At Honch, our agents analyse every new senior marketing hire in the UK, every day. Overnight, we research the brand they are joining, assess the strategic implications, and surface the investment signals before the profile even appears on our platform.

In Q4 alone, we tracked 23,000 senior marketing moves and have analysed the investment plans behind them. Five clear trends are shaping 2026.

1. AI powered modernisation is accelerating

Incoming CMOs are being hired to rapidly upgrade digital experiences, with AI now central to the roadmap. Expect increased spend on personalisation engines, predictive analytics, creative automation and data activation. AI pilots are becoming fully funded programmes in 2026.
Examples: Texas Capital, Unilever, BBC Studios, Veeam Software

2. Brand platforms are being rebuilt, not refreshed

New leaders are inheriting brands that need structural repositioning, not cosmetic fixes. That means investment in brand architecture, value propositions, identity systems and modern narrative platforms to match faster moving competitors.
Examples: Brabners, Kantar, BroomBit, Unilever, Deutsche Bank

3. Marketing is being tasked with proving revenue impact

Nearly every new CMO role now references revenue alignment. Demand generation, ABM and full funnel orchestration are being prioritised to show measurable commercial contribution. Agencies that can connect brand, performance and pipeline will see increased demand.
Examples: Workbuzz, UiPath, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

4. Sponsorships and partnerships are becoming strategic growth levers

Across categories, senior hires are reassessing sports sponsorships, cultural partnerships and industry ecosystems. Brands are looking for platforms that provide clear audience value, measurable commercial upside and integrated activation opportunities.
Examples: Novo Nordisk, J.P. Morgan, BNY, McAfee

5. Content and thought leadership are becoming the brand’s operating system

CMOs are increasing investment in authority building: research led thought leadership, editorial programmes, LinkedIn first storytelling and scaled video content. Content is no longer campaign support, it is becoming infrastructure for brand, demand and reputation.
Examples: BBC Studios, Siteimprove, Unilever

Trends Are Just That – Trends

Every CMO will approach these themes differently. Their priorities, pressures, stakeholders, legacy systems and competitive landscape are unique. That is exactly why treating them all the same never works.

Honch goes beyond the trendlines.
Our AI agents read every individual move, research the brand overnight, and surface the exact investment signals for that leader, that company and that moment in time. It means your outreach lands with relevance, not generality.

For agencies, martech companies and sports rights holders planning for 2026, this is the window. New CMOs are shaping budgets right now.

If you want to get ahead of those conversations, start a trial with Honch or line one up for early January. It's the fastest way to turn senior hire intelligence into real pipeline.