Is The CMO Role Morphing Into Chief Communicator?

There's been a major downgrade, if not borderline disappearance, of the CMO role atop many top brands. But the job is morphing, not going away. Take Hinge's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Tamika Young, who insisted on adding the comms element to her remit when she was promoted last year.

What Happened

AdExchanger's daily roundup flagged a Wall Street Journal report on the shrinking CMO title across major brands. Hinge promoted Tamika Young to Chief Marketing and Communications Officer after she pushed to fold communications into her scope. The pattern signals a broader rewiring: marketing leadership is absorbing comms, brand, and reputation work as standalone CMO roles get cut or consolidated.

Why This Matters for B2B Marketing Leaders

If you run marketing at an HR Tech or FinTech company, the C-suite signal is loud. Boards are questioning whether a pure demand-and-brand CMO justifies the seat, especially when AI is compressing campaign production and PR crises move faster than quarterly planning. Spencer Stuart data has shown average CMO tenure hovering around 40 months, the shortest in the C-suite. Folding communications into your remit is no longer a power grab. It is the price of staying relevant when the CEO needs one executive accountable for the full narrative across analysts, employees, regulators, and buyers.

The Starr Conspiracy's Take

You are not losing the CMO role. You are being asked to do a harder version of it. In categories like HR Tech and FinTech, where trust drives deal velocity, the marketing leader who owns analyst relations, executive visibility, and crisis comms alongside demand generation wins the budget fight. The CMOs who resist this are the ones getting downgraded to VP. We have argued for years that B2B brand and demand have to operate as one system, and communications is the connective tissue. Pitch the expanded scope before someone pitches your replacement.

What to Watch Next

Expect more CMO-to-CMCO title changes across enterprise SaaS through 2026, particularly at companies preparing for IPO or facing activist pressure. Watch for HR Tech and FinTech boards to follow Hinge's pattern. The probable tell: job postings that list comms, IR support, and brand under one role.

Related Questions

Should HR Tech CMOs absorb communications now?

Yes, if your CEO is spending meaningful time on analyst briefings, client escalations, or category narrative. Owning comms gives you control over the story buyers hear before sales ever calls. Waiting until the title gets cut is too late.

What skills does a CMCO need that a CMO does not?

Media relations, executive ghostwriting, issues management, and analyst relations. Most demand-bred CMOs underinvest here. Building a category design and narrative practice inside your team closes the gap faster than hiring a separate comms lead.

Is this a sign marketing budgets are shrinking?

Not exactly. Budgets are consolidating. When comms, brand, and demand report to one leader, finance sees fewer line items and more accountability. That often protects total spend while reshaping how it is allocated across earned, owned, and paid channels.