Why CMOs still matter in the age of viral content and AI

“CMOs at HUL, PepsiCo, Reckitt, etc., are a waste. Fire them,” say some content creators. 

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Someone very wise said...and I couldn’t agree more:

“The problem starts when content becomes strategy. When the cart leads the horse. A CMO cannot be compared to the person in the team making reels. And that, honestly, is the core issue with stand-up comics masquerading as marketing mavens." 

Content is fast becoming a commodity, especially with AI.

Today, anyone can make content.

But that’s not marketing.

Because the real questions are:

1. What content should you make and why?

If you’re “educating”, what kind of education actually triggers a click?  What is the consumer insight that makes someone stop scrolling?

2. Do you have a clear brand proposition?

Why should anyone buy you? In a world of undifferentiated products and great third-party manufacturers, brands matter. People don’t buy products; they buy brands.

3. Packaging is your best ad.

There are investors today who back brands purely on packaging standouts. That’s not accidental – that’s strategic.

4. Distribution is the king.

Salience alone can build trust. If I see you everywhere, I start believing you’re a serious brand.

5. SKU and pack-price strategy can change the game.

Sting exploded to Rs 5,000 crore after launching the Rs 20 pack.

Remember “Thanda matlab Coca-cola” at Rs 5?

Look at Shanti Amla vs Dabur Amla >> it’s almost entirely a pack-price war.

6. Sharp targeting and smart trial building matter.

Winning the first 100, then the first 1,000 consumers requires intelligence, not reckless cash burn.

Buy consumers blindly, and you die soon after.

7. Viral ≠ brand building.

A couple of million-view posts don’t create brand equity.

Brands are built over time, with boring consistency.

Harpic. Tide. Vicks. Whisper.

Not one viral post. Still category leaders.

8. Online-only brands hit a ceiling.

Rs 100 crore? Possible.

Beyond that? Very hard.

9. Pricing, pack size, and trade margins = revenue management.

That’s a serious discipline, and it sits squarely within marketing.

10. Sales teams and distribution strategy win markets on the ground.

No reel can replace that.

11. One brand, one voice. Everywhere.

Consumers don’t differentiate between “viral” and “non-viral” content. Inconsistency kills trust. 

12. Diversification needs brand architecture – otherwise, you dilute faster than you grow. 

Yes, Stanley went viral on TikTok. But the real brilliance was elsewhere: limited-edition colours, seasonal drops, retail exclusives, and a clear shift from a functional product to a fashion accessory. That’s not content magic. That’s strategic thinking in play! 

And that’s why CMOs still matter.

(Our guest author, Vani Gupta Dandia, is a seasoned consultant in consumer sales and marketing with over 27 years of experience across leading global and Indian brands. She has held senior roles at PepsiCo, Unilever, and KPMG, and is currently the founder of CherryPeachPlum, advising numerous brands on growth strategy.)