WORLDWIDE – Dentsu Creative has released its 2025 Global CMO Report, Agents of Reinvention: Marketing at the Intersection of AI and Human Ingenuity, offering an in-depth view of how artificial intelligence is reshaping the marketing landscape. Drawing insights from more than 1,950 senior marketing leaders across 14 markets, the study outlines 10 defining themes that are transforming brand building in the age of algorithms ranging from anticipating the algorithm and investing in intimacy to building trust and cultural relevance in an era defined by Agentic AI.
The findings underscore a paradox central to modern marketing: as AI becomes deeply embedded in everyday workflows, human creativity, empathy, and cultural intelligence are more valuable than ever. Almost all CMOs surveyed use AI to scale content, personalize experiences, and drive efficiency—over 30% doing so daily – yet 87% acknowledge that creativity and humanity are critical to effective strategy. Notably, 78% believe that generative AI will never replace human imagination, a conviction that has grown by 13 percentage points since 2024.
While AI empowers marketers to create at scale, effectiveness and personalization remain top priorities. Ninety percent of respondents seek to combine agile production with intelligent data to deliver precision messaging, though 76% cite content creation speed as a barrier to true personalization. This tension reflects the dual challenge CMOs face: winning with the algorithm without succumbing to sameness.
Indeed, 71% of CMOs agree that “if I don’t win with the algorithm, I will be invisible,” yet 79% fear that over-optimization risks homogenization. Winning in culture is thus emerging as a strategic imperative: 84% assert that gaining cultural share, not just share of voice, is key to brand success. Entertainment, community engagement, and creator collaborations are seen as vital tools, though 81% admit there are few tried-and-tested models to follow.
The report also highlights shifting investment priorities. Ninety percent of CMOs recognize that social and influencer content now drives greater engagement than traditional advertising, with 91% agreeing that brands are increasingly built through partnerships with creators, platforms, and cultural tastemakers. This figure has risen by 14 percentage points year on year, even as 82% express concerns about relinquishing control. Alongside influencer-driven strategies, more than 70% of CMOs intend to allocate over 20% of their budgets to innovation.
Looking ahead, 89% of CMOs believe agentic AI will profoundly impact business, yet they also recognize that trust and taste will matter more than ever. In a future where digital agents curate everything from travel itineraries to shopping baskets, brand love and cultural resonance will be essential.
Abbey Klaassen, Global Brand President, Dentsu Creative said, “The future of marketing is about augmenting human ingenuity with AI to enable a level of pace and personalization not previously possible. It’s not about doing more with less, it’s about doing things we couldn’t do before: connecting creativity, media, data and production to meet the right customer with the right message in the right moment, leveraging the modern content supply chain to show up in more of those moments than was possible in the past. What we hear from our clients, and the report bears that out, is that they need seamless integration of data, AI enabled production and their existing martech stack to realize the potential of real time creativity to accelerate growth.”
Yasu Sasaki, Global Chief Creative Officer, dentsu added, “What we clearly see in this report is that while clients are embracing AI at pace, they remain committed to the power of human craft and creativity. As we adopt AI at scale, it places an ever-greater premium on originality and innovation: AI is exceptionally good at prediction but creativity by its very nature is unpredictable. What is most exciting is when AI and human creativity come together to unlock new possibilities, spot new patterns and shape new futures. That’s why we see clients committing to invest more than ever in innovation in 2026 and beyond.”
Patricia McDonald, Global Chief Strategy Officer, Dentsu Creative commented, “Today’s marketers face an extraordinary series of paradoxes and contradictions. Automation is vital to keep up, humanity is vital to stand out. They must win with the algorithm or be invisible, but optimize too closely and they become indistinguishable. If every brand chases the same signals with the same tools, we are simply running harder to stand still. The result is that the more we embrace AI, the more human we must become; unearthing the deeply personal truths, grounded in culture, that resonate, differentiate and scale.”
Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative & Media Brands, South Asia, dentsu emphasized, “Algorithms may shape what we see, but it is imagination, empathy and culture that shape what we remember. In India’s dynamic landscape, true success will come to brands that out-human the algorithm, fusing AI with creativity, data with intimacy, and innovation with cultural trust. Those who dare to co-create authentically and build experiences rooted in trust will not only grow their brands but also shape the future of society.”
The full report is available here: Dentsu Creative CMO Report 2025.
