CORE
May 2026
The modern Chief Marketing Officer is expected to be part growth driver, part strategist, part operator, and part consensus builder.
They are responsible for an ever-growing list of strategic priorities, including influencing revenue, sharpening positioning, strengthening reputation, guiding technology decisions, navigating uncertainty, supporting product development, and helping the organization move with greater speed and clarity.
Arketi and JM Search explored this broader mandate in the first edition of CMO Signals & Shifts, our new research series examining how CMOs and other senior marketing and communications leaders are stepping into roles with greater scope, visibility, and strategic weight.
Because, in many companies, CMOs are no longer fighting to prove marketing matters. The bigger challenge now is whether organizations are building the structure needed to support marketing at the level they expect it to perform.
Download the Fast Facts report for a quick look at the top findings from Arketi and JM Search’s CMO Signals & Shifts research. Inside, you’ll find key data on CMO success, AI adoption, budget priorities, C-suite alignment, and the evolving role of marketing leadership.
When fewer than four in 10 CMOs say the role is fully set up for success, it points to a clear reality – Marketing’s mandate has evolved quickly, and many organizations are still building the structure needed to support it. The challenge is often less about individual capability and more about whether the right alignment, investment, and operating foundation are in place.
Our data backs this up. CMOs who feel set up to succeed are far more likely to say they have adequate resources. Those who do not are much more likely to describe support as partial or insufficient. Among skeptics, 60% say their resources are only moderately or slightly adequate, and 20% say they are not adequate at all.
That is less a talent issue than an organizational one, which helps explain another important finding: 67% of CMOs cite alignment with the CEO and broader C-suite as the top driver of tenure, ahead of performance outcomes.
Marketing success depends on more than execution alone. It requires shared priorities, sustained backing, and an organizational mindset that treats marketing as a strategic lever rather than a support function.
Marketing and communications leaders tend to reveal their clearest priorities when resources shift. Faced with a hypothetical 20% budget cut, 45% say they would protect revenue marketing and demand generation, while 22% would safeguard talent. Both far outpace product marketing, martech, and other functions.
The same pattern holds when budgets move in the other direction. When asked where they would invest after a hypothetical 20% increase, revenue marketing again ranks first at 32%, followed by talent at 16%.
Such consistency reflects how pragmatic today’s marketers have become. Growth and capability remain the focus. Everything else, including tools and programs, is ultimately in service of those two priorities.
The data also shows that priorities shift as companies grow. Marketing leaders at organizations under $1 billion are more likely to lean into demand generation, while those at larger companies are more focused on talent. The simplest explanation here is that smaller and mid-sized companies are often pushing for immediate revenue impact, while larger organizations have more room to invest in capabilities that sustain performance over time.
Generative AI is changing how B2B buyers search, compare, and shortlist technology solutions and service providers. If you’re wondering what actually influences whether GenAI tools mention your brand (and how to improve it), check out our recent LinkedIn Live conversation between CEO Mike Neumeier and Executive Interactive Director Charles Askew.
Few areas of corporate messaging require more judgment than deciding whether to speak on a social issue.
Our research suggests CMOs are approaching these decisions with discipline rather than impulse. The responses make clear that companies are not expected to comment simply because employees or outside audiences want them to. In fact, views on employee pressure are mixed, with a plurality of leaders expressing neutrality or disagreement that employee expectations alone should drive engagement.
Instead, marketing executives point to a more grounded standard. Most, 69%, agree or strongly agree that companies should speak out when there is a clear business or values based reason to do so, especially when that position can be backed by credible, demonstrated action.
Our interpretation? Effective corporate voice is not about saying more. It is about addressing the right topics, for the right reason, in a way the business can support with action.
Across the C-suite, CMOs report strong working relationships. Eighty-four percent rate their relationship with the CFO positively, followed by 82% for the CIO/CISO, 81% for the CHRO, and 80% for the CRO. Even CEO relationships are largely healthy, with 77% described as good or very good.
Taken together, these numbers suggest marketing has earned its seat at the table as an essential business function with growing operational influence.
Still, one data point stands out: one in 10 CMOs reports a poor or very poor relationship with the CEO. Given how closely CEO alignment correlates with both tenure and perceived success, that minority matters.
This may reflect differences in expectations around growth timelines, investment horizons, or the role marketing should play in the business. That makes CEO alignment an important area of focus. When leaders are aligned at the top, marketing is far better positioned to deliver the kind of long-term impact organizations expect.
No conversation about marketing leadership in 2026 is complete without artificial intelligence.
Unsurprisingly, adoption is no longer optional. Seventy-nine percent of marketing leaders say they are very or moderately reliant on AI to reach their 2026 goals, and usage is universal across the survey group.
Just as important, that reliance appears focused rather than indiscriminate. Eighty percent use AI for content creation, while 57% rely on it for research. Another 45% cite analytics, reporting, and ideation.
That pattern suggests marketers and communicators view AI as a force multiplier, not a substitute for judgment. It helps teams move faster, expand output, and uncover insights more efficiently, but strategic ownership still rests with people. The advantage lies not in using AI indiscriminately, but in using it deliberately, with clear guardrails and accountability.
Arketi Group and JM Search will continue exploring the future of marketing and communications leadership in upcoming editions of CMO Signals & Shifts. We will keep tracking the trends shaping the role and examining new themes as the market evolves.
One final data point is worth pausing on: when asked whether they would choose marketing again if they were starting over, 85% of respondents said yes.
That says a lot.
For all the complexity, pressure, and scrutiny surrounding the role, marketing leaders still believe in the work. They believe in its challenge, its impact, and its ability to shape business outcomes in meaningful ways.
At Arketi, that belief resonates. Our purpose is to help marketers and communicators reach their full potential, regardless of title or position. We recognize the power of marketing and communications to create real business value and support growth.
To dive a little deeper into the top-line findings of our recent research, visit https://arketi.com/article/core/cmo-signals-shifts/.
And if you have a perspective to share, email Arketi CEO Mike Neumeier at mneumeier@arketi.com. We would love to hear your thoughts.
Written by Mike Neumeier, APR, CEO of Arketi Group
Mike Neumeier, APR, is Chief Executive Officer at Arketi Group, an integrated marketplace and workplace communications firm serving B2B technology companies. A co-founder of Arketi, Neumeier has earned more than 100 industry awards, including the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Georgia’s Order of the Phoenix, the National PRSA Hall of Fame, and recognition as one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs. He applies his passion for PR, marketing, and brand building to deliver strategies that drive revenue and measurable client value. For more insights like these, follow Mike on LinkedIn.
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