In a world driven by demand generation, CMOs must be the expert on the customer, says Mars' Gabrielle Wesley

Demand generation is a top priority for brands, said Gabrielle Wesley, CMO of Mars North America, who was interviewed during the 2026 Cannes Lions Festival."It's important for marketers to stand up as demand-generation leaders," Wesley said. "We know our consumers better than anyone else, so we know what drives them. It's our responsibility to educate the rest of the organization on the consumers and give the consumers what they want."Wesley said she sees parallels between the pressures of the s