The State of Marketing 2026. The second edition of the CMOtalk and Kantar study, built on conversations with 100+ marketing leaders in the Netherlands.
Based on a survey and interviews with CMOs, brand and marketing leaders, and commercial directors.
now name brand equity as an organisational growth KPI, up from 37%. The largest single movement in the study.
name strong brand positioning as the top driver of long-term growth, up from 63%. Creative excellence sits at just 12%.
say their team has the skills to use AI effectively, while 97% expect AI to improve efficiency.
A study among 100+ CMOs, with insights from marketing leaders at KVK, BMW Financial Services, NOC*NSF, BAM, Versuni, Centraal Beheer and Figo Pet.
Brand equity rises up the KPI list while the rest of the C-suite keeps seeing a communications function.
Why the short-versus-long argument is lost before it starts, and what wins budget instead.
Differentiation is the single biggest worry. Leaders reach for authenticity rather than purpose.
Belief in impact is up, conviction that it changes everything is down. The gap is skills and process.
Creators are credible but hard to prove. Budgets are shifting faster than the measurement.
A job description rather than a complaint, plus the five moves that build boardroom authority.
100+ marketing and brand leaders in the Netherlands
Survey, Kantar's AI-enabled interviewing platform Converser, and two closed deep-dive sessions
Kantar Blueprint for Brand Growth, the 2026 edit
Second edition, CMOtalk with Kantar, 2026
“We are still in kindergarten when it comes to AI”
Baukje ter Huurne, CMO at NOC*NSF
The first edition, with the baseline this year's findings are measured against.
Read the full report. The research, the figures and the voices behind them.
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