Behind the CMO
Archive
Subscribe
Search
Log In
Oliver Buchannon
James Murray

James Murray is the founder of Pivotal Consulting Group, a B2B paid media consultancy serving growth-stage and enterprise companies. He created Behind the CMO to share the unfiltered realities of marketing leadership that traditional trade media won't touch. Before starting PCG, James spent time at Google and Amazon Web Services, where he oversaw measurement strategy for approximately $2B in advertising spend. As an agency owner, he's directly managed over $100M in annual ad spend across B2B clients in SaaS, technology, and other industries. He's based in the Kansas City area.


Monday Briefing: OpenAI Is Building Its Own Ad Machine

Monday Briefing: OpenAI Is Building Its Own Ad Machine

Plus: Google will narrate your video ads for you unless you opt out by Thursday, and Huggies lets babies loose on half a million in luxury goods.

Weekly Brief

Your Next Marketer Has Already Been Built

Your Next Marketer Has Already Been Built

AI isn't replacing content creators. It's replacing entire execution layers. And the CMOs celebrating efficiency are walking into a trap.

AI Tech

Monday Briefing: Meta's Ad AI Has a Hallucination Problem

Monday Briefing: Meta's Ad AI Has a Hallucination Problem

Plus: DoorDash's CMO exits after 7 years of dominance, a Staples employee becomes the most effective marketer in America, and the marketing career ladder is broken.

Weekly Brief

The Proficiency Gap

The Proficiency Gap

The gap between AI tourists and AI operators is the new career risk.

AI Tech

Monday Briefing: Netflix Just Walked Away From the Biggest Deal in TV

Monday Briefing: Netflix Just Walked Away From the Biggest Deal in TV

Plus: WPP bets its future on getting paid for results, a $20 IKEA plush breaks the internet, and Google treats Discover like a whole new platform.

Weekly Brief

Everyone's a Marketer (Until It Doesn't Work)

Everyone's a Marketer (Until It Doesn't Work)

Marketing is the only C-suite function where everyone thinks they can do your job. The reason is more structural than you think.

Leadership

Monday Briefing: The Biggest Agency Breakup Since IPG

Monday Briefing: The Biggest Agency Breakup Since IPG

Plus: Airbnb says AI converts better than Google, Liquid Death's Olympics ad becomes a fever dream, and brand marketing is back.

Weekly Brief

The Premium Stress Test

The Premium Stress Test

Consumers are checking whether your premium is real or just marketing. A lot of CMOs are about to find out which one they have.

Brand

Monday Briefing: Google Just Put Ads Inside Your AI Conversation

Monday Briefing: Google Just Put Ads Inside Your AI Conversation

Plus: Anthropic's Super Bowl ad crushed ChatGPT's by 4x, Threads lets you talk to the algorithm, and TikTok goes local.

Weekly Brief

The Rent You Can't Negotiate

The Rent You Can't Negotiate

Retail media isn't a channel. It's a tax. And the landlord just raised it.

Growth

Monday Briefing: The Super Bowl's AI Contrast

Monday Briefing: The Super Bowl's AI Contrast

Plus: TikTok's design is 'addictive' says the EU, Collectors lures away the NFL's fan engagement lead, and why SEO is becoming GEO.

Weekly Brief

The Judgment Call

The Judgment Call

Svedka bet their biggest moment on AI. Some CMO approved that. That CMO is about to find out if they were right.

AI Tech

Monday Briefing: Super Bowl LX - $8 Million for 30 Seconds of Your Attention

Monday Briefing: Super Bowl LX - $8 Million for 30 Seconds of Your Attention

Plus: LinkedIn now penalizes external links by 60%, P.F. Chang's and Edible Brands name new CMOs, and TikTok's algorithm gets an American makeover.

Weekly Brief

The Authenticity Arbitrage

The Authenticity Arbitrage

The gap between usage and belief is your 2026 opportunity.

Brand

Monday Briefing: TikTok Has a New Owner. Now What?

Monday Briefing: TikTok Has a New Owner. Now What?

Plus: Google opens prediction markets to ads and Sonos hires Adweek's Creative Leader of the Decade.

Weekly Brief

The CMO-to-CEO Pipeline Is Finally Opening

The CMO-to-CEO Pipeline Is Finally Opening

She's not the only one. Here's what separates CMOs who ascend.

Career

Monday Briefing: ChatGPT Just Became an Ad Platform.

Monday Briefing: ChatGPT Just Became an Ad Platform.

Plus: Disney names its first-ever CMO, Instagram caps hashtags at five, and Threads quietly beats X.

Weekly Brief

The K-Shaped CMO

The K-Shaped CMO

Two types of marketing leaders are emerging. Same title, diverging trajectories. Which arm are you on?

Leadership

Monday Briefing: Pinterest's CMO Era Ends After Eight Years

Monday Briefing: Pinterest's CMO Era Ends After Eight Years

Plus: TikTok's deadline is this week, NVIDIA hires its first-ever CMO, and a stat that should terrify your SEO team.

Weekly Brief

The Confidence Gap

The Confidence Gap

CMO budgets are up. CMO confidence is at a five-year low. The math doesn't add up until you understand what's actually being measured.

Strategy

Monday Briefing: Meta's AI Is Listening. Now It's Selling.

Monday Briefing: Meta's AI Is Listening. Now It's Selling.

Plus: LinkedIn's algorithm overhaul punishes external links, Super Bowl ads sell out at record pace, and Geico makes a Goldman hire.

Weekly Brief

Why the Best Marketers Don't Get Promoted

Why the Best Marketers Don't Get Promoted

The unspoken skill that determines who advances and who plateaus

Growth

Monday Briefing: Spotify Wrapped Is Marketing's Master Class

Monday Briefing: Spotify Wrapped Is Marketing's Master Class

Plus: 7 trends that will define 2026, AI traffic is tiny but converts better, and Hormel's first enterprise CMO.

Weekly Brief

The CMO Is Dead. Long Live the CMO.

The CMO Is Dead. Long Live the CMO.

Only 49% of Fortune 500 top marketers hold the title today, down from 55% last year. Here's what's actually happening.

Leadership

Monday Briefing: TikTok Got Its Deal. Now What?

Monday Briefing: TikTok Got Its Deal. Now What?

Plus: Meta's $3 billion ad fraud problem, Omnicom-IPG cuts 4,000 jobs, and the CMO who became a CEO.

Weekly Brief

Load more

Behind the CMO

The playbook for marketing leaders who want to think bigger and execute better.


Quick Links

Subscription

Search

© 2026 Behind the CMO.
Report abusePrivacy policyTerms of use
beehiivPowered by beehiiv