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AI is speeding up marketing, but for many companies it has so far saved far less money than hoped. In the global CMO study by Dentsu Creative](https://www.dentsu.com/tw/en/news-releases/26-10-14-dentsu-creatives-2026-cmo-report-making-it-real), published on 14 October 2026, [71 percent of the surveyed leaders report faster time-to-market thanks to AI. At the same time, 70 percent say they have not yet seen any major cost savings. The finding shifts the focus from mere content output to what automation actually improves for a brand.
Study of 1.950 marketing decision-makers – no revenue measurement
In April 2026, Dentsu surveyed a total of 1.950 senior marketing managers in 14 markets, including Germany. The research was designed by Dentsu and carried out by B2B International. It measures leaders' assessments and experiences, not independently verified profits or conversion uplifts. Both percentages can be true at the same time: a campaign can be produced faster without tools, approvals, data costs or staffing becoming cheaper overall.
The study names a second operational limit: 62 percent do not yet consider AI-supported creation capable of fully matching their brand's tone and look. 74 percent are considering replacing parts of their existing tool stack. This does not mean that three quarters will actually cancel their tools, but it is a signal of open questions around efficiency and integration.
Brand identity should not be reinvented with every prompt
Most automated marketing processes first optimise for speed, variants or click signals. This risks a easily overlooked cost: inconsistent messaging and generic creatives that work as individual assets but do not add up to a recognisable brand image. According to Dentsu, 78 percent of the surveyed CMOs fear that algorithmic optimisation leads to interchangeable content; 83 percent consider genuine customer voices especially important in times of automation.
Ikea provides a concrete example. In an interview with Digiday on the 14 October, global Ikea retail CMO Vincenzo Riili describes AI as a tool for local adaptation and more effective decisions – not as a replacement for a consistent brand idea. Large language models process not only campaigns but also product pages, company documents and external contributions. Whether they represent the brand correctly therefore depends on more than a single advertising text.
In practice, this means brand values, product claims and sources should align across website, shop, social posts, creator briefings and product data. For AI systems, this coherence can make interpretation easier, but it does not guarantee higher ranking or more AI citations. Our article on AI content and brand quality explains why human final review remains necessary.
Creators need deliberate latitude for consistency
Riili points out that Ikea also sees staff on the ground as credible content faces: according to him, some achieve very high reach on TikTok. The brand wants to give creators room for their own voice while central values remain non-negotiable. This is not proof that decentralised creator campaigns generally perform better – it mainly shows where a global brand rulebook meets local platform culture.
A notable survey result fits here: 81 percent of Dentsu respondents believe that approachable creators such as nano-influencers can deliver better results than celebrities. This is an assessment, not an impact study confirmed across platforms or categories. Whether smaller creators are actually more efficient must be tested by a brand with comparable audiences, costs and conversion metrics. Why reliable standards are missing precisely here is analysed in our report on creator marketing measurement.
Four checks for German marketing teams
1. Measure production speed against result quality. Do not just count assets per week; document approval loops, error corrections, new customer acquisition and brand lift.
2. Maintain brand sources consistently. Define responsibilities for product details, claims, tone and visual language; align changes in shop and website with social and agent workflows.
3. Separate creator freedom from mandatory information. Briefings should include brand values, legal disclosure, evidence and safety limits, but should not dictate every wording.
4. Evaluate tool changes only on real process costs. Licences, data integration, quality control and additional coordination can eat up a nominal time saving.
The DMEXCO classification on AI scaling describes the organisational side. Fender and Marshall show with their content series how original in-house content can help brands become recognisable sources in search.
Context: The Dentsu data is mainly a counterweight to exaggerated automation promises. AI speeds up individual work steps, but brand impact and profitability must be demonstrated separately. Ikea provides a practical example of how global strategy, local teams and creators work together.
Image note: The photo shows a general living room, not an Ikea store and no Ikea products. Photo: Zac Gudakov / Unsplash.
Sources: Dentsu Creative, CMO Report, 14.10.2026; Digiday, Ikea interview, 14.10.2026.