping $1 trillion—but a viral video, clever headline or packed webinar won’t translate to revenue if follow-through is an afterthought. The problem isn’t the creative; it’s the system.  Marketing campaigns designed as moments in time rather than journeys can’t sustain buyers’ interest, achieve conversions or build customer loyalty on their own. Keeping customers engaged throughout every stage of the buyer journey is essential. Yet, in too many organizations, marketing hands off a lead, sales chases it down, and somewhere in the middle, the momentum built by that clever creative quietly dies.  Marketing teams who focus solely on maximizing clicks, impressions and traffic often celebrate winning before the game is actually over. Tackling the harder work of conversion and retention requires rethinking how campaigns are planned, how teams are structured, and how success gets defined. The question, “Will this get their attention?” must be followed by, “Do we have a plan for what comes next?” Members of the Senior Executive CMO Think Tank—a curated group of marketing leaders with expertise in brand storytelling, digital advertising, customer engagement and the rise of AI in marketing—have seen this challenge from every angle. Below, several of them share how to design marketing campaigns that are just as intentional about follow-through as they are about reach.

expert panel

Content marketing is supposed to be the engine that drives brand authority and demand generation long before a sales call. On average, B2B buyers engage with 13 pieces of content at the beginning of the purchasing journey, highlighting the importance of high-quality, authentic and authoritative content. However, many marketing teams continue to crank out blogs, videos, white papers and posts to feed algorithms and fill calendars, hoping something will spark engagement. The result? Often, it’s a lot more noise with a lot less bottom-line impact. Research consistently shows that consumers value trust as highly as price and quality when making purchasing decisions—especially in B2B, where stakes for buyers can be high and strong relationships matter. With content playing an outsized role in discovery and credibility in AI-driven search, it can’t remain a supporting tactic measured by impressions and downloads. It has to connect directly to pipeline velocity, deal progression and long-term customer trust.  The members of the Senior Executive CMO Think Tank are experts in brand storytelling, digital advertising and customer engagement. Below, a group of them shares practical insights on how CMOs can transform content into a true strategic asset—one that compounds over time to drive revenue, strengthen pipeline and build durable trust.

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With Meta reportedly planning to fully automate ad creation by 2026—from copywriting and creative to targeting and placement—CMOs face a pivotal question: What’s left for human marketers? Members of the Senior Executive CMO Think Tank share their insights on the risks, rewards and redefinition of creative work in the age of AI.

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Modern consumers expect more than promises—they want proof. Members of the CMO Think Tank share what today’s most effective brands are doing to back up their values with real action, and how others can avoid performative missteps that damage trust.

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Augmented reality isn’t just a futuristic concept—it’s a practical, powerful tool for marketers looking to deepen customer engagement. Members of Senior Executive’s CMO Think Tank share how AR is transforming everything from product education to brand loyalty.