Artificial intelligence, shifting C-suite dynamics and an increased focus on short-term growth have the potential to fundamentally alter what being a chief marketing officer means. And, all of this comes as marketing budgets continue to hover around 8% of company revenue, meaning marketers are having to do more with less.
The actual title of CMO may also be becoming rarer. Nearly one-third of S&P 500 companies have no CMO at all, similar to what it’s been in the past. However, more companies are creating roles that combine marketing and other business functions, such as sales.
As the industry continues to figure out what the modern CMO looks like, Marketing Dive has compiled some numbers which demonstrate how the CMO role is changing and what that could mean for the future.
26%
The percentage of CMOs hired this year who have AI-related skills, compared to 9% of CMOs who have had the role for 4-plus years.
The demand for AI skills among marketing heads has increased significantly, reflecting the mounting expectations CMOs face to take charge of the technology. This shift didn’t come from nowhere. The majority of marketers believe that AI is going to change the industry, yet just 32% believe they need to significantly update their skills, per Gartner data.
With CMO tenure lengths falling 35% since 2010, personal skill development should be a priority, according to a study by Findem and CMO Huddles. While one-third of CMOs have held the position for over five years, 30% have been in the role for less than 18 months. The study also found that newly appointed CMOs tend to have a wider skill set, including in areas such as AI and demand generation.
The pressure to adapt is significant. The industry has seen the rise of the “CMO-plus” with the increased popularity of roles such as chief commercial officer, which oversee marketing operations and sales, per Spencer Stuart.
11%
The percentage of CMOs who say their organizations have an “excellent” ability to adopt and innovate with new marketing technologies.
While CMOs face increased pressure to be a steward of AI for their organizations, only 7% of CMOs rate their organization’s ability to adopt and innovate with new marketing technologies as “poor,” according to the “CMO Outlook 2026” report from Lippincott and Bloomberg Media. Marketing heads cite challenges in accessing or integrating company-wide data, limited speed and capacity for experimentation as major hurdles to technology enablement, per the report.
CMOs see marketing as ahead of the game, with 65% saying marketing’s adoption of new technology is significantly better or better than the rest of the company. However, a focus on short-term gains and optimization may be coming at a cost. Ethical and security concerns surrounding AI all ranked as low priorities for marketing executives, according to the report. As consumers continue to express dissatisfaction with AI-generated campaigns, marketing heads could be sacrificing short-term gains in C-suite influence for long-term brand stability.
Yet, CMOs are incentivized to continue prioritizing short-term gains. While tenure for the position remains short, 65% of those who left the role either found a similar or better position elsewhere or were promoted internally, according to Spencer Stuart data. Ten percent moved onto the CEO position.
75%
The percentage of senior marketing leaders who plan to increase investments in AI assistants in the next year.
Despite only 23% of consumers saying they trust AI recommendations, the majority of senior marketing leaders plan on increasing investments in AI assistants, per Kantar research. The increased reliance on the technology comes as marketers are expected to do more with less. Marketing budgets have remained relatively flat, and 56% of CMOs do not think their organizations have the budgets to execute their 2026 strategy, according to Gartner.
However, the increased reliance on AI could prove problematic down the line. Nearly 20% of marketers have eliminated some functional roles because of the technology and Gartner predicts that many marketing firms will be able to eliminate traditional entry-level jobs by 2030. This could potentially lead to a talent shortage in the future and CMOs may have to work harder to nurture new talent or the industry as a whole could suffer.
How much AI is actually relieving pain points for marketers remains a debated topic. AI claims a significant percentage of marketing budgets, an average of 15.3% to 21.3%, depending on the organization. The technology meant to cut costs has proven expensive while its impact on business outcomes remains unclear.
Then there is the potential cost associated with losing the human touch. Sixty-two percent of marketers have used the technology either moderately or extensively for market research, which could potentially lead to a lot of similar looking content. More broadly, overreliance can potentially lead to a lack of critical-thinking skills among team members.
