AI Remains Top Priority for CMOs, but Investment Lags: Gartner
Gartner's CMO spending survey shows that AI remains a top priority for marketing executives, but insufficient infrastructure and budgets constrain scaling efforts. 70% of CMOs rank AI leadership as a key goal for 2026, with only 30% believing their organizations have the necessary infrastructure. Marketing budgets account for 7.8% of company revenue, roughly flat compared to 7.7% in 2025, but AI-optimized organizations average an 8.9% revenue share.
Key Takeaways:
- Data Gartner provided to Marketing Dive shows that 70% of CMOs say becoming a leader in artificial intelligence is a key goal for 2026, but only 30% believe their organizations have the infrastructure needed to achieve this.
- Results from the company's "CMO Spend Survey" show that an average of 15.3% of marketing budgets is allocated to AI, however, organizations more capable of scaling the technology allocate an average of 21.3%.
- Marketing budgets remain relatively flat, with marketing spending accounting for 7.8% of company revenue in 2026, compared to 7.7% in 2025. However, organizations with optimized AI programs tend to secure a higher revenue share, averaging 8.9%.
Deep Dive:
According to the latest data from Gartner, although AI remains a top priority for most senior marketers, many feel they lack the resources or funding needed to scale the technology. 56% of CMOs believe their organizations do not have sufficient budget to execute their 2026 strategy, and 54% say they lack necessary resources. With overall budgets essentially flat this year, marketers may view AI as a way to achieve more with less.
"CMOs recognize AI's potential as a multiplier for growth, efficiency, and transformation, but most marketing organizations are not yet ready to capture that value. The risk is that CMOs are investing in AI tools faster than they are building the data foundations, processes, governance, and talent to scale them," said Ewan McIntyre, VP Analyst and research lead for the Gartner Marketing practice, in press materials.
The "CMO Spend Survey" is conducted annually, and this data comes from a survey conducted between January and March 2026. Respondents included 401 CMOs and other marketing professionals in North America, Europe, and the UK. Most respondents' organizations have annual revenue exceeding $1 billion.
Although AI is making an impact on the marketing industry—nearly two-thirds of marketersbelieve the technology will transform their jobs—but according to Gartner's February survey results, only 32% think they need to update their skills. Additionally, Gartner predicts that by 2029,half of agencies' proprietary AI platformswill be eliminated.