In 2026, chief communications officers (CCOs) must lead their teams through widespread AI disruption. Externally, executive teams will need to manage an environment with escalating reputation risk. Internally, AI-driven transformation agendas will hinge on employee buy-in and scaled adoption of new capabilities.

After extensive analysis of survey data from consumers, employees and business leaders — plus hundreds of conversations with CCOs and their teams — Gartner recommends three actions for CCOs to successfully guide their teams through the year ahead and beyond. 

Top priorities for CCOs in 2026

1
Protect the organization to build reputation resilience.
2
Make change navigation the new normal and build employee self-efficacy.
3
Prioritize step-change investments in data and analytics capabilities.

PRIORITY 1

Protect the organization to build reputation resilience

CCO challenge

The rise in misinformation, disinformation and societal polarization, coupled with rapid advancements in AI capabilities, has generated a different-in-kind reputation landscape with intensified business risks. This kind of “truth decay” requires a new playbook.

CCO action

In the new risk landscape, CCOs will need to move beyond traditional reputation management approaches and manage and capitalize on new reputation-building opportunities. Social media monitoring and standard crisis preparedness are no longer enough. Use the Gartner PROTECT framework to create a new reputation management playbook that builds and protects reputational capital in the unfolding threat environment.
PROTECT your organization to build reputation resilence

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