Where Are They Now? The 10 CMOs We Told You To Watch In 2018

Yep – we’re saying it again. CMO shifts are the biggest indicator for agency reviews!

Back in January we identified 10 marketers worth keeping an eye on in 2018 and as we kick off Q2 we wanted to check in to see how the CMO’s fared during the first three months of the year.

As CMO tenures continue to fall, and consumer spending trends are dropping along with them, it’s placed a lot of extra pressure on marketers. As suspected, some CMO’s have been ousted from their roles, meaning if you’re an agency or media seller these are HOT opportunities for you to prioritize RIGHT NOW. While others listed on our original report haven’t made their exit (yet), we highly recommend continuing to watch them throughout Q2 and the remaining year.

Here’s what you need to know:

1.)  Mark Crumpacker, the real housewife of Chipotle, finally made his long overdue departure from the burrito chain, announcing last month that he would be stepping down as Chipotle’s CMO. After his 2016 arrest, I guess his slap on the wrist just wasn’t enough to push his marketing efforts past the finish line – especially after Chipotle’s more recent E. Coli outbreak.

So, while I have no idea where Crumpacker will go next, the important thing to remember is that Chipotle is on the hunt for a new CMO. And with that comes the likelihood of an upcoming agency review, along with a major boost to the chain’s ad budget.
HINT: agencies and media buyers alike should keep Chipotle on their radars.

2.)  Greg Revelle, just about a year ago, was hired as Kohl’s first CMO since 2012, and apparently, he’s still going. Not much to report on here, except the fact that it’s been a year now and Kohl’s is still Kohl’s, so don’t expect Revelle to get too comfortable just yet.

3.)  Brandon Rhoten, CMO at the former “official pizza of the NFL” Papa Johns, is apparently still going strong, but don’t take your eyes off of him. After the pizza chain blamed its declining sales on NFL anthem protests, who knows where blame will be shifted next (watch your back, Rhoten). Although, in chain’s Q4 earnings call, CEO Steve Ritchie, announced Papa John’s would be taking a new approach to its marketing, including the optimization of marketing spend and making the chain’s omnichannel presence more competitive.

4.)  Mark Censoprano, head of marketing for Signet Jewelers, hasn’t gone anywhere, but instead, was recently joined by Anton Carrion, hired as Signet’s new director of IT solutions delivery, digital and omnichannel. This hire comes after a year of shifting marketing spend towards more digital channels. So, while Censoprano seems to be doing just fine, with CMO tenures dropping, having been in his role for over a year is significant, especially as more digitally focused marketing efforts continue – hopefully he can keep up.

5.)  Aimee Lapic is still the CMO at Pandora Media, as far as I am aware. However, I’d love to know the last time you listened to music on Pandora. In other words, no big changes made to the marketing roster yet, but as long as the media company continues to struggle, Lapic should stay on your radar.

6.)  Carla Hassan, CMO at Toys R Us, is probably looking for a new job right about now. After announcing last month that the toy store would be closing all of its doors, there is likely not much left for Hassan to do. So, while I’ve said to keep an eye on all of these marketers, be sure to watch Hassan’s next move closely, as she may lead marketing at her next endeavor, bringing a vulnerability for agency changes with her.

7.)  Debo Mukherjee, CMO at Flower Foods, has only been in his role for about seven months, so it doesn’t surprise me too much that he’s still in charge of marketing. However, as we enter into bathing suit season, people are going to be seeking out healthier food options, so keep an eye on Mukherjee’s next marketing moves, as this could make or break him.

8.)  Kumar Galhotra, was Ford’s CMO for less than six months before being promoted to president of Ford North America. Notably, Joy Falotico took over for Galhotra, where she now leads dual roles as Lincoln chief and Ford’s CMO. So, while Galhotra didn’t stray far, a new marketing head is always something to note, and with Ford wasting no time shaking up its executive roster, expect big changes to follow.

9.)  Bozoma Saint John, Uber’s chief brand officer, is still going strong in her current role, and has made it a “personal mission” to save Uber’s brand. As part of that mission, she’s been “forging connections with driver and consumers by driving Uber Pool herself.” So, while this executive is knees-deep in her commitment to the company, sometimes even passion can’t save a brand. And after some rough PR for Uber, I’d keep an eye on Saint John – who knows, maybe she’ll be your next Uber driver.

10.)  Greg Lyons, PepsiCo’s CMO, is still busy working on a way to get people to forget the Kendall Jenner ad incident. While it’s unclear whether Lyons is hanging onto his  job by handing Pepsi’s out all over the office, or if his strategy is simply to wait for people to forget Jenner’s ad completely before running a new campaign. Either way, neither are sustainable, so while Lyons is still here for now, don’t take him off your radar any time soon.

Although this update only contains a few major changes to report on, it’s important to focus on why these marketers were on your radar in the first place, and to remind you that they should stay on your radar.

To stay up to date on these marketers and brands, and to find more opportunities like this, request your free trial of Winmo!