The CMO Guide for Marketing in 2026
Six must-haves and must-dos to unlock uncommon growth
Marketing is changing at the pace of GenAI. As brand, marketing and experience leaders plan 2026, we curated several pieces of advice supplemented with links to resources. Much of our advice is built on what’s been proven from the past, but several twists continue to emerge and some are higher priorities than they have been in the past. Our experts are available to support and guide you. Just ask.
The CMO Guide for Marketing in 2026
Six must-haves and must-dos to unlock uncommon growth
Marketing is changing at the pace of GenAI. As brand, marketing and experience leaders plan 2026, we curated several pieces of advice supplemented with links to resources. Much of our advice is built on what’s been proven from the past, but several twists continue to emerge and some are higher priorities than they have been in the past. Our experts are available to support and guide you. Just ask.
01
Frame Marketing as a
Growth Accelerator
In 2026, CMOs must position marketing not as a cost center or service bureau, but as the enterprise’s growth engine. Some in the C-suite may be skeptical, but marketing is uniquely positioned to drive revenue and resilience by transforming brand, data, creativity, and customer connections into measurable business impact. Marketers should lean into several levers to drive uncommon growth: a sharpened brand positioning or value proposition to build relevance and trust; data-informed customer insight that fuels smarter decisions; bold creative that captures attention in fragmented markets; performance marketing that efficiently converts demand; differentiated experiences that deepen loyalty; and agile operating models that adapt at speed. When orchestrated together, these levers enable marketing not only to support growth but also to lead it.
01
Frame Marketing as a
Growth Accelerator
In 2026, CMOs must position marketing not as a cost center or service bureau, but as the enterprise’s growth engine. Some in the C-suite may be skeptical, but marketing is uniquely positioned to drive revenue and resilience by transforming brand, data, creativity, and customer connections into measurable business impact. Marketers should lean into several levers to drive uncommon growth: a sharpened brand positioning or value proposition to build relevance and trust; data-informed customer insight that fuels smarter decisions; bold creative that captures attention in fragmented markets; performance marketing that efficiently converts demand; differentiated experiences that deepen loyalty; and agile operating models that adapt at speed. When orchestrated together, these levers enable marketing not only to support growth but also to lead it.
02
Build the
CMO-CEO
Relationship
The most effective CEO-CMO partnerships are built on mutual trust, shared goals, and a deep respect for each other’s domains. As Personify Health’s CEO and CMO reveal, alignment doesn’t mean agreement on everything; it means navigating tension productively, balancing vision with execution, and staying focused on what’s best for the business. Today’s marketing landscape is more complex, data-rich, and tech-enabled than ever, and successful CMOs earn respect by translating that complexity into tangible outcomes. For CEOs, it’s less about reporting lines and more about impact: marketers who build credibility through results, not rhetoric, are the ones who gain lasting influence. Ultimately, the CMO-CEO dynamic thrives when both parties embrace mutual curiosity, communicate clearly, and stay grounded in a shared commitment to uncommon growth.
02
Build the CMO-CEO
Relationship
The most effective CEO-CMO partnerships are built on mutual trust, shared goals, and a deep respect for each other’s domains. As Personify Health’s CEO and CMO reveal, alignment doesn’t mean agreement on everything; it means navigating tension productively, balancing vision with execution, and staying focused on what’s best for the business. Today’s marketing landscape is more complex, data-rich, and tech-enabled than ever, and successful CMOs earn respect by translating that complexity into tangible outcomes. For CEOs, it’s less about reporting lines and more about impact: marketers who build credibility through results, not rhetoric, are the ones who gain lasting influence. Ultimately, the CMO-CEO dynamic thrives when both parties embrace mutual curiosity, communicate clearly, and stay grounded in a shared commitment to uncommon growth.
03
Integrate Brand and Demand
In today’s performance-driven landscape, effective marketers know that brand and demand aren’t rivals, they’re powerful partners. Prophet’s research, Brand & Demand: A Love Story, along with The Multiplier Effect (developed in partnership with WARC and other experts), shows that brand equity fuels performance outcomes, significantly increasing ROI across the funnel. Yet in many organizations, brand and demand still operate separately – divided by separate budgets, teams, creative approaches and measurement frameworks. To close this gap, marketers must define shared outcomes, align strategies from the outset and build operating models that connect the dots across functions. For example, we’ve found that creative and media integrated pack a more powerful and efficient punch. When done right, integration delivers both near-term conversion and long-term brand strength.
03
Integrate Brand and Demand
In today’s performance-driven landscape, effective marketers know that brand and demand aren’t rivals, they’re powerful partners. Prophet’s research, Brand & Demand: A Love Story, along with The Multiplier Effect (developed in partnership with WARC and other experts), shows that brand equity fuels performance outcomes, significantly increasing ROI across the funnel. Yet in many organizations, brand and demand still operate separately – divided by separate budgets, teams, creative approaches and measurement frameworks. To close this gap, marketers must define shared outcomes, align strategies from the outset and build operating models that connect the dots across functions. For example, we’ve found that creative and media integrated pack a more powerful and efficient punch. When done right, integration delivers both near-term conversion and long-term brand strength.
