Gartner’s latest CMO Spend Survey reveals marketers are doubling down on digital media and customer acquisition, even as consumer trust in AI-generated content continues to decline.
Marketing leaders are increasing investment in digital media and customer acquisition as they pursue growth in an AI-driven market, highlighting how artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing budgets and channel strategies.
According to Gartner’s 2026 CMO Spend Survey, awareness and conversion activities now account for 62.6% of total media spend, while digital media represents more than two-thirds of overall media investment. Spending on customer acquisition continues to rise, while investment in loyalty and retention has declined by 29% since 2024, accounting for less than 15% of total media budgets.
The findings, presented this week at Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo in Denver, suggest marketers are prioritizing scalable, AI-enabled digital channels to drive growth. Gartner attributes the shift to AI’s ability to improve personalization and optimize campaign performance across digital platforms.
However, the research also reveals a notable divide between organizations at different stages of AI maturity. Gartner found that companies with the most advanced AI capabilities typically allocate a larger share of their budgets to customer retention and proportionally less to digital media than their less mature counterparts, signaling a greater focus on long-term customer value over short-term acquisition.
“AI can help marketers optimize faster, but optimization is not the same as strategy,” said Ewan McIntyre, Vice President, Analyst, and Chief of Research at Gartner.
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AI Investment Still Depends on People
The research also challenges the assumption that AI adoption automatically reduces labor costs.
Labor’s share of marketing budgets increased from 21.9% in 2025 to 24.5% in 2026, indicating that organizations continue to invest heavily in talent and operational capabilities alongside AI technologies.
Despite growing investment, many organizations remain unprepared to scale AI effectively. Nearly 70% of CMOs said their marketing processes lack the maturity needed to implement AI at scale, while only 30% described their AI readiness as mature or fully developed.
Internal capability remains a significant hurdle. Thirty-eight percent of marketing leaders identified a lack of in-house AI expertise as the biggest barrier to achieving AI-driven efficiency.
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Consumers Are Growing More Skeptical of AI Content
While marketers continue to accelerate AI investment, consumer trust appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
A separate Gartner survey found that 49% of U.S. consumers believe generative AI has reduced the quality of online content. Among Gen Z and millennials, that figure rises to 57%, highlighting growing skepticism toward AI-generated experiences.
“AI-generated content is increasing the volume of media that consumers encounter, but not necessarily the value,” said Kate Muhl, Vice President Analyst at Gartner.
Changing media habits are adding another layer of complexity. Nearly six in 10 consumers said they prefer engaging with multiple forms of media or technologies simultaneously rather than focusing on a single activity. As attention becomes increasingly fragmented, brands must not only compete across more channels but also demonstrate authenticity in an environment where consumers are becoming more critical of AI-generated content.
