ABG CMO PULSE REPORT | 2026

Growth & the Pressure to Perform Marketing Leadership

Geopolitics, Growth & the Pressure to Perform Marketing Leadership across the Middle East is navigating one of its most demanding periods in recent memory. As regional geopolitical uncertainty intensifies, senior leaders are being asked to protect brand equity, defend budgets, and deliver measurable growth all at once.

Developed by ABG, this monthly pulse survey captures real-time perspectives from C-suite and senior marketing leaders across 9+ markets, offering a ground-level view of how strategy, investment, and confidence are shifting in real time.

With 81% of leaders actively adjusting their marketing approach, budgets under pressure, and consumer caution on the rise, the April pulse captures where the region’s marketing community stands today and what they are doing about it.

Across the region, leaders are balancing immediate business pressures with longer-term brand responsibility. This month’s findings highlight where priorities are shifting most:

  • 94% prioritise measurable business growth as their top focus for the next 12–18 months
  • 50% report consumers becoming more cautious and increasingly value-driven
  • 55% say short-term performance versus long-term brand building is their hardest strategic tension
  • 44% remain cautiously optimistic about the year ahead, despite ongoing geopolitical and economic pressure

The report reflects not only where investment is being redirected but also how marketing leaders are adapting strategy, managing uncertainty, and protecting long-term growth.

Download the report to see how your peers are responding, where investment is being redirected, and what is keeping the region’s top marketers cautiously optimistic despite the headwinds.

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