We asked Bernard to build us a list of companies where senior marketing appointments are accumulating alongside clear marketing investment signals so far in 2026.

He found more than 200, but here are six examples.

1. Sage

Sage has made multiple senior marketing appointments across performance, brand and marketing technology:

• Vice President, Performance Marketing UK & EMEA
• Marketing Director
• Global Marketing Technology & Enablement Lead
• Director, Brand Strategy & Creative
• Performance Marketing Lead, Embedded Services

Alongside that, Sage has invested £50 million in its new “Helping business flow” brand platform, accelerated AI adoption with Sage Copilot, and continued heavy sponsorship across EFL, Six Nations and MLB.

Performance leadership. Martech ownership. Brand refresh. AI integration. That combination rarely happens without a broader strategic shift.

2. GlobalWebIndex

GlobalWebIndex has strengthened its marketing leadership across growth, product and brand:

• Chief Marketing Officer
• VP Growth Marketing
• VP Product Marketing
• VP Brand & Creative
• Head of Lifecycle Marketing
• Insight Lead

At the same time, it has launched Agent Spark, doubled down on AI-powered analytics, expanded internationally and invested heavily in martech and content.

When CMO, Growth and Product Marketing leadership align around AI and insight-led messaging, it suggests repositioning and acceleration. This is a marketing engine being rebuilt around data.

3. SharkNinja

SharkNinja has stacked senior marketing hires across integrated marketing, growth and analytics:

• VP Marketing Northern Europe
• VP Integrated Marketing
• Senior Director Social Media
• Marketing Director IMC - Ninja
• VP Brand Acceleration
• Head of Marketing Analytics & Data

Marketing spend is projected at $700M, with major investment in digital, influencer, experiential and global expansion.

New York creative hub. Sports sponsorship. Product launches at scale. This is not incremental marketing change. It is a brand growth at full throttle.

4. e.l.f. Beauty

e.l.f. Beauty continues to scale internationally with senior hires in:

• International Marketing Director
• Director Ecommerce, International

Marketing spend has increased significantly as a percentage of revenue, with continued focus on TikTok, micro-influencers, community engagement and international retail partnerships.

Add acquisitions like Naturium and major sponsorship activity in women’s sport, and it is clear the brand is pushing growth through community and commerce.

International expansion plus ecommerce leadership is a strong signal of digital-first investment.

5. Experian

Experian has reinforced both performance and brand leadership:

• Head of Performance Marketing
• Brand Marketing Director
• Head of Sales and Marketing

At the same time, it is investing heavily in AI, cloud adoption, omnichannel activation and data-driven identity solutions.

Performance leadership paired with brand direction and AI investment suggests alignment between measurable outcomes and long-term positioning.

When revenue ownership and marketing strategy sit closer together, spend decisions tend to move faster.

6. Royal London

Royal London has strengthened digital, insight and brand leadership across:

• Head of Digital Customer Experience
• Head of Platform - Analytics & Insight
• Marketing Change Lead
• Group Brand & Marketing Strategy Director

Alongside this, it is investing in CRM automation, martech upgrades, analytics capability and digital-first campaigns.

When analytics, customer experience and brand strategy leadership evolve together, it usually signals integrated transformation rather than campaign-level change. This looks like a marketing team modernising its infrastructure.

The Point

These six are examples, but the real advantage is not knowing what is happening at Sage or SharkNinja.

It is being able to uncover this level of context for any brand, in any sector, at any time.

There are hundreds of marketing departments stacking senior hires, upgrading martech and reallocating budget right now.

Honch surfaces the signals. Bernard connects the dots. You target with context.

That is how you win in 2026.

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