31% of the Fortune 500 has no CMO. Cole Moir led brand marketing at TCL after 20 years at Samsung, Motorola and Ogilvy. Here's what replaced it.
Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Cole Moir to work through the CMO role as it exists now and where it lands in 2027. Cole names the companies already operating without one, explains why the next CEO is more likely to come out of marketing than sales, and lays out the AI marketing organization he would build if he were starting from scratch tomorrow.
Then it gets specific. Casey hands him a $200 million budget and he splits it live. He gives the 25% upper-funnel floor he says brands can't drop below. He walks through the NFL and Olympic partnerships he owned at TCL, including the 5% stat that made the football case. And he leaves us with a one-question test for whether an AI marketing organization is real or decorative.
If you run marketing, report to someone who does, or are trying to work out what the CMO role turns into, start here.
Transcripts, guest links, and more on the CMO role and the AI marketing organization at retailrazor.com.
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*The Retail Razor: Retail Transformers S2:E8*
*Released on July 30, 2026*
*Guest info*
*Cole Moir.* https://www.linkedin.com/in/colemoir/
Cole Moir is a growth architect who turns culture into commerce.
Over nearly two decades at Ogilvy, 360i, and Edelman, and with brands like Samsung and Motorola, he's helped companies compete in crowded categories and win. Most recently, as VP of Brand and Digital Marketing at TCL North America, he led brand, digital, eCommerce, and performance strategy for the fastest-growing TV brand in the US for two consecutive years, backed by partnerships with the NFL and the International Olympic Committee.
From the Oscar Mayer bacon dating app to the Motorola Razr relaunch and next-generation SQD-Mini LED innovation, his focus has never changed: helping brands punch above their weight and take outsized market share. Today, he's deep-diving into AI and advising growth-stage brands.
*Chapters*
00:00 Teaser
00:53 Show Intro
04:33 Welcome Cole Moir
07:29 AI and CEO Expectations
08:20 CMO to CEO Pipeline
09:36 Guest Career Background
10:37 Future Marketing Org Design
13:33 Hiring for New Roles
14:55 Big Brand Partnerships
19:08 Measuring Partnership Impact
20:19 Influencer Marketing Evolution
24:12 AI for Creator Discovery
27:09 Influencer Measurement KPIs
29:50 Budget Allocation Across Channels
32:39 Budget Split Strategy
35:16 Attribution and Geo Tests
36:52 Agentic AI Org Design
38:40 Skills for Future CMOs
41:01 AI Predictions and Creative
45:25 Taste and AI Integration
48:06 Show Close
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