In an era where martech—including data and artificial intelligence—dominates conversations and budgets throughout the industry, understanding the relationship between creativity and technology has never been more critical. As a June study, “The Future of Growth: Unlocking the CMO-CIO Partnership,” from TCS Interactive and the Institute for Real Growth, reported, successful collaboration between chief marketing officers and chief information and technology officers is vitally important to the success of enterprises.
Yet, the report found, fewer than half of CMOs in the study say they have effective collaborations with their CIO counterparts.
Back in June, during the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Ad Age and TCS kicked off a series of intimate, exclusive roundtable discussions with advertising and marketing leaders, continuing through Ad Age’s Small Agency Conference in Boston in July and Business of Brands Conference in Chicago in September. Co-hosted by TCS Senior Managing Partner Andrew Essex along with Ad Age President Dan Peres, Editor-in-Chief Jeanine Poggi and Studio 30 Editor John Dioso, the series has highlighted the evolving challenges within the marketing and technology landscape, focusing more specifically on how bridging the CMO-CIO divide is essential for navigating today’s complex marketing ecosystem.
Essex recently sat down with Dioso at Ad Age’s offices in New York to reflect on the key takeaways from the roundtables and how they reflect the current state of the industry and what can be done to foster alignment between creativity and tech in the coming year.
John Dioso: From Cannes to Small Agency to Business of Brands, what stood out to you in those discussions about the state of marketing technology?
Andrew Essex: The consistent theme is “poets need to understand plumbing.” The current martech ecosystem often impedes the flow of creative ideas to the consumer. You could have a brilliant idea, but if the infrastructure is flawed, the message doesn’t reach the audience effectively. I’ve heard CMOs lament about martech tools that don’t integrate properly, which creates inefficiencies and frustration. Marketers acknowledge these challenges but often struggle to act because of organizational silos and misaligned incentives. That’s why fostering better communication between marketing and IT teams is so essential.
Dioso: This brings us to the tension between CMOs and CIOs. Why does this relationship remain a critical issue?
Essex: The CMO-CIO relationship is one of the least effective within the C-suite, according to research from TCS Interactive. CMOs focus on storytelling and emotional connections, while CIOs are tasked with maintaining technical infrastructures. Without a shared language or understanding, collaboration stalls. It reminds me of that old Jimmy Fallon IT character on “Saturday Night Live,” who would condescendingly bark “Move” to co-workers and basically treat everyone like idiots.
There is a lack of empathy from technologists toward marketers. Marketers are left feeling alienated and unsupported. At TCS Interactive, we focus on helping CMOs translate their goals into terms technologists can work with, and vice versa. It’s about saying, “Where does it hurt?” instead of “Move!”—a shift from condescension to collaboration. Marketers are trying to create emotional connections with customers, and they need support, not resistance, from IT. The solution lies in creating “bilingual” leaders who can bridge this divide, translating technical speak into actionable marketing strategies.
Dioso: How does AI fit into this dynamic, especially given its growing role in marketing?
Essex: AI is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it simplifies repetitive tasks, freeing marketers to focus on creativity. On the other, it requires trust and oversight. During the Business of Brands roundtable, we explored how AI is reshaping workflows across enterprises. While it can help streamline tasks and enhance efficiency, there was a consensus that AI cannot fully replicate the creative intuition and emotional intelligence humans bring to the table.
For example, some agencies have successfully used AI to automate content generation, but they still rely on human oversight to ensure that the final output resonates authentically with audiences. This speaks to the broader challenge: AI excels in execution but struggles with the nuance of creating emotionally compelling narratives. The role of marketers and creative professionals remains vital in steering these tools toward meaningful, human-centric outcomes.
It’s a partnership—AI handles the heavy lifting, and humans infuse the work with soul. As AI continues to evolve, the focus should be on collaboration, not substitution, ensuring that the technology enhances rather than diminishes the human elements of creativity and storytelling.
Dioso: At Cannes Lions, you emphasized the need to harmonize creativity and technology. Can you elaborate?
Essex: As I said before, it’s about aligning “poetry” with “plumbing.” Creativity and storytelling must go hand-in-hand with technical fluency to deliver impactful campaigns. True harmonization involves shared KPIs and collaborative processes between marketing and IT teams. For example, we encourage our clients to co-create strategies where both sides contribute equally. Without this balance, even the best ideas can falter due to poor execution. I often use the analogy of a Stradivarius violin—it’s an extraordinary instrument, but it’s useless without amplification.
Dioso: Obviously events like Cannes Lions and Business of Brands offer a very broad take on the industry at large. What did you learn at the Ad Age Small Agency Conference?
Essex: At both the Small Agency Conference and the Business of Brands, a recurring theme was how agencies are leveraging AI to enhance workflows. Many are using AI to handle repetitive tasks, like data formatting or automated email responses, allowing their teams to focus on high-value, creative work. However, there’s a clear recognition that AI cannot replace human ingenuity. The emotional depth and nuance required for impactful storytelling and branding remain distinctly human strengths. AI, while a valuable tool, still struggles to replicate the texture of human experience, which is vital for creating authentic connections.
We also discussed the importance of upskilling talent to navigate this evolving landscape. Agencies, particularly smaller ones, are focusing on developing expertise in prompt engineering and other technological areas to remain competitive. But even as they invest in technology, there’s a shared understanding that technology should serve creativity, not dominate it. The balance between leveraging AI and preserving the unique emotional resonance of human creativity is critical.
These conversations underscored the role of events like this in spotlighting innovation while reinforcing the irreplaceable value of the human touch in creative processes. It’s this blend of technology and human insight that will define the future of the industry.
Dioso: What actionable steps would you recommend to CMOs and CIOs struggling to collaborate?
Essex: Begin with empathy and shared learning. A joint learning agenda to explore each other’s pain points and priorities is a great start. I think both functional heads, the CMO and CIO need to try to give more than they get when it comes to partnership. If both parties are sincere, we’ve seen these alliances become new power centers inside the leadership suite. Joint strategic planning is really at the root of creating change – all successful CMOs have a vision for growth, all successful CIOs have a vision for their firm’s computing and data needs.
Dioso: What does the future hold for the CMO-CIO alliance?
Essex: We’re entering an era of peak complexity, but with immense opportunity. Organizations that foster a culture of innovation, change and entrepreneurship and break down silos to enhance collaboration across functions will thrive—and outperform the competition. This requires CMOs and CIOs to embrace convergence and view each other as partners rather than adversaries. The most successful alliances I’ve observed operate with shared goals, where both functions contribute to growth and consumer engagement.
Take, for example, TCS Interactive’s work in developing integrated martech solutions for global brands. A recent initiative focused on streamlining the customer journey by aligning marketing data systems with IT infrastructures. By addressing fragmentation in data ecosystems, TCS helped marketers gain a single source of truth, enabling more precise targeting and personalized consumer experiences. This kind of collaboration demonstrates the potential of the CMO-CIO partnership to drive not just efficiency, but also meaningful engagement.
It’s not just about surviving in a digital world—it’s about leading it. Organizations that innovate through collaboration will define the future of marketing.
