There is a divide between CMO adoption of AI and consumer trust in its use in marketing
AI is everywhere now. In UK marketing, 89% of CMOs are using generative AI, with 78% using traditional AI. These systems unlock serious efficiency, especially when it comes to content generation, customer targeting, and campaign scaling. It’s about offloading the routine so teams can focus on strategy and generating real business results. In fact, 64% of CMOs now say AI enables more creativity in their teams, up from 43% the year before. That’s a solid shift in mindset.
But while CMOs are going full speed ahead, consumers aren’t quite there. Only 38% are comfortable with brands using AI for social media content. That’s a warning signal. We’re talking about a major perception gap, one that impacts brand trust, relevance, and ultimately, ROI. And when 31% of consumers say they have “mixed feelings” about AI, versus just 16% who are optimistic, it’s clear there’s more work to do.
CMOs need to think about how they integrate AI not just internally, but visibly. Transparency matters here. If your audience feels manipulated or misled, their trust drops, fast. AI used well should enhance trust, not erode it. Let consumers see the value first. Don’t just tell them a post is AI-generated, show them how it helps, why it improves the content, and what it makes possible.
Smart use of AI in marketing isn’t just about tools, it’s about alignment with your audience’s comfort zone. So, yeah, use AI to move faster, be smarter, and build. But don’t forget to bring your audience with you.
Brand activism remains a divisive strategy
Taking a stand as a brand isn’t simple anymore. According to recent research, 50% of UK consumers expect companies to speak up on social or political issues. The other 50% don’t. That split creates volatility. You say one thing, and half your audience supports it. The other half? They might walk away, or push back hard.
CMOs are aware. Around 24% say the risk of brand backlash is always on their minds when planning campaigns. And it’s not some abstract concern. Risk tied to political associations, like international conflicts, jumped from 11% to 17% in a year. Public sentiment can shift fast, and when brands align too quickly or too loudly, it can backfire.
Now, this doesn’t mean companies should stay silent. Consumers still care about values. In fact, 96% of CMOs say sustainability is a key part of their brand’s identity, and 95% say the same for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Businesses that operate in B2B environments also see this play out in procurement decisions, partners want to work with companies that reflect their own values.
The hard part is strategy. You can’t patch over public pressure with one-off statements. Values have to run deep and show up consistently, in your hiring, your supply chain, your operations, and yes, your messaging. If you’re posturing for reaction, people will see through it. If you’re delivering on values with substance, they’ll engage.
Executives should look at this not as a marketing dilemma, but as a leadership mandate. In uncertain times, people expect brands to reflect stability and accountability. That comes from real alignment, not performance. Well-executed brand activism isn’t reactive, it’s intentional, consistent, and clearly connected to the business itself.
Social media has emerged as the primary channel for brand discovery
The way people discover and connect with brands is changing fast. According to fresh data, 40% of UK consumers now use social media as their main method of brand discovery. That’s ahead of both personal recommendations and search engines, each used by 37%. If you’re building brand visibility in 2025, social isn’t a side channel, it’s central.
What’s driving this shift? It’s generational. Only 2% of Gen Z and 5% of Millennials say they don’t use social media to engage with brands. That’s near-total adoption. These audiences expect fast-paced, visual, and interactive content. If your brand isn’t showing up in those spaces the right way, authentic, current, consistent, you’re not being seen at all.
For leadership, this isn’t just about marketing tactics, it’s about priority focus. Budget, personnel, and strategy need to be aligned around social platforms’ impact, because that’s where reputation, attention, and conversion are beginning. This doesn’t mean chasing every trend. It does mean treating social media as a high-performance growth engine, not a broadcast channel.
This also comes with exposure. The same channels that drive discovery also amplify criticism and accelerate backlash if something goes wrong. Smart companies build in content review cycles, community management capabilities, and fast decision loops. What matters is speed, clarity, and tone, especially with younger audiences who are used to real-time engagement.
Social-driven brand discovery isn’t optional. It’s the way forward for growth, especially with Gen Z and Millennials leading the demand curve. Ignore it and your brand fades. Invest wisely, and you start owning more attention than your competitors.
Budget constraints and evolving measurement priorities are reshaping marketing strategies
Marketing leaders are under pressure to deliver more with less. According to the latest research, 71% of UK CMOs say attracting new clients is a major challenge, while 61% struggle with retaining existing ones. At the same time, budget flexibility is shrinking. In 2024, 38% of CMOs saw budget allocation as a key challenge. In 2025, that number has jumped to 46%.
It’s forcing a shift in what success looks like. The primary KPI marketers now focus on isn’t direct sales, it’s brand awareness. In 2024, sales was the top metric for 46% of CMOs. In 2025, 62% report that awareness is now their main focus. That’s not a small change. It reflects a longer-term mindset and a different way of thinking about value creation.
This is also where data becomes a differentiator. CMOs who use market research as a measurement tool are seeing stronger internal support. 69% of them report having full stakeholder buy-in, compared to just 45% among those not using research. That tells you something. Better insights drive better alignment, especially at the executive level.
The point here is that marketing isn’t just a sales engine anymore. It’s a lever for visibility, for relevance, and for strategic positioning. In a tight economic climate, brand awareness isn’t a luxury, it’s insurance. It keeps you on the radar when customers delay decisions or switch priorities. And it makes you the first call when buying resumes.
Executives need to reframe how they evaluate marketing impact. If you’re only looking at short-term revenue spikes, you’re not seeing the full picture. Brand awareness builds leverage. Measured properly and combined with real research, it gets leadership aligned and keeps commercial momentum alive, even under pressure.
Main highlights
- Close the AI trust gap: While 89% of UK CMOs use generative AI, only 38% of consumers are comfortable with it. Leaders should focus on transparent AI usage and user education to align innovation with audience trust.
- Be deliberate with brand activism: With consumers evenly split on whether brands should take a stand, and 24% of CMOs wary of backlash, executives must tie activism tightly to core values and ensure organizational consistency before going public.
- Prioritize social-first strategies: Social media is now the top discovery channel, used by 40% of consumers; nearly all of Gen Z and Millennials engage with brands this way. CMOs should invest in targeted, platform-specific content and real-time brand engagement.
- Shift measurement to brand equity: As marketing budgets tighten and focus turns from direct sales (46% in 2024) to brand awareness (62% in 2025), executives should reframe success metrics. Leverage market research to boost internal alignment and long-term visibility.
