CMO DECODED 2026
Audience Insights for
B2B Tech Brands
Decoded is our quarterly look at the people making B2B tech buying decisions.
For this report, we spoke to 100 CMOs about how they research and buy tech, the content they enjoy and engage with, and how marketing and comms teams can cut through their feeds and grab their attention.
If you’d like to learn more about the findings — or how to reach marketers and CMOs more effectively — get in touch with the Wildfire team.
CMO BUDGETS ARE BACK
Here’s the good news: CMOs finally have more money to spend on tech.
But there’s a catch. They’re also under growing pressure to justify where their newfound budgets go. CEOs are demanding clearer commercial impact from every supplier relationship.
In short, there’s a good opportunity for tech brands — if they can communicate value.
MarTech isn’t memorable
As the market has become more competitive, many tech brands have started hiding behind the comfort of being the ‘safe’ choice.
The result is a category filled with technical jargon, feature-heavy messaging, and AI-generated corporate language. CMOs are tired of hearing the same promises from tech brands that increasingly look — and sound — identical.
What traits do CMOs want from tech brands?
Trust matters most. CMOs want to work with credible suppliers they know and recognise. That makes PR more valuable than ever, helping tech brands build familiarity and reputation long before a buyer reaches a sales conversation.
So how do you build credibility with CMOs? By having data and evidence of impact, followed closely by a visible industry presence. Brands that are seen and heard across the industry are more likely to be considered.
Traits CMOs want from tech:
1. Trusted
2. Future-looking
3. Collaborative
Top credibility signals:
1. Clear data and evidence (63%)
2. Strong industry presence (50%)
3. Clear, well-designed materials (49%)
Does ‘AI-first’ matter?
Despite the flood of AI-first messaging from tech brands, fewer than a third of CMOs (29%) say they're tired of AI messaging from tech brands.
So while a sizeable majority are keen to hear more, what's missing from the conversation is proof of value. Nearly two-thirds of CMOs (63%) say tech brands focus too much on features over business outcomes, while 41% believe tech suppliers don't talk enough about ROI.
AI may grab attention, but CMOs ultimately want to understand the business impact behind it.
What drives CMO engagement?
When engaging with tech suppliers, CMOs gravitate towards content that helps them understand the market, benchmark themselves against competitors, and shows clear proof that products deliver.
Generic ‘thought leadership’ is losing impact. CMOs want hard data, case studies, and evidence.
Creative campaigns and stunts are also proving a great way to cut through in an increasingly uniform market.
Most engaging content:
1. Industry data and trends (56%)
2. Case studies and results (48%)
3. Creative campaigns and stunts (46%)
4. Insights from industry leaders (40%)
5. Forward-looking predictions (38%)
6. Insights from peers (37%)
7. Vertical-specific content (31%)
8. Best practice guides (30%)
9. Thought leadership (29%)
How DO CMOs research new tech?
When researching new tech suppliers, CMOs are discovering brands across multiple channels long before they speak to sales. That means brands need to maintain visibility far beyond search alone.
Search still matters, but buyers are also finding new tech through LinkedIn, peer recommendations, analyst content, events, communities, and AI tools throughout the research process.
Where CMOs research new tech:
1. Search engines (58%)
2. LinkedIn (52%)
3. Conferences (48%)
4. AI tools (46%)
5. Business and tech press (35%)
6. Analyst reports (34%)
7. Industry influencers (31%)
8. Trade media (30%)
9. Youtube (29%)
See how CMOs think about your brand
Meet your audience before your audience meets your campaign. Wildfire Sparks are proprietary AI audiences built by Wildfire and trained on intelligence from thousands of B2B decision-makers. Have real conversations with personas like Sara, our CMO Spark, to test messaging, positioning, and content against a realistic CMO perspective.
The CMO buyer journey
Different formats play different roles throughout the buyer journey.
Short-form written content and AI tools are helping CMOs keep up with new trends, while long-form content and videos are used to learn industry best practice. Peer communities and visual assets are also playing a key role in finding new tech platforms and tools.
Activity
Preferred Formats
Keeping up with trends
AI tools
Short-form written content
Learning best practices
Long-form written content
Long-form video
Learning new tools and tech
Short-form video
Researching new tech
Peer communities
Interactive tools
Demos
Learning from successful campaigns
Visual assets
Slide decks
Infographics
How PR influences CMOs
CMOs are most responsive to news and content that help them understand where the industry is heading, what competitors are doing, and whether a tech brand has something meaningful to say beyond product launches.
Unique industry perspectives rank as the most valuable type of content, closely followed by use cases and customer examples. Those customer stories can be difficult to secure, but original research and proprietary data offer an easier and more effective way to grab attention.
What news content do CMOs find most useful:
1. Unique opinions on the industry (41%)
2. Use cases and customer stories (40%)
3. Analyst positions and listings (34%)
4. Future visions (33%)
5. Product releases and updates (31%)
How can tech brands cut through with CMOs?
1. Creativity
Buyers are surrounded by polished MarTech messaging that sounds the same, pushing CMOs towards brands willing to communicate differently.
CMOs are looking for tools and partners that give them a competitive edge — not more of the same.
2. Big ideas
CMOs are looking for more than platforms and product features. They want tech brands with a clear point of view, real expertise, and something useful to say about where the industry is heading.
That creates a huge opportunity for brands investing in stronger thought leadership, sharper commentary, and original research.
3. Stopping the slop!
The rise of AI-generated content has created a flood of bland marketing copy, safe opinions, and LinkedIn posts that feel like they were written by the same prompt.
CMOs value AI, but they’re increasingly turned off by marketing that feels AI-generated. They want stronger ideas, more personality, and brands that sound like people.
Ready to reach CMOs?
This page highlights just a snapshot of our CMO Decoded research.
Book a call with Ben Smith, Head of Insights & Strategy at Wildfire, for a walkthrough of the full findings, including additional insights and analysis not featured here.
As the UK's leading MarTech PR agency, Wildfire helps brands like SAP, Optimizely, and GWI stand out through original research, bold ideas, and campaigns that CMOs remember.
Not ready for a call? Drop us an email below to learn more about CMO Decoded and how Wildfire can help your tech brand stand out.