36: Are CMOs Focused on the Wrong Thing? (Emily Zertuche)

In this candid and cathartic episode of Destination Discourse, we welcome Emily Zertuche, CMO of Visit Corpus Christi, for one of our most honest conversations yet. Emily bravely steps onto the soapbox to explore a tension every destination marketing leader will recognize: Are today’s CMOs spending more time justifying their existence than driving meaningful impact?

We talk about the increasing pressure on destination marketing leaders to constantly prove value to boards, stakeholders, and residents, often at the expense of innovation and forward-looking strategy. Emily pulls back the curtain on how her time is split between reporting, advocacy, internal communication, and navigating a maze of expectations from hoteliers, elected officials, and the community.

Stuart and Adam dig into the broken model, the overwhelming demand for simplified reporting, and a provocative proposal: maybe CMOs aren’t marketing officers anymore—they’re Chief Value Officers. We also hear about Adam’s idea for a non-conference that gets real about the future of the industry and whether we’re ready for it.

Topics Covered:
 • What is (and isn’t) the role of a CMO in a DMO?
 • How advocacy work is quietly taking over marketing roles
 • Why reporting fatigue is real—and often counterproductive
 • The communication challenge: simplicity vs. transparency
 • Stakeholder education, ownership, and managing expectations
 • Using AI to translate complex reports into human language
 • How to structure internal reporting and future-proof your team
 • Could the next big industry conversation happen before Esto?


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