More human than ever: Marketing predictions for 2026
How AI is reshaping marketing - and what it really means to be creative
Webinar
1:00 AM EST/
10:00 PM PST/
06:00 GMT
45 minutes
Alice McKown (Publisher & CRO, The Atlantic) and Elizabeth Maxson (CMO, Contentful) reveal research-backed predictions that define how marketing teams lead, create, and compete in 2026.
About the webinar
AI is rewriting the rules of marketing. The year ahead will mark the rise of the full-stack marketer; professionals who merge creative intuition with technical fluency to turn insight into measurable impact. Those who embrace this evolution will gain a decisive edge in speed, precision, and audience relevance. Those who hesitate risk being outpaced not just in campaigns, but in their ability to innovate and connect meaningfully with customers.
Join Alice McKown (Publisher and CRO, The Atlantic) and Elizabeth Maxson (CMO, Contentful) as they reveal five predictions shaping the future of marketing. Drawing on new research from When Machines Make Marketers More Human — featuring insights from 425 marketing leaders — they’ll explore the tensions transforming the field: abundance vs. focus, acceleration vs. creativity, data vs. instinct.
What you’ll learn:
The predictions shaping how CMOs lead in 2026
What the latest Atlantic Insights x Contentful research reveals about mastering evidence-based thinking and making
How to prepare your strategy – and your team – for the year ahead
The presenters
Elizabeth Maxson
Chief Marketing Officer
Contentful
Elizabeth Maxson is the Chief Marketing Officer of Contentful, a content management platform trusted by more than 4,200 companies around the world. Elizabeth brings nearly two decades of integrated marketing leadership to the role and is focused on driving marketing strategies that leverage AI and personalization to help brands deliver personalized and scalable content to their audiences. Prior to Contentful, Elizabeth served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Tableau, a Salesforce company, where she led go-to-market strategy and drove end-to-end marketing initiatives. In addition to her role at Tableau, Elizabeth has also served as the Head of Marketing at Quip, another Salesforce acquisition, as well as spearheaded Strategic Technology Partnerships marketing, launching critical relationships with industry giants such as AWS, Google Cloud, Alibaba, Apple, and many others. She carries a BAA in Facility Management and Marketing from Central Michigan University.
Alice McKown
Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer
The Atlantic
Alice McKown is the Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer at The Atlantic. She leads commercial revenue for the entirety of the organization, which is inclusive of sales, marketing, and the industry-leading creative studio, Atlantic Re:think. She also oversees AtlanticLIVE, The Atlantic’s award-winning experiential events division, and IP, entertainment, and creative development. McKown spent the past two decades at Condé Nast building and evolving the businesses of such publications as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ, and WIRED. Most recently, she was head of marketing for Conde's Culture Division, which includes The New Yorker, WIRED, Pitchfork, Teen Vogue, Ars Technica, and them, as well as the automotive, entertainment, and business/tech/finance ad categories. As the associate publisher of Vanity Fair, McKown drove significant revenue through the transformation of its digital and experiential business, including the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and the New Establishment Summit. Prior to that, she led sales at Vanity Fair, GQ, and Condé Nast Traveler.
