We just hosted a round table discussion amongst all of our CMOs, where our own Jean Foster shared her Consumer Electronics Show Insights (see her earlier blog). We wanted to share what came out of our conversations with our readers.
We concluded that CES used to be about what might be possible. However, we feel that CES 2026 was about what is already becoming unavoidable.
For CEOs and boards, take note, this is not a marketing moment. It is an operating model moment. Bet you didn’t expect that from a group of marketers. Our takeaway: CES is now a leading indicator of revenue risk.
CES is no longer an exhibition of innovation
Rather, it is an early signal of where revenue advantage and exposure will shift next. Here’s what we already knew:
What we saw that was different was the companies that appeared most confident were not chasing every new capability.
They had clarity.
Everyone else was experimenting.
Experimentation feels prudent until margin erosion shows through duplicated spend, weak attribution, and internal friction that never appears in a dashboard.
That is why CES is no longer about innovation upside.
It is about exposure.
Retail Media Has Gone from Channel to Infrastructure
Another a-ha moment, retail media is no longer a lower funnel optimization.
Networks like Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, and Target Roundel now operate as full funnel growth platforms, combining awareness, consideration, and conversion with first party data few brands can replicate.
Industry analysis from the Interactive Advertising Bureau underscores how quickly Retail Media Networks are becoming core growth infrastructure.
For CEOs, this raises a simple question we feel many organizations still cannot answer:
Who actually owns this?
Alarmingly, when ownership is unclear, spend overlaps, attribution weakens, and teams optimize locally while enterprise value erodes globally.
Boards do not need more pilots here.
They need accountability, and this is probably not on their radar.
AI Is Compressing Time, Not Complexity
Agentic AI was everywhere at CES. And yes, it works.
Much of this acceleration is being driven by enterprise platforms such as Adobe’s AI-powered content and workflow tools, which are reshaping how campaigns are designed, reviewed, and activated.
But the constraint is no longer technology. Any guesses what it is?
We think it’s governance.
AI is not solving organizational friction. It is exposing it.
Faster execution without embedded controls simply magnifies risk.
Governance Is No Longer a Safety Net. It Is the System
Our insider tip, at CES, closed-door conversations were dominated by governance.
Not because leaders are risk-averse, but because they have seen what happens when AI runs ahead of controls.
Unchecked AI creates:
That is why many enterprises are aligning with the NIST AI Risk Management Framework as a baseline for responsible AI governance.
The most advanced organizations are not slowing AI adoption.
They are embedding governance directly into workflows.
For boards, the question is no longer whether guardrails exist.
It is where they live operationally.
Customer Loyalty Is Being Quietly Disintermediated
Something else we saw was a concern that surfaced repeatedly at CES.
AI agents are becoming buyers.
When AI optimizes price, speed, or availability, brand loyalty weakens. Differentiation collapses. Value becomes transactional.
That is why leading organizations are reinvesting in experience led differentiation such as:
This is not branding for awareness.
It is branding for relevance when humans are no longer the only decision makers.
Precision AI Signals Where Growth Is Heading Next
Healthcare innovation at CES did not lead with novelty.
It led with trust.
Wearables, sensors, and AI-powered diagnostics reinforced the same shift.
Precision is replacing scale
Healthcare, financial services, energy, and mobility will reward organizations that can pair innovation with credibility, governance, and accountability.
The next wave of AI-enabled growth will not belong to the loudest adopters.
It will belong to the most trusted operators.
Five Questions Every CEO Should Be Asking After CES
If these questions lack clear answers, that is not a marketing issue.
It is a leadership gap.
Why This Moment Lifts Marketing Leadership
CES 2026 made one reality clear: marketing has become a business infrastructure.
That is why fractional and interim growth CMOs are increasingly stepping into board-level roles, bringing operating discipline, clarifying ownership, and stabilizing execution when pressure is highest.
Boards do not need another experiment.
They need clarity.
Because CES 2026 did not predict the future. It revealed it.
The CMO Syndicate works directly with CEOs and boards to stabilize growth engines, clarify ownership, and restore confidence in execution.
Learn more about The CMO Syndicate services offered that can help drive your business growth forward.
📩 Contact us here to learn more.
Ani Matson
Partner, The CMO Syndicate
Ani has extensive strategic marketing expertise. Before becoming a Founding Partner of The CMO Syndicate, she enjoyed a twenty-year career in a broad range of leadership positions that cut across marketing strategy, digital transformation, and data analytics.
Ani is a seasoned professional with current clients in the telecom, insurance, and biotechnology sectors. She has held executive positions at prestigious organizations such as the National Education Association’s Member Benefits Corporation and S&P Global’s Aviation Week Group.
Lisa Bratkovich
Partner, The CMO Syndicate
Lisa is an accomplished Chief Marketing Officer known for driving significant growth for e-commerce, direct-to- consumer, and omnichannel CPG brands. With an over 30-year track record of proven results, Lisa works with CEOS and CMOs to unlock revenue and profit for large-cap to early-stage start-up brands.
She has led the launch, optimization, and scale for many brands and is also an expert in subscription business models, DRTV, and celebrity-based brands. With her P&L, general management, and AI-focused experience, Lisa also helps companies better monetize their marketing efforts and internal expenditures.
Jennifer Welch
Partner, The CMO Syndicate
Jennifer Layne Welch is a growth architect for ambitious businesses. With 30+ years of experience, she helps companies scale faster, align smarter, and market with purpose. Her superpower: turning brand and marketing into a commercial growth engine.
Jennifer advises founders, C-suites, and PE-backed teams on how to move from reactive tactics to strategic systems. She brings clarity to the chaos—building marketing functions that drive revenue, elevate reputation, and accelerate results. Before co-founding The CMO Syndicate, Jennifer spent two decades inside one of the world’s largest companies—earning global leadership roles and building brands from the inside out. She now brings that enterprise rigor to scaling businesses across sectors.