John Piccone, Regional VP Americas at Adform, on why conflating the CMO role with the chief advertising officer role produces bad technology and media decisions, how 30 years of ad tech experience from newspaper systems to programmatic taught him to find product-market fit in changing markets, and where CMOs should place their bets right now.
"When I advise a brand CMO, the first question is: does this company understand what a CMO actually thinks about?"
Why confusing CMO and CAdO roles produces bad technology decisions and what 30 years of ad tech evolution teaches about product-market fit
John Piccone began his career as a data entry clerk, started in newspaper advertising systems at 21 through a Swiss company trying to build a unified newspaper ad buying system, spent 10 years based in Lausanne and Paris running Real Media Europe, and has since held senior roles at Innovid, Simulmedia, and Adform. His 30-year arc across ad tech has taught him more about product-market fit and change management than any business school curriculum.
In this conversation Piccone makes the case that the ad tech industry consistently makes a structural mistake: treating the CMO as if they were a chief advertising officer, which they are not. CMOs think about brand, revenue, customer experience, and organisational culture. Advertising and media is one consideration among many. Technology companies that understand this distinction win more CMO budget than those that lead with ad tech features.
"I started as a data entry clerk, got into advertising at 21 through a Swiss company building unified newspaper buying systems. That parent company invested in one of the first online ad serving companies, Real Media, which became 24 Seven Real Media and then Zaxxas. I did 10 years in Lausanne and Paris running Real Media Europe. Adform is the ad tech platform I am now with as Regional VP Americas."
Piccone traces a 30-year arc across the full evolution of advertising technology.
"Chief marketing officers are not chief advertising officers. We often think that. But they are not. So get up to speed on what CMOs are really thinking about in their day-to-day and understand the role of media and advertising, and then place it in the consideration set of what a brand CMO thinks about in the time they spend thinking about media and advertising."
The most direct expression of Piccone's core commercial insight.
"The first question is: does this company I am going to choose for my future have marketing knowledge? Companies that truly understand what CMOs are dealing with, not just the advertising piece, will win more budget. The technology is a means to a CMO end. The end is commercial growth, brand equity, customer experience."
Piccone frames technology selection as a question of supplier alignment with CMO priorities.
"It was easy because you were first in. If you could listen to what somebody wanted and you had the kit in roughly what they needed, it was easy to get started. Then to keep them right became the game. The relationships built in those early days in Lausanne and Paris became foundations that lasted decades."
The first-mover advantage in emerging markets: easy to start, hard to maintain.
"The industry will continue to consolidate. The platforms that understand the full CMO agenda rather than just the advertising slice will win. AI will change the execution layer faster than most expect. But the fundamental challenge of understanding what a marketer is trying to achieve and making it easier to achieve it: that does not change."
Piccone places AI within a consistent commercial framework.
"Get up to speed on what CMOs really think about in their day to day. Then place advertising and media in that consideration set."
Host Tell us about your background and journey.
Piccone 30 years in advertising technology. Started as a data entry clerk, joined a Swiss newspaper ad company at 21, ended up running Real Media Europe for 10 years in Lausanne and Paris. Now Regional VP Americas at Adform.
Host What is the CMO versus CAdO distinction?
Piccone CMOs are not chief advertising officers. We often think that. But they are not. Get up to speed on what CMOs really think about in their day-to-day. Then place advertising and media in that consideration set. Companies that understand the full CMO agenda win more budget than those that lead with ad tech features.
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