A fresh study from Page—the 2026 Navigator Benchmark Trend Report—highlights a major evolution for Chief Communications Officers (CCOs), who are managing broader remits and redesigning their teams even as resource constraints persist.
Expanding Roles Driven by Business Transformation
The scope of corporate communications is growing rapidly. Nearly two-thirds of CCOs (65.9%) report that their function's responsibilities have expanded over the past two years. To adapt, nearly 90% of communications leaders restructured their teams within the last year.
This transformation is largely fueled by corporate evolution. Nearly 80% (79.9%) of respondents pointed to business model changes as a primary factor influencing how their communications departments are structured and funded—outpacing factors like geographic footprint or stakeholder complexity by more than two to one.
The Resource Squeeze and the Myth of CEO Access
Despite growing expectations, nearly 45% (44.9%) of communications leaders state that their teams are under-resourced. Page notes that this perception of a resource deficit cuts evenly across organizations regardless of size, revenue, geography, ownership model, or reporting lines.
The study also challenges the long-held industry belief that direct reporting to the CEO is the ultimate indicator of success. While a direct line to the chief executive strongly correlates with executive committee membership, it does not automatically boost a CCO's confidence in proving the business value of their work.
“The data show that access alone is not enough,” explains Candace Steele Flippin, VP of thought leadership and professional development at Page. “A CCO can have access to the CEO and still face real constraints in demonstrating business value. That is why it is important to look at the function itself, including its structure, resources and capabilities..."
Page CEO Rochelle Ford echoes this shift in perspective: “The conversation about whether communications has influence has moved on. The question now is whether the function is designed, resourced and measured to deliver what the business expects of it. That is not a question CCOs can answer alone.”
What Drives Confidence and Accountability?
Instead of CEO proximity, high confidence in demonstrating business value correlates directly with team size and resource adequacy:
• Team Scale: 73.3% of leaders managing teams with over 50 full-time employees (FTEs) report high confidence in proving business value, compared to 52.4% of those leading smaller teams.
• Resource Levels: 70.8% of leaders with adequate resources feel highly confident, versus just 53% among those who feel under-resourced or neutral.
Measurement remains an ongoing hurdle for the profession. While roughly 40% of communications departments report at least one business outcome up to the board or CEO, only 25% formally track those business outcomes.