04
Connect Inside and Outside
When brand and culture are aligned, organizations unlock uncommon growth. Brand is the promise you make; culture is how you keep it. When internal behaviors reinforce the external narrative, companies build trust, credibility, and consistency – inside and out. This alignment empowers employees, strengthens reputation, and turns values into action. Start by clearly defining your promise, then embed it into leadership behaviors, systems, and incentives so employees can deliver on it authentically. Next, equip teams with the tools and language to bring the brand to life across every interaction. Most importantly, treat brand and culture as a continuous loop: culture shapes the brand, and the brand reinforces cultural behavior. Managed well, this becomes a durable engine of performance and sustainable growth.
04
Connect Inside and Outside
When brand and culture are aligned, organizations unlock uncommon growth. Brand is the promise you make; culture is how you keep it. When internal behaviors reinforce the external narrative, companies build trust, credibility, and consistency – inside and out. This alignment empowers employees, strengthens reputation, and turns values into action. Start by clearly defining your promise, then embed it into leadership behaviors, systems, and incentives so employees can deliver on it authentically. Next, equip teams with the tools and language to bring the brand to life across every interaction. Most importantly, treat brand and culture as a continuous loop: culture shapes the brand, and the brand reinforces cultural behavior. Managed well, this becomes a durable engine of performance and sustainable growth.
05
Span the Silos
Rigid decentralized organizational silos, whether based on product lines, countries, or functions—are no longer effective in a marketplace defined by global brands, new media, and complex customer interactions. Work horizontally not just vertically. Our vice chair Dave Aaker shared several strategies in his book, Spanning the Silos: The CMO Imperative, including: establish cross-functional teams; enhance information systems to provide shared access to the same data; develop common-planning processes to align goals and strategies; create silo-spanning marketing programs that force collaborative muscles; promote internal communication and events; adapt brands to silo-specific contexts instead of forcing uniformity; and leverage silos for innovation to test new ideas and campaigns.
05
Span the Silos
Rigid decentralized organizational silos, whether based on product lines, countries, or functions—are no longer effective in a marketplace defined by global brands, new media, and complex customer interactions. Work horizontally not just vertically. Our vice chair Dave Aaker shared several strategies in his book, Spanning the Silos: The CMO Imperative, including: establish cross-functional teams; enhance information systems to provide shared access to the same data; develop common-planning processes to align goals and strategies; create silo-spanning marketing programs that force collaborative muscles; promote internal communication and events; adapt brands to silo-specific contexts instead of forcing uniformity; and leverage silos for innovation to test new ideas and campaigns.
06
Rethinking Marketing Maturity for an AI-Driven Future
To lead in the age of AI, marketers must do more than adopt new tools. They must lead the dialogue on AI and move from supplementing and augmenting what they do today to drive commercial growth. This means rewiring capabilities for a fundamentally different way of working. AI isn’t just a creative accelerator or smarter data engine; it’s reshaping the entire marketing value chain, from segmentation and content creation to campaign orchestration and optimization. CMOs can no longer afford to scale maturity incrementally. But this requires intentional shifts: piloting with purpose, integrating AI into operating models, aligning to growth metrics, and rethinking roles so humans focus on strategy while AI handles scale and speed. Those who effectively embed AI are already outpacing their peers, unlocking productivity, personalization, and performance that traditional methods can’t match.
06
Rethinking Marketing Maturity for an AI-Driven Future
To lead in the age of AI, marketers must do more than adopt new tools. They must lead the dialogue on AI and move from supplementing and augmenting what they do today to drive commercial growth. This means rewiring capabilities for a fundamentally different way of working. AI isn’t just a creative accelerator or smarter data engine; it’s reshaping the entire marketing value chain, from segmentation and content creation to campaign orchestration and optimization. CMOs can no longer afford to scale maturity incrementally. But this requires intentional shifts: piloting with purpose, integrating AI into operating models, aligning to growth metrics, and rethinking roles so humans focus on strategy while AI handles scale and speed. Those who effectively embed AI are already outpacing their peers, unlocking productivity, personalization, and performance that traditional methods can’t match.
Planning Ahead
To be a marketer in 2026 is to navigate constant change with clarity, creativity, and conviction. It means embracing AI as a co-pilot, uniting brand and demand, aligning culture and expression, and turning marketing into an engine for uncommon growth. The path forward isn’t about perfection; it’s about embracing progress. With the right mindset, modern tools, and strategic partnerships, marketers can move forward with confidence, ready to lead what’s next.
Planning Ahead
To be a marketer in 2026 is to navigate constant change with clarity, creativity, and conviction. It means embracing AI as a co-pilot, uniting brand and demand, aligning culture and expression, and turning marketing into an engine for uncommon growth. The path forward isn’t about perfection; it’s about embracing progress. With the right mindset, modern tools, and strategic partnerships, marketers can move forward with confidence, ready to lead what’s next.
Brand and Marketing Experts
Brand and Marketing Experts
Aaker on Branding, Second Edition: The Playbook to Building Strong Brands
David Aaker
“As today’s marketing landscape becomes more dynamic, disruptive and digitally driven, Aaker delivers new insights to help leaders build, communicate and scale strong brands across categories.“
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