Observed Signal · Jul 23, 2026 · Survey · Source: Horizont · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Survey: CEOs Undervalue Advertising's Role
A CMO survey published on July 23, 2026, finds that six in ten marketers believe C-level executives do not fully understand the role of advertising. As a result, brand-building is often undervalued while performance metrics dominate decision-making, leaving growth potential untapped. The article identifies eight key barriers that prevent CMOs from bridging the gap between brand and performance advertising strategies.
The survey highlights a recurring strategic issue—C-suite undervaluation of brand advertising—that affects marketing investment, measurement, and growth potential; relevant for CMOs, agencies, and measurement vendors but not a platform-level or regulatory shift.
Track HORIZONT Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Six out of ten marketers believe C-level executives do not fully understand the role of advertising.
- Brand building is frequently underestimated while performance KPIs dominate decision-making.
- Eight central barriers prevent CMOs from closing the gap between brand and performance advertising.
- Article authored by Nora Halwax and published on HORIZONT on 2026-07-23.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mapped“The article is published on HORIZONT and credited to HORIZONT.AT....”
“The page footer displays the publisher: © dfv Mediengruppe....”
“Image credit on the article: AboutLife / stock.adobe.com....”
“Related content on the page references the 'Dentsu CMO-Navigator Report'....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
CEOs Increasingly See Marketing as Overhead
Boathouse’s fifth annual CEO study of 150 chief executives across industries finds CEOs generally view CMOs as contributors to strategy but rarely as its primary drivers. The report shows 68% of CMOs are seen as actively contributing to strategic decisions while only 8% are perceived as leading strategy. CEO grades for CMOs shifted downward at the top end (A grades fell from 24% to 15%) while B grades rose to 53%. Boathouse CEO John Connors attributes part of the performance gap to martech and AI fragmentation, siloed orgs and short-term budgeting. The article notes the study was reviewed by Digiday prior to public release and references a related Deloitte finding that AI is expected to account for over half of marketing activities by 2028.
CMOs Struggle to Prove Value of Ad Creative
A Digiday Future of Marketing briefing highlights that many chief marketing officers lack confidence in proving the effectiveness of ad creative to finance teams. A Gain Theory survey of 115 brand marketers found 49% were not confident their data could defend marketing decisions to a CFO, and 62% said they were buying media carrying creative assets whose true value was unknown. Marketers apply more scrutiny to media than creative, while most generative-AI investment targets efficiency rather than measurement. The piece cites advertisers (Lenovo) running integrated media-and-creative measurement with partners (Seedtag, Kantar, Lumen) that delivered measurable brand lifts, and notes measurement vendors (Mutinex, System One) reporting growth. The article frames a widening “confidence gap” that has already led to budget cuts for some marketers and is driving increased investment in measurement and AI-driven MMM approaches.
Survey: CMOs Least Proficient at AI
A joint survey by NewtonX and ADWEEK of 500 marketing professionals found a significant AI skills gap inside marketing organizations, with 81% of respondents saying marketers overstate their AI abilities and 47% saying senior leadership lags behind other employee levels. A separate Gartner study found just 15% of surveyed CEOs believed their CMOs had the AI savviness to lead in 2026. Gartner analyst Lizzy Foo Kune said many CMOs underestimate how fundamentally AI could reshape their roles. The findings highlight potential leadership and capability risks as marketing teams adopt AI.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.