CMOs' Top Challenges & Priorities For 2026

Q&A with Janine Kanters and Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst, VP, Research, Gartner

CMOs are under increasing pressure to deliver measurable growth in 2026, despite budget constraints, evolving AI capabilities, and rapidly shifting customer behavior.

A Gartner survey of 174 senior marketing leaders conducted in September 2025 found that while revenue growth remains the top priority, CMOs face challenges in achieving their goals amid budget constraints, delivering ROI from AI investments, and adapting to new customer expectations. Many are seeking answers on how to prove marketing’s value and deliver sustainable growth as technology transformation accelerates and competitive pressures intensify.

We spoke with Janine Kanters, Director, Research, and Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst, VP, Research, in the Gartner Marketing practice, to discuss how marketing leaders can navigate AI adoption, martech integration, and customer-centric growth strategies in the year ahead.

Q: As CMOs face heightened pressure to achieve demonstrable results, what are their top priorities for 2026?

Janine: Revenue growth remains the top priority for CMOs in 2026. When asked what their most urgent questions are for 2026, 46% of CMOs wanted to know how they can prioritize marketing initiatives that are the most likely to drive growth. Despite constrained marketing budgets, CMOs are under ever-increasing pressure to boost new customer acquisition, drive demand generation and improve retention.

A Gartner survey of 413 marketing technology leaders conducted in June through July 2025 found 81% of marketing technology leaders are either piloting, or have already implemented, AI agents in their organizations. Marketing technology, particularly AI, has become one of the top priorities for CMOs.

CMOs are taking a critical eye to their martech, particularly looking at AI agents and automation, as well as opportunities for consolidation within existing stacks. Beyond AI agents, changing customer search behaviours driven by technologies, including ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, mean that CMOs are reevaluating their approach to search.

A critical part of the CMO’s response to this is prioritizing brand awareness for 2026. By driving greater awareness, CMOs hope to strengthen their positioning and drive long-term revenue growth in an increasingly AI-mediated environment.

Q: What are the most pressing challenges for CMOs for the coming year?

Sharon: Budget and resource constraints are the top challenge for 63% of CMOs, according to a Gartner survey of 174 senior marketing leaders conducted in September 2025. Marketing budgets have been stagnant this year, and many CMOs are concerned about possible future budget cuts.

Half of CMOs identified short-term needs impeding long-term strategic planning as their most pressing challenge. This suggests that budget and resource constraints are hindering execution of their long-term strategic vision.

CMOs also face increased demands on their already stretched budgets as a result of evolving technology and changing customer habits. For example, as customers adopt GenAI tools and agents, CMOs must create dual strategies for both human and AI customer personas - which brings additional operational complexity. While CMOs are enthusiastic about AI agents, many organizations are failing to see significant return on their AI investments.

Q: What actions should CMOs take to position their marketing organization for success in 2026?

Janine: To set themselves up for success in 2026 and beyond, CMOs should:

1. Scale AI Judiciously and Strategically: CMOs are advised to approach AI adoption with clear intent. Before scaling any AI use case, define the specific outcomes expected and plan how to support internal change to realize full value. Developing an AI strategic roadmap helps identify opportunities across both short- and long-term planning horizons.

   AI adoption should be supported with a focused change management plan, including how to drive internal alignment and adoption. Regular audits of the martech stack are essential as vendors introduce new capabilities, and integration opportunities should be actively sought to maximize value.

2. Keep the Customer Journey at the Center: While staying responsive to new technologies, CMOs should always prioritize the customer journey and experience, as this is where sustainable growth originates. Monitoring shifts in customer behaviors and expectations can help uncover new growth opportunities, but it is not necessary to chase every trend.

3. Actively Shape Enterprise Growth Strategies: CMOs should take a leading role in enterprise strategy development, positioning marketing as a central driver of business success. Those who assume a ‘market shaper’ role - leading strategy development - are more likely to exceed executive expectations and earn recognition for marketing’s impact.