CFO as Marketing Chief? Maybe Not as Unusual as You Think (or Maybe So)
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Why would Twitter put its chief financial officer in charge of marketing?
Even people with only a passing interest in advertising pondered that question when it emerged that Twitter CFO Anthony Noto had taken control of the company’s marketing department. Even more eyebrow-raising is that it comes at a precarious time for Twitter, precisely because investors are nervous about user growth. The company’s stock plunged roughly 20% on April 28 after reporting its weakest quarterly revenue growth since going public. Now would certainly be the time to have an experienced marketer in place to persuade more consumers to start tweeting, and to articulate why brands should advertise on Twitter over, say, Facebook.
“It’s such an odd thing — very unusual,” said Kevin Keller, a marketing professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. “Marketing is just not something a CFO is trained in. They don’t have the instincts or experiences. You need someone to inspire and lead people and do the right kinds of things to build incredible brands and customer loyalty.”
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