Industry Analysis Market: Marketing Tech Relevance as CMO Role Declines

This analysis explores the implications of the declining CMO role for marketing technology. Forrester's 2026 analysis of the Fortune 500 reveals that only 36% of companies still use the CMO title, down from 49% in 2025, with marketing representation on executive teams also falling. The article argues that marketing is expanding beyond the marketing department, with CEOs taking more direct responsibility and new roles like Chief Growth Officer emerging. This shift creates a challenge for martech: it must justify its value in terms of business outcomes like revenue and margin, not just marketing metrics. The article cites gaps between CEO and CMO perspectives on measuring marketing success, and a significant accountability gap in defining marketing ROI. Ultimately, the author argues that martech becomes more relevant as marketing becomes a broader business responsibility, but only if it can connect technology to business performance.