The AI-ready marketing organization: what 2,400 CMOs reveal about the year everything changes.
Our fourth annual survey of senior marketing executives across 22 countries uncovers the five structural shifts redefining how the world's largest brands organize, measure, and invest.
CMOs surveyed
Countries
Restructuring around AI
Board-level ROI mandate
Spend under analysis
of CMOs are actively restructuring their marketing organizations around AI capabilities. That figure was 31% just two years ago.
“We didn't restructure because AI could do our jobs. We restructured because AI changed what our jobs should be.”
Five key findings
The measurement mandate is now non-negotiable
83% of CMOs say measurable ROI on AI investments is now a board-level requirement — up from 52% in 2024.
Talent requirements are inverting
54% of CMOs rank AI strategists, data engineers, and governance specialists in their top five hiring priorities for 2026.
CDP consolidation is accelerating
71% of respondents are in active CDP consolidation or replacement cycles, driven by fragmented data and rising platform costs.
The governance gap is widening
Only 34% of organizations have a formal AI governance framework for marketing, yet 42% have experienced an AI-related brand risk incident.
The insourcing wave has plateaued
58% of CMOs who insourced AI capabilities report they under-invested in infrastructure, leading many to seek external partners.
What top-performing organizations have in common
Named AI executive
Chief AI Officer or VP of Marketing Technology with P&L accountability
Unified data platform
Single CDP vs. siloed data across multiple legacy systems
Incrementality testing
Continuous testing program vs. sole reliance on attribution models
AI governance framework
Formal documentation with bias testing and explainability standards
8%+ measurement investment
At least 8% of marketing budget allocated to measurement infrastructure
What 112 Pages Covers
Written for founders and operators who don't have time for theory. Every chapter ends with a decision or an action.
Methodology
Survey period: October–December 2025
Respondents: 2,400 senior marketing executives (VP-level and above) across 22 countries
Organizations: 14 industries, all with $500M+ annual revenue
Research partnership: Conducted in partnership with Arete Research Partners, with 40 in-depth C-suite interviews
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