Is this the dawning of the new age of advertising?

Let’s start with the big one. AI is already enabling some great work. But analysis by our creative effectiveness experts found that gains are not guaranteed from using Gen AI somewhere along the creative process. It depends on the ad, the emotional engagement, the persuasion, the objectives. Nothing has changed in that respect. However you’re using Gen AI in the creative process, you still need good research, using high quality data, to give clear direction.

The industry talks a lot about a future where we’re drowning in poorly generated content. But what seems to be harming AI’s reputation more right now is when it’s used in ways it shouldn’t be, which is landing some marketers in hot water. DM9 has fessed up about the Creative Data Gold-winning campaign that used AI to overclaim impact. As my wonderful colleague and Creative Data 2025 juror Ndeye Diagne pointed out, assessing hundreds of entries takes a long time. The onus can’t be on jurors to look out for fabricated evidence. And in the same way, the burden can’t be on consumers to search out how brands are using AI in their content, so transparency is essential to building their trust.

At the same time, one of the fastest growing marketing channels is one where the need for authenticity will limit the role GenAI can play: creator content. With Unilever saying that over 50% of their budget will be spent on creators, and a net 53% of marketers intending to spend more on influencers/creators this year (Kantar Media Reactions 2024), marketers need to know about creator effectiveness – and not in a silo. How creator content compares to other channels and formats, in the long and short term, is a priority.

Amazingly, while the creator economy is expected to double by 2030, we have discovered only 27% of creator content currently is tied strongly to the brand. It’s a delicate balance to strike in this new type of brand equity exchange. Of course, with bigger share of budgets comes bigger expectations for returns. But brands must remember: creators aren't actors. There needs to be a balance between the freedom the creator has to create their own content their own way, and the brand's need to achieve the objectives they’re aiming for.

Of course, whatever technology you use or channels you choose, it remains a constant that where your ad appears says as much about you as what you say. “The medium is the message”, goes Marshall McLuhan’s mantra. A constant supply of new formats is part of any platform’s lifeblood. And tech is enabling new ways to think about your media mix, by capturing campaign impact over time. Digital video or sponsorships, often undervalued for their slower burn, are strong for brand-building. In one example, we found that 75% of a campaign's total sales impact remained evident up to 50 weeks after launch. Traditional models would have stopped tracking after the fourth week, overlooking most of the return. Knowing that your media continues to have an effect for months means you plan differently and invest with confidence. The right media mix isn’t a choice between ‘now’ and ‘later’; it’s about planning, and optimising, for both.

The more data marketers have access to, the more important it becomes to master the skill of detecting meaningful signals amid the noise. Growth doesn’t come from watching a single number. It comes from listening to the full chorus. In a data-rich world, the brands that are winning are those that harmonise their signals – search trends, social sentiment, brand perception and sales – into one coherent view. Growth comes from connecting the dots to make smarter decisions.

One great example of this in action is travel giant, TUI, which had become heavily focused on performance marketing in a particularly seasonal industry. Recognising the need for a more balanced approach, the team introduced a brand-building campaign in December to prep audiences ahead of their key sales period, aiming to ensure the brand was top of mind when holiday planning season kicked off. According to TUI’s brand marketing analytics lead Mo Khaled, the campaign delivered steady improvements across metrics like the perception that the brand has great advertising and advertising awareness, which predisposed buyers ahead of the January rush. These results challenged the misconception that long-term brand building only delivers results after years thanks to their immediate effects.

Fundamentally, though the tech and marketing industries are converging, a marketer’s job is to grow their brand. Marketers who master the art of deciphering the vast array of data available to them, and harnessing technology in service of the brand will be best positioned to thrive. Technology is an enabler of their goal… but it should not become the goal itself.