What Global CMOs Want in 2026: Strategic Priorities and Agency Expectations

Nov. 27, 2025

Based on exclusive insights from 805 marketing decision-makers across 15 countries and regions, the CMO Barometer 2026 provides a data-driven snapshot of the strategies, expectations, and skill sets defining the future of marketing. The international study, now in its seventh year, is conducted by independent agency network Serviceplan Group in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen (HSG), and for the first time, executive search and leadership consultancy Heidrick & Struggles.

Florian Haller, CEO Serviceplan Group said:

“The marketing system as we knew it is being rewritten. AI is no longer a side project – it is core to the function. CMOs must now be visionaries and transformation leaders, guiding their teams through systemic change.”

 

Key global findings:

• This year’s study confirms a fundamental industry shift: 68% of respondents say AI will be the defining topic of 2026, influencing every aspect of their strategy.
• CMOs are stepping into a new role: Chief Transformation Officers, expected to master both tech and human dynamics.
• Budgets remain uncertain: 32% expect increases, 30% expect cuts, and 38% predict stability.
• Economic optimism is waning, except in the Middle East where more than half of CMOs still expect growth.
• Proactivity and ideas are still top expectations from agencies – despite the AI boom.

What is the top focus for marketers in 2026

CMOs have never been so united around a top priority: AI is – and remains – the dominant focus for 2026, cited by 68% of respondents. Following it are Brand Building (17%) and Personalisation (8%), both also tightly linked to AI-driven marketing strategies. No previous trend has so thoroughly reshaped the focus of the marketing industry.

AI ranks among the top two priorities in nearly every country surveyed. When asked about the most important aspects of integrating AI, most CMOs pointed to Efficiency and Integration (51%) as key, followed by the need to rethink how humans and machines collaborate in day-to- day marketing work (20%).

Interestingly, Switzerland, France, and the UK stood out as exceptions: in these countries, AI was not the stand-alone priority. CMOs placed equal emphasis on Customer Experience, Personalisation, and ROI-driven data marketing.

Internationalisation also emerged as a major focus for CMOs in the Middle East (63%) and the UK (62%), underlining how global expansion remains a parallel pressure alongside technological transformation.

What are the economic forecasts

Despite the tech optimism, economic confidence is in shorter supply. Only 20% of CMOs expect economic conditions to improve in 2026, while 29% anticipate a downturn. The majority – 51% – expect things to remain stable. Regional outlooks vary sharply: economic optimism is highest in the Middle East, where more than half foresee growth.

Marketing budgets reflect this general caution: while 32% expect increases and 30% expect cuts, most CMOs (38%) believe budgets will remain flat. Regionally, Italy is the most positive market (45%), closely followed by the UK, the Middle East, and the Netherlands.

When it comes to industry sectors, banking, IT, and telecoms are the most bullish ones, with energy and healthcare showing moderate confidence. Meanwhile, industries like automotive continue to lead the budget pessimism charts and are bracing for turbulence, with 52% expecting worsening conditions.

CMOs step into transformation leadership

AI’s rise is also redefining leadership. This year’s study reveals a reshuffling of the skills CMOs believe they need most: digital and tech capabilities (45%) now top the list, followed by customer orientation (39%) and leadership/team management (38%) – which was the leading skill in last year’s edition.

Guilherme Ferreira, Global Brand VP at Cadbury said:

“The real imperative for marketers is to return to the fundamentals: creating value through brand and category. It’s not about chasing short-term tactics. It’s about telling a compelling story about why your brand exists and anchoring that in business impact.”

 

To do that, CMOs must navigate a series of paradoxes: they’re expected to champion AI while preserving human authenticity; to move fast while staying strategically grounded; and to embrace creativity without abandoning analytical rigor.

Sara Terraneo, eCommerce and Omnichannel Director at Arcaplanet, puts it this way:

“CMOs today can’t just run marketing departments. They must act as architects of transformation, bringing together purpose, data and people.”

 

Where CMOs get industry updates

When asked where they get their industry knowledge, most CMOs cite LinkedIn and social media posts from relevant thought leaders and companies (60%), followed by consultancy and agency insights (48%) and industry conferences and trade shows (47%).

Prof. Dr. Sven Reinecke, Executive Director, University of St. Gallen (HSG) said:

“The CMO Barometer shows that marketing academia and practice must collaborate more closely to provide actionable knowledge. Academic journals alone don’t cut it anymore – we need digestible, digital, and creative knowledge exchange.”

 

What brands need from their agencies

When asked what they want from agency partners in 2026, CMOs still rank creativity and original thinking at the top (69%), followed by innovation (61%) and proactivity (54%). But for the first time, support in managing internal transformation also makes the list (44%).

Surprisingly, only 12% expect agencies to lead on AI-specific skills – indicating that brands see AI as their own strategic challenge, not something to outsource.

Julia Zimmermann, Executive Partner at Future Marketing Part of Serviceplan Group added:

“Marketing is no longer about colorful visuals or sales promos. It’s become a performance engine where brand, trust, and technology must align. Agencies that understand this – and reignite a sense of joy and momentum in their client relationships – will be the ones that thrive.”