No. 1: By 2025, a perceived decay in the quality of social media sites will push 50% of consumers to significantly limit their use of major platforms.

The impact: Consumer concern over GenAI spreading misinformation on social platforms remains high. Over 70% of consumers expect AI to negatively impact social channels. Many social channels have already begun to incorporate AI, which has the potential to hasten the perception of diminished quality. As a result, consumers are actively limiting their use of major platforms.

No. 2: By 2026, 80% of creative talent will use GenAI daily, allowing for more strategic work, resulting in increased spending on creative.

The impact: The use of GenAI in marketing will enable the faster development of more creative variations for hypertargeted, personalized experiences. Managing this will increase CMO spending on agency and in-house creative talent toward more strategic creative endeavors.

No. 3: By 2027, 20% of brands will lean into positioning and differentiation predicated on the absence of AI in their business and products.

The impact: As AI becomes more prevalent in marketing, addressing consumer trust and confidence issues will be a significant challenge. A segment of customers may shift their behaviors and seek out AI-free, “acoustic” brands that prioritize authenticity and ethics. Brands that embrace acoustic positioning can differentiate themselves and potentially target premium or safety-focused markets.

No. 4: By 2028, brands will see their organic site traffic decrease by 50% or more as consumers embrace GenAI-powered search.

The impact: The rapid expansion of GenAI in search engines will significantly reduce organic search traffic for brands, as individuals obtain information directly from AI-generated results. CMOs must prepare for the disruption to revenue and lead generation by adapting channel investments and focusing on conversion-focused keywords, gated content and potentially repositioning traditional channels like email.

No. 5: By 2026, 60% of CMOs will adopt measures such as content authenticity technology, enhanced monitoring, and brand-endorsed user-generated content to protect their brands from widespread deception unleashed by GenAI.

The impact: To safeguard their brands, organizations must prioritize the implementation of content authenticity measures and establish responsible-use guidelines for GenAI. The lack of existing frameworks and best practices necessitates transparency and trust-building mechanisms, compelling brands to demand clear policies from vendors and agency partners while integrating content authenticity features into technology.