[Research Round-Up] Notable Insights from the 2026 Edit…

Supply:  “The CMO Survey”

(This month’s Analysis Spherical-Up focuses completely on the 2026 version of “The CMO Survey.” This analysis has been carried out since 2008, and it persistently gives worthwhile details about advertising and marketing spending, practices, and traits.)

The findings of the thirty fifth version of “The CMO Survey” had been printed close to the tip of final month. “The CMO Survey” is directed by Dr. Christine Moorman and is sponsored by Duke College’s Fuqua College of Enterprise, Deloitte, and the American Advertising and marketing Affiliation.

From 2008 by way of 2024, the survey was carried out semi-annually. In 2025, the analysis shifted to an annual survey.

The 2026 survey outcomes are based mostly on responses from 308 advertising and marketing leaders as U.S. for-profit corporations. Practically two-thirds of the respondents (65.0%) had been affiliated with B2B corporations, and 97% had been VP-level or above. Respondents labored at corporations working in 15 business sectors. The 2026 survey was carried out January 7 – January 29, 2026.

Along with general response information, “The CMO Survey” gives response information by 4 financial sectors (B2B product corporations, B2B companies corporations, B2C product corporations, and B2C companies corporations), 15 business sectors, firm measurement, and proportion of on-line gross sales.

The info mentioned on this publish relies on the responses of all survey members until in any other case indicated. The chances and different numerical values on this publish are the imply of relevant survey responses, additionally until in any other case indicated.

A Story of Financial Concern

Issues concerning the well being of the U.S. economic system echo all through the 2026 version of “The CMO Survey.” In each version of the survey, the researchers have requested members to charge their optimism concerning the U.S. economic system on a 100-point scale, with 100 being essentially the most optimistic. The 2026 survey respondents put their degree of optimism at 56.8.

To put this optimism score in context, the score given by respondents within the June 2020 version of the survey (on the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic) was 50.9. The bottom optimism score ever given within the 18-year historical past of “The CMO Survey” was 47.7 in each the February 2009 survey (throughout the “Nice Recession”) and the February 2013 survey.

There was little distinction within the degree of optimism expressed by entrepreneurs at B2B corporations and people at B2C corporations.

Financial issues appear to have had a considerable impression on advertising and marketing budgets. The advertising and marketing leaders taking part within the 2026 survey reported that advertising and marketing budgets represented 9.0% of whole firm income. That was down from 9.4% within the 2025 version of the survey.

The 2026 survey respondents additionally reported that advertising and marketing spending elevated by just one.7% over the 12 months previous the survey. That was the slowest development of selling spending since 2021.

Financial uncertainty additionally seems to have prompted adjustments in some advertising and marketing priorities. When members within the 2026 survey had been requested how they’re altering their buyer focusing on methods in response to current adjustments in financial circumstances, essentially the most ceaselessly chosen change – chosen by 43.7% of survey respondents – was “enhance our concentrate on constructing loyalty / retention of present prospects.”

The chances of B2B entrepreneurs who indicated they had been making this variation had been very related – 43.3% of entrepreneurs in B2B product corporations and 42.0% of these in B2B companies corporations.

It is noteworthy, nevertheless, that about one-third of B2B survey respondents stated they had been making no change of their buyer focusing on methods, in comparison with solely 26.5% of all survey respondents.

Different Notable Findings

Listed below are a number of different findings from the 2026 survey that I discovered notable and fascinating.

Significance of Advertising and marketing Capabilities and Expertise – Survey respondents considered their advertising and marketing capabilities as vital to their firm’s enterprise success (5.9 on a 7-point scale), and 34.5% of the respondents stated that “having the fitting expertise” is an important issue for driving future income development. However . . .

Spending on Coaching & Improvement Is at a 9-Yr Low – Survey respondents stated they at present dedicate solely 3.8% of their advertising and marketing price range to coaching and improvement. That is the bottom proportion seen in “The CMO Survey” because the February 2017 version of the analysis.

Use of Generative AI – Survey respondents stated their firm is utilizing generative AI applied sciences in 22.4% of its advertising and marketing actions, up from 15.1% within the 2025 version of the survey.

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“The CMO Survey” doesn’t declare that its survey panel is a consultant pattern of all entrepreneurs. So the survey findings can’t be “projected” to all entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, “The CMO Survey” gives worthwhile insights concerning the present state of selling, and I like to recommend that you just learn the total survey report.