Marketing Brand Strategy

What it takes to be a CMO in 2026 (spoiler: it’s complicated)

By Julia Zimmermann, Executive partner at Future Marketing (part of Serviceplan Group)

Serviceplan Group

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January 15, 2026 | 6 min read

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Change happens at an ever-faster rate, and CMOs have to keep up. Julia Zimmermann reflects on new research revealing the hopes and fears of marketing leaders.

CMOs must balance speed with strategy... and a range of other considerations, explains Zimmermann

Let’s be honest: being a CMO has never been easy. But heading into 2026, it’s becoming downright paradoxical. On the one hand, you’re expected to lead your brand through the most significant technological shift in a generation. On the other, you’re the steward of creativity, human insight, and brand emotion. So how do you reconcile the two?

We’ve asked 805 marketing leaders across 15 countries and regions in our new CMO Barometer 2026 study, conducted in partnership with the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and executive recruitment agency Heidrick & Struggles. The results paint a clear picture: the role of the CMO is being completely rewritten.

Architects of transformation

Sixty-eight percent of global CMOs believe AI will be the defining theme of 2026. But not as a trend or a tool. It’s something bigger: a structural transformation. Because it’s changing what marketing leaders need to know, do, and embody.

For the first time since we began tracking, CMOs ranked digital and tech capabilities (45%) as the most important skill for the year ahead, outpacing leadership and team management. The CMO is no longer just a brand builder or storyteller. They are becoming the architect of transformation. In other words, CMOs become ‘the unofficial CTOs with a storytelling edge,’ while creativity and originality remain the top expectations from agency partners.

In other words, the marketing function is not getting simpler. It’s expanding in both directions. You’re expected to own the future, without losing the magic of the past.

Across Europe, this transformation is unfolding at different speeds. In Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, AI tops the agenda. But in markets such as France and Switzerland, marketers put equal weight on customer experience and ROI-driven data marketing. Meanwhile, in the UK, CMOs prioritize international expansion as well as personalization.

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Regardless of their individual agenda for 2026, what unites them all is this: CMOs are under pressure to show up differently. Not just as communicators, but as cross-functional leaders who can bring together performance, platforms, and integrate conflicting goals.

Three paradoxes

The data revealed the need for a shift in mindset. CMOs are being asked to navigate what I call the three paradoxes of modern marketing leadership:

AI v human authenticity: CMOs must embrace AI to personalize, optimize, and, above all, scale. But they also have to fiercely protect their brand’s emotional core. The winning formula? Use AI to remove friction and free up space for more meaningful human connection. Think co-creation, not replacement.
Speed v strategy: The clock is ticking faster in every marketing department. But speed without strategy leads to waste. CMOs must build agile systems that allow for fast execution and strategic discipline. This means investing in smarter martech stacks, not just bigger ones, and creating clear roles and processes.
Creativity v accountability: Brand storytelling still matters. A lot. Making your brand relevant and seen is crucial when algorithms define what is to be preferred. But so is proving its value. The CMOs who thrive in 2026 will be those who can translate creativity into ROI – or return on artificial intelligence (ROAI) – in a language the CFO understands.

Prepare yourself…

Here are four practical steps to prepare for the paradoxes ahead:

Build your AI muscle. Not just the tools, but the thinking. Learn what AI can and can’t do. Test it in safe spaces. Define how it changes team roles, timelines, and creative processes. You don’t need to code. But you do need to lead with understanding.
Reframe agency partnerships. Agencies are no longer just executors; they are transformation partners – just as the name suggests. Use them to stress-test ideas, spot blind spots, and co-design future workflows. Ask not only ‘what can you create for me?’ but ‘how can you help us evolve?’
Get closer to your CFO. Budget uncertainty is real: only 32% of CMOs expect increases in 2026. To protect and grow your resources, link marketing clearly to business value. That means moving beyond vanity metrics and connecting brand-building to behavior change, customer retention, and revenue resilience.
Double down on culture. Amid all the tech talk, don’t forget what actually fuels teams: culture, clarity, and purpose. In hybrid and global teams, this matters more than ever. Clear roles and ethics are vital in tough times; they create an aligned view and motivation. Make sure your people understand not just what you’re doing, but why.

Good company

Here’s the good news: you’re not navigating this alone. The CMOs we surveyed are facing the same tensions. And more than ever, they’re turning to each other, to peers, and to partners for shared insight.

The role is complex, yes. But it’s also more influential than ever. CMOs now sit at the intersection of commerce, culture, and code. And those who embrace that complexity will help shape not just campaigns, but companies.

So, if you’re feeling the paradox, you’re not behind. You’re exactly where the future is happening.