Communications Roles Expanded, Leaving Many Underfunded
Nearly half of top communications officers report insufficient resources to match their growing list of operational duties.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Public Companies
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A benchmark report of 179 chief communications officers found that 65.9 percent have seen their job scopes expand over the past two years. However, 45.9 percent of these executives now report that they lack the necessary resources to meet these heightened expectations.
Why it matters
Business transformation has become the primary driver of expanded communications mandates, leaving departments to reconcile broader responsibilities with stagnant or shrinking budgets. This structural disconnect forces operators to prioritize core outputs while managing potential gaps in organizational influence.
The report surveyed 179 executives across 33 countries, with 35.2 percent of respondents increasing headcount in 2026 compared to 29.1 percent reporting decreases. Despite the focus on organizational change, only 2.6 percent of participants cited job eliminations directly tied to AI.
The players
Page
An international professional association that provides research, benchmark reports, and networking for chief communications officers.
The details
The report evaluated 22 specific job duties to track time allocation, reflecting how business transformation reshapes departmental priorities. With 87.7 percent of surveyed leaders reviewing their organizational structure over the past year, many are attempting to realign headcount and capital to match their new mandates. This transition remains fragmented, as firms balance the need for expanded visibility against the operational reality of constrained communication budgets.
Timeline
2025 served as the primary comparison period for headcount and budget data points.
The majority of surveyed organizations reviewed their internal communication structures over the past year.
Benchmark data regarding current budgets, headcount, and AI impact was collected throughout 2026.
Market Landscape
This data follows a pattern set by the Page Navigator Benchmark Trend Report, which documents the ongoing drift between executive responsibilities and allocated departmental resources. It highlights a departure from historical norms where communication budgets scaled linearly with the complexity of business transformation initiatives.
Operators should evaluate if their own communications infrastructure is being stretched to cover disparate business transformation goals without sufficient capital backing. If resource allocation is not keeping pace with the scope of these duties, business leaders must prioritize essential messaging channels to avoid burnout or declining quality in critical stakeholder outreach.
The takeaway
The primary insight for operators is that increasing job scope without proportional budget increases is the new standard in communications departments. Owners should track whether their department headcount is trending with the 35.2 percent of industry leaders who added staff in 2026 to ensure their messaging capabilities remain competitive.
Further reading
For broader trends on organizational alignment and executive functions, visit Public Companies.
Source note: This article includes information reported by O'Dwyers PR.
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