Observed Signal · May 11, 2026 · Survey · Source: Digiday · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
CMOs juggle budgets, AI and CEO expectations
Gartner’s 2026 CMO Spend Survey of more than 400 marketing leaders across North America, the UK and Europe finds marketing budgets are essentially flat — advertisers spend an average 7.8% of company revenue on marketing, up only 0.1% year‑over‑year — while marketers are reallocating portions of those budgets to AI. On average 15.3% of marketing budgets go to AI initiatives, which companies use for chatbots, automated creative, measurement and agentic media planning tools. Gartner and industry executives warn of scaling challenges: 80% of CEOs expect significant change from AI, 70% of marketers list “AI leadership” as critical, but many teams report insufficient budget and are stuck in pilots. Brand examples include Mammut using a Gemini-powered chatbot and AI-generated product imagery, and TripAdvisor handling ~40% of support via AI chatbots.
Gartner’s survey quantifies how much of marketing budgets are shifting to AI and documents CEO expectations and budget constraints — insights that affect advertisers, agencies, MarTech/AdTech vendors and measurement providers as they prioritize product development and go-to-market strategies.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Gartner’s CMO Spend Survey (2026) of 400+ marketing leaders across North America, the UK and Europe reports advertisers spend an average 7.8% of company revenue on marketing (a 0.1% increase year-over-year).
- Marketers are allocating an average of 15.3% of their marketing budgets to AI initiatives, per Gartner.
- Gartner found 80% of CEOs expect AI to provide a “significant degree of change”; 70% of marketers said AI leadership is a critical goal this year.
- 56% of CMOs surveyed said their teams lack the budget required to meet annual objectives; 56% also said budgets would be cut if goals were missed.
- Brand examples: Mammut used a Gemini-powered chatbot and AI-generated product imagery; TripAdvisor now handles roughly 40% of customer support inquiries through AI chatbots.
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CMOs Spend Big on AI Despite Low Readiness
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