There is little doubt 2026 marks a defining moment for CMOs. AI is no longer a peripheral tool – it is embedded in every facet of marketing. At the same time, proven customer engagement strategies are eroding amid AI-driven disruption, and the CMO role itself is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation.
According to Gartner research, 82% of business leaders believe their company’s identity must evolve to keep pace with AI’s impact on markets. These forces demand more than incremental change. CMOs must lead with clarity, adaptability, and strategic vision.
Three priorities will define their success in 2026: building an AI-powered marketing organisation, adapting to new rules of customer engagement, and becoming a future-forward CMO.
Build an AI-powered marketing organisation
CMOs who leverage AI to redesign operating models will lead and drive growth, while those who simply bolt AI onto legacy systems risk falling behind. The constant noise around AI has made it challenging to navigate, but its impact follows a predictable trajectory: from enhancing productivity to orchestrating outcomes and, ultimately, shaping decisions independently. Most marketing leaders are piloting AI agents, yet even advanced adopters struggle to achieve meaningful business results. The reason? Many start with technology instead of process.
To succeed, CMOs must treat AI as the catalyst for transforming marketing’s operating model, not just a technical upgrade. This means building AI-native operating models where humans and AI agents collaborate seamlessly. Redesign workflows, decision points, and strategic goals before deploying new technology.
Assess which marketing processes, such as journey orchestration, workflow automation, content creation, and strategic planning, will extract the most value from agentic support. Then use existing process maps to identify where AI can reduce friction and where the organization is ready to use AI. Layer new AI workflows onto process maps to ensure auditable, ethical, and brand-aligned outcomes.
Adapt to new rules of customer engagement
GenAI is disrupting traditional channels, while agentic buying promises to reshape purchase decision making in ways that reduce human involvement. CMOs must act now to meet growth goals and avoid being left behind. With unprecedented adoption of GenAI platforms, digital channels like search advertising, display, and social may no longer deliver the reach or ROI marketers expect. Meanwhile, offline channels like events may grow in prominence, adding human authenticity and building brand trust amid AI-driven noise.
CMOs should adopt a zero-based approach to channel strategy, discarding legacy assumptions of impact and ROI. Every channel investment, both digital and offline, must be re-earned based on its forecast contribution to business impact in an AI-mediated world. Reassess channel ROI using marketing mix modeling or attribution analysis, rebuild the portfolio starting with performance channels, and review quarterly to ensure innovation. For chosen channels, focus on building meaningful engagement during increasingly scarce human touchpoints. Design for dual customer journeys – those of AI tools and agents, and those of humans evaluating their output. Support AI information needs and reinforce brand differentiation in human journeys.
Become a future-forward CMO
The CMO role is expanding dramatically, with CEOs and CFOs expecting CMOs to take on additional accountabilities, often without extra budget or resources. To avoid being caught in cross-functional competition, CMOs need clarity, vision, and focus. Gartner research shows that CMOs who excel as “market shapers” – known in the C-suite for their strong innovation and positioning capabilities – are eight times more likely to exceed CEO and CFO expectations than those who focus primarily on operational effectiveness.
CMOs should use AI to accelerate their proficiency as market shapers, leading with strategic insight and building team skills to reason with AI. Leverage AI to sift data, simulate customer behavior, and surface emerging needs, but apply human reasoning to avoid the “sea of sameness.” Develop your team’s critical thinking capabilities through ongoing coaching and reflection on work assignments, building a new muscle to interpret and apply AI-generated insights in unique ways..
In summary, AI, shifting customer expectations, and expanding executive accountabilities are rewriting the rules of marketing. Incremental change will not suffice; success requires bold, strategic action. CMOs who act decisively will not only navigate disruption but define the next era of enterprise leadership.
Sharon Cantor Ceurvorst is vice-president of research and Ewan McIntyre is a vice-president analyst in the Gartner Marketing Practice
