CMOs are tasked with driving AI-era growth - but many sacrifice long-term brand building to win influence, new study finds
Global study of 500+ marketing leaders reveals a growing "CMO Trust Trade-Off" as pressure to satisfy short-term C-suite demands to gain influence competes with long-term brand growth
NEW YORK, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lippincott today launched CMO Outlook 2026, a global study of more than 500 marketing leaders, revealing a growing disconnect: while CMOs are increasingly expected to drive business growth and lead AI transformation, many lack the influence and organizational support needed to deliver on those expectations.
The study found that only 28% of CMOs describe their influence within their organizations as very high, while 15% say they are not even the most senior marketing decision-maker at their company.
At the same time, 84% report difficulty aligning leadership around a marketing vision, nearly eight in ten say bureaucracy regularly interferes with decision-making, and fewer than half (44%) say marketing operates with a high degree of autonomy.
The findings point to what Lippincott calls the "CMO Trust Trade-Off"—a dynamic in which CMOs prioritize short-term performance demands to gain internal credibility and influence, often at the expense of long-term brand building and sustainable growth.
While respondents identified driving long-term growth and strengthening customer perception as top priorities, many said their teams spend most of their time proving marketing's immediate impact and meeting short-term business targets.
The research also found that AI has become a major leadership priority, ranking among CMOs' top challenges. However, organizational readiness remains limited. Only 12% of respondents rated their technology enablement as excellent, and just 11% said their organizations excel at adopting and innovating with new marketing technologies.
"In partnering with CMOs across decades, we've witnessed a gradual shift in how brand and marketing decisions are made within companies. Now, CMOs are being asked to drive growth and help lead transformation, but many face organizational barriers that make delivery harder," Michael D'Esopo, CEO, Lippincott, said. "The conventional wisdom of focusing entirely on what the CEO and CFO demand has ushered in this current era of marketing, in which the focus on quantifiable, immediate performance comes at the expense of brand health. But in this new world order, CMOs and businesses both lose. Our research suggests the next era of marketing requires a different mindset."
The study also found that while marketers increasingly recognize the value of culture-driven marketing, organizational speed and alignment continue to hinder execution.
The full report, developed in partnership with Bloomberg Media and fielded by NewtonX, is available here: https://www.lippincott.com/cmo-outlook-2026/
About Lippincott
Lippincott is a global brand, experience, and marketing consultancy committed to helping companies address their most complex brand challenges. Identifying fresh opportunities and realizing brand possibilities is our specialty. Since 1943, Lippincott has produced lasting, transformative impact for clients across a range of sectors. As part of Oliver Wyman, a Marsh Business, Lippincott brings high-caliber industry, risk and operational insights into our work, blending a management consultancy's strategic rigor with a proven legacy of creativity to help clients see challenges differently.
About Bloomberg Media
Bloomberg Media is the world's leading multi-platform media company for business and finance, which draws on the editorial resources of more than 3,000 journalists and analysts in more than 100 bureaus around the world. Bloomberg Media is the consumer-facing media organization of Bloomberg L.P.
SOURCE Lippincott
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