B2B Marketing Directions: [Research Round-Up] Notable Insights from the 2026 Edition of “The CMO Survey”

Supply:  “The CMO Survey”

(This month’s Analysis Spherical-Up focuses solely on the 2026 version of “The CMO Survey.” This analysis has been carried out since 2008, and it constantly offers helpful details about advertising spending, practices, and traits.)

The findings of the thirty fifth version of “The CMO Survey” had been revealed close to the top of final month. “The CMO Survey” is directed by Dr. Christine Moorman and is sponsored by Duke College’s Fuqua Faculty of Enterprise, Deloitte, and the American Advertising and marketing Affiliation.

From 2008 by way of 2024, the survey was carried out semi-annually. In 2025, the analysis shifted to an annual survey.

The 2026 survey outcomes are primarily based on responses from 308 advertising leaders as U.S. for-profit corporations. Practically two-thirds of the respondents (65.0%) had been affiliated with B2B corporations, and 97% had been VP-level or above. Respondents labored at corporations working in 15 business sectors. The 2026 survey was carried out January 7 – January 29, 2026.

Along with total response knowledge, “The CMO Survey” offers response knowledge by 4 financial sectors (B2B product corporations, B2B companies corporations, B2C product corporations, and B2C companies corporations), 15 business sectors, firm dimension, and proportion of on-line gross sales.

The info mentioned on this submit is predicated on the responses of all survey individuals until in any other case indicated. The odds and different numerical values on this submit are the imply of relevant survey responses, additionally until in any other case indicated.

A Story of Financial Concern

Issues concerning the well being of the U.S. economic system echo all through the 2026 version of “The CMO Survey.” In each version of the survey, the researchers have requested individuals to charge their optimism concerning the U.S. economic system on a 100-point scale, with 100 being probably the most optimistic. The 2026 survey respondents put their degree of optimism at 56.8.

To put this optimism score in context, the score given by respondents within the June 2020 version of the survey (on the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic) was 50.9. The bottom optimism score ever given within the 18-year historical past of “The CMO Survey” was 47.7 in each the February 2009 survey (through the “Nice Recession”) and the February 2013 survey.

There was little distinction within the degree of optimism expressed by entrepreneurs at B2B corporations and people at B2C corporations.

Financial issues appear to have had a considerable influence on advertising budgets. The advertising leaders collaborating within the 2026 survey reported that advertising budgets represented 9.0% of complete firm income. That was down from 9.4% within the 2025 version of the survey.

The 2026 survey respondents additionally reported that advertising spending elevated by only one.7% over the 12 months previous the survey. That was the slowest progress of selling spending since 2021.

Financial uncertainty additionally seems to have prompted modifications in some advertising priorities. When individuals within the 2026 survey had been requested how they’re altering their buyer focusing on methods in response to current modifications in financial situations, probably the most incessantly chosen change – chosen by 43.7% of survey respondents – was “improve our concentrate on constructing loyalty / retention of current prospects.”

The odds of B2B entrepreneurs who indicated they had been making this transformation had been very comparable – 43.3% of entrepreneurs in B2B product corporations and 42.0% of these in B2B companies corporations.

It is noteworthy, nevertheless, that about one-third of B2B survey respondents stated they had been making no change of their buyer focusing on methods, in comparison with solely 26.5% of all survey respondents.

Different Notable Findings

Listed below are just a few different findings from the 2026 survey that I discovered notable and fascinating.

Significance of Advertising and marketing Capabilities and Expertise – Survey respondents seen their advertising capabilities as vital to their firm’s enterprise success (5.9 on a 7-point scale), and 34.5% of the respondents stated that “having the correct expertise” is an important issue for driving future income progress. However . . .

Spending on Coaching & Growth Is at a 9-Yr Low – Survey respondents stated they at present commit solely 3.8% of their advertising finances to coaching and improvement. That is the bottom proportion seen in “The CMO Survey” because the February 2017 version of the analysis.

Use of Generative AI – Survey respondents stated their firm is utilizing generative AI applied sciences in 22.4% of its advertising actions, up from 15.1% within the 2025 version of the survey.

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“The CMO Survey” doesn’t declare that its survey panel is a consultant pattern of all entrepreneurs. So the survey findings can’t be “projected” to all entrepreneurs. However, “The CMO Survey” offers helpful insights concerning the present state of selling, and I like to recommend that you just learn the complete survey report.