Business Wire·Jun 8, 2026, 9:00 AM ET

Gartner Marketing Survey Finds Awareness and Conversion Account for 62.6% of Total Media Spend

Gartner analysts at the June 8-10 Marketing Symposium/Xpo in Denver report that awareness & conversion now account for 62.6% of total media spend as CMOs shift budgets toward acquisition & digital channels.
Digital media investments rose 18% since 2024 to represent more than two-thirds of total media in 2026, driven by AI-enhanced personalization & the need for AI-optimized channels.
Spending on customer loyalty & retention declined 29% since 2024 to less than 15% of total media spend, while organizations prioritizing these areas are typically more AI-mature.
Labor claims a larger share of marketing budgets (rising from 21.9% in 2025 to 24.5% in 2026), indicating that AI value depends on people, skills, & execution rather than just technology.
Only 30% of CMOs report mature AI readiness capabilities, with 70% citing immature internal processes as a barrier to effective AI implementation.
Lack of internal AI expertise is the top barrier to efficiency, cited by 38% of respondents in the 2026 CMO Spend Survey of 401 leaders.
Ewan McIntyre, VP Analyst at Gartner, warns that AI optimization is not strategy & organizations must avoid underinvesting in long-term customer value touchpoints to prevent short-term over-indexing.
The 2026 survey covered CMOs across North America, the UK, & Europe, with most respondents reporting annual revenue over $1 billion.