CMOs Face a 'Reputation and Results' Reckoning, According to NIQ's 2026 Outlook

Despite economic volatility, 83% of marketing leaders remain confident in their brands but cite ROI proof and data connectivity as top challenges, NIQ finds.

NielsenIQ (NYSE:NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today released its CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 report, revealing how chief marketing officers (CMOs) are navigating a critical inflection point between brand building and revenue accountability. According to the report, 83% of CMOs remain confident in their brand's equity, even as they face tightening budgets and heightened scrutiny over ROI.

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NIQ CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026

"Every marketing dollar is now under the microscope," said Marta Cyhan-Bowles, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Global Marketing COE, NIQ. "With organizations prioritizing cost reductions, CMOs are being challenged not just to spend wisely, but to prove how marketing directly drives awareness, growth, and loyalty. It's no longer just about efficiency; it's about proving impact – all with largely flat budgets."

Key Findings from NIQ's 2026 CMO Outlook

CMOs remain confident in brand equity but are shifting focus under pressure.

• 83% of CMOs still view their brand as a key commercial asset, yet only 55% allocate 60% or more of their budgets to long-term brand building, down from 59% of CMO respondents last year.
• Confidence in brand purpose has fallen from 83% to 71%.
• Despite strong belief in brand equity, 84% of CMOs now prioritize ROI as their primary metric for budget allocation, signaling pressure to drive short term conversion over long-term brand growth.
• Only 69% of CMOs say their CEO and chief financial officer (CFO) support long-term brand investment, a sharp decline from 80% last year. These shifts underscore a growing tension between brand stewardship and financial scrutiny.

Data fragmentation threatens ROI clarity.

• 54% of CMOs say connecting data from different sources is a major barrier to insight generation.
• One-third rely on 5 to 15 tools to measure ROI; in some cases, more than 15.
• Only 37% report having a centralized data repository accessible to all stakeholders.

AI integration accelerates, but CMOs are now measured by impact, not access.

• Generative AI tools are widely used for content generation (69%), personalization (64%), and media planning and optimization (55%).
• The focus has shifted from experimentation to proving measurable business outcomes, with CMOs expected to quantify AI's ROI at the executive level.

Retail media networks (RMNs) surge as the next frontier of marketing ROI.

• 69% of CMOs recognize RMNs as increasingly critical, and 67% plan to increase investment in the next year.
• While RMNs offer conversion-rich environments and unprecedented targeting precision, they also increase media fragmentation, intensifying pressure on CMOs to integrate cross-channel data through AI-driven advanced modeling and analytics.
• Ongoing integration of off-platform campaigns with on-platform RMN ads remains essential for a cohesive full funnel strategy and stronger conversion.
• Many CMOs now view digital partnerships with retailers as long-term investments that accelerate SKU growth and strengthen distribution.

"Marketers are redefining what performance means," Cyhan-Bowles said. "Data, AI, and retail media networks are reshaping the marketing playbook, and the most successful CMOs will be those who connect these forces to demonstrate measurable value for the organization."

Strategic Focus Areas/Next Steps

As CMOs look ahead to 2026, NIQ's findings point to four priorities that will define high-performing marketing organizations.

• Data integration and connectivity: Building unified, centralized data systems to create a single source of truth for marketing performance and enable faster, insight-driven decisions.

• AI implementation and ROI measurement: Maximizing existing AI capabilities, investing in new AI solutions that drive measurable efficiencies, and clearly articulating martech's business impact to executive stakeholders.

• Omnichannel strategy and retail media integration: Modernizing the media mix by balancing digital acceleration with traditional channels, leveraging RMN efficiencies to offset lower-converting high value channels, while maintaining full-funnel coverage across the consumer journey.

• Talent and capability investment: Upskilling marketing teams to leverage analytics and AI tools effectively, enabling agile decision-making and sustained brand growth even amid economic pressure.

Together, these focus areas position CMOs to move beyond efficiency toward long-term resilience, driving both long-term brand equity and measurable business results.

The integration of AI and data driven strategies is not only a response to budget constraints but also a proactive approach to sustainable growth in a challenging economic environment.

Download the report for detailed insights and guidance for CMOs.

Note to Editors:

NIQ executives, including Chief Communications Officer & Head of Global Marketing COE Marta Cyhan-Bowles, will speak about findings from the 2026 CMO Outlook at The Wall Street Journal's CMO Council Summit on November 19, 2025, in a session titled "From Data to Decisions: The CMO's ROI Reckoning."

The 2026 CMO Outlook underscores NIQ's commitment to delivering actionable intelligence to help brands navigate a fast-evolving media and technology landscape. By integrating advanced analytics with The Full View™ of consumer behavior, NIQ equips marketing leaders to measure what matters and act with confidence.

About the report:

NIQ's CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 report is based on a survey of more than 250 CMOs and senior marketing decision-makers from leading companies across industries and regions. The survey covers 14 countries representing Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Marketing leaders are defined as CMOs or Brand Heads, Directors or VPs of Marketing, Brand, Marketing Operations, or Customer Experience.

About NIQ:

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world's population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View^™.

For more information, please visit niq.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 press release may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "believes," "forecasts," "plan," "look ahead," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.

© 2025 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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