Gartner Survey: CMOs Shift More Spend to Digital Media and Acquisition

Marketing leaders are directing more budget toward digital channels and customer acquisition, according to MarTech. The changes coincide with rising consumer skepticism toward AI-generated content.

Survey Findings on Media Allocation

Gartner’s 2026 CMO Spend Survey reports that awareness and conversion activities now represent 62.6% of media spending. Digital media accounts for more than two-thirds of total media investment. Customer acquisition spending continues to increase. Investment in loyalty and retention fell 29% since 2024 and now represents less than 15% of total media spend. The results were presented at the Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo in Denver.

AI Influence on Channel Strategy

AI capabilities in personalization and digital channel optimization are cited as factors behind the budget shifts, according to MarTech. Organizations with higher AI maturity allocate a larger share of budgets to retention and a smaller share to digital channels than less mature peers. Labor’s share of marketing budgets rose from 21.9% in 2025 to 24.5% in 2026.

Seventy percent of CMOs stated their marketing processes lack sufficient maturity to implement and scale AI. Thirty percent reported mature or fully developed AI readiness. Thirty-eight percent identified lack of internal AI expertise as the primary barrier.

Consumer Attitudes Toward AI Content

A separate Gartner survey found that 49% of U.S. consumers believe generative AI has reduced content quality. The figure reaches 57% among Gen Z and millennial respondents. Nearly six in 10 consumers said they prefer engaging with multiple media or technologies at once.

Budget Priorities in Context

The data reflect how AI tools are altering where marketing dollars flow while labor costs rise alongside adoption efforts, according to MarTech.