From Director to Director: Strategies Shared by CMOs

This month I attended the Marketing Executive Summit of AMA Tampa Bay. The event sought to share ideas about marketing strategies in today's market among marketing directors. Different ideas about strategy, leadership and the future of marketing were shared, and here I share with you those that caught my attention the most.

The purple unicorn needs strategic leadership

Mike Mosel from Pelarity commented that all companies are trying to find the purple unicorn, but if they are not well led they will never find it. To obtain this result, he recommends three things:

First, know yourself: your strengths, threats, skills and personality so that you exploit your advantages and address your weaknesses. No one is going to be perfect, but we can be efficient and effective if we know what we have.

Second, also know the personality of your team that you work with so that, despite the different personalities, you know how to leverage internal talents and walk towards the same objectives.

And finally, know and define a business strategy aligned with human talent. I have always said that the best image a company can project is when all its employees, at all levels, regardless of size, are aligned with its mission and practice it day by day.

He concluded by recommending to directors: have an excellent operation, constantly innovate in product and service, and deliver an honest and transparent relationship with the consumer.

AI is changing traditional career paths in advertising

Tony Stanol commented that the merger between large agencies continues, that for example, any person working in a large advertising agency, 20% receives their check from Omnicom. AI is a disruptor in the advertising world, and future agency employees will have the advantage of knowing how to translate complexities. AI does not necessarily replace, but it will change salary workers: the more important and valuable your contribution, the better your salary.

If you do the same thing that many people within the company do, someone has to go. It has always been this way, but now it will be more obvious, especially if someone who knows how to use AI can do the work of five people. So traditional career trajectories in the advertising industry will change. And the agency's culture will be its competitive advantage; this idea is related to the one we reviewed at the beginning of the article.

Control the future of your non-linear career

Danielle Vona recommends that directors take control over the future of their career, since professional careers are not linear. And to stand out, be very good at what you do and always think about how you can generate value for your clients and target audience. Her formula for success in marketing: be a very good director, be visible and be yourself. Authenticity and contact with the market are more relevant today in the face of artificial intelligence.

Clarity on LinkedIn generates opportunities

Barb Smith commented: if you want to stand out on LinkedIn, it's not about how to play with the algorithm, but how to be clear about who you are, what you do and what you can do for others. Clarity in your LinkedIn profile is very important. A clear profile generates trust, and trust generates conversations, and conversations generate growth opportunities. People will review your profile before accepting your connection request; with clarity, the algorithm will show you to the right people and they will understand your value and what you offer quickly.

Storytelling as a bridge between brand and market

In the panel composed of Erica Shea, David Phillips and Karl Strauch, they highlighted the importance of storytelling, and storytelling is what will help you connect your brand with your market.

Erica Shea commented on the importance of dedicating time to think about strategy and not letting daily activity absorb all our time, because without strategy we have no direction and we only fall into operation. She also suggested curiosity to understand the market, and that helps your innovation.

How is AI impacting marketing activities?

I asked them how AI is impacting their marketing activities.

David Phillips says that in all areas, but especially in data analysis to make the operation of ticket sales to the stadium more efficient.

Erica Shea focused on content and information creation: press releases, ads, and basically any communication action. She recommends adopting it and emphasized that it is very important that you model the AI's voice so that it correctly communicates your brand's voice and that your brand essence is not lost.

Karl Strauch recommends: adopt it and use it. It is a great tool for marketing activity if used strategically.

The moderator asked attendees to raise their hand on who has used it little, uses it regularly and uses it a lot, and the attendees were divided into three sections, that is, one third about each of the answers.

In conclusion

They highlighted in conclusion the human skills so that AI aligns with your voice, your value proposition and sounds human in the same way your brand sounds. Being consistent with these communications, storytelling and branding with our diverse stakeholders. AI is a very powerful tool that should enhance the work of the marketer and sales professional, not replace it, and perhaps by using it strategically and balanced with our human skills we can find the purple unicorn.

As a marketing and sales director, what other advice would you give to other marketing directors in the age of AI?

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Author: Dr. Carlos Valdez
Date: February 2026
Edition: February 2026
Text Editing: Claude Sonnet 4.5 for spelling correction

Image generated with: Gemini 3 Nano Banana
Publication: Mercadotecnia y Ventas Magazine

© All rights reserved Mercadotecnia y Ventas Magazine 2026. Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission.

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