Rethinking marketing’s core for a post-digital world

Why branding and trust — not just AI and data — are becoming central for marketing leaders

Marketing organisations across Europe are doubling down on the fundamentals. According to the latest McKinsey & Company “Past forward: The modern rethinking of marketing’s core” report, many CMOs recognise that in a time of economic uncertainty and shifting consumer attitudes, long-term brand building, trust, and consistency matter more than ever. Although generative AI and advanced marketing technologies offer promise, most European firms remain cautious, often lacking maturity or coherent strategy for wide-scale adoption. At the same time, many are planning to increase marketing budgets — but with heightened pressure to show return on investment.

Key takeaways

• Branding is back as top priority: Marketing leaders ranked branding #1 for 2026, viewing it as the foundation for distinctiveness, clear value perception, and creative differentiation.
• Trust, authenticity and privacy are strategic anchors: Data privacy, authenticity, and employer branding (ranking among the top five themes) reflect a shift toward emotional connection and transparent long-term relationships with customers.
• Full-funnel approaches over campaign silos: Companies increasingly combine brand-building with performance campaigns — integrating long-term equity building and immediate activation rather than treating them separately.
• Budgets rising — but scrutiny too: 72% of CMOs plan to increase their marketing budgets relative to sales for 2026, yet there’s growing demand from boards for rigorous ROI measurement and demonstrable business impact.
• Adoption of generative AI remains limited: Only about 6% of European firms say their use of gen AI is mature; the majority are held back by scant leadership commitment, fragmented initiatives, or weak data foundations.
• Mature AI adopters reap measurable gains: Those few organisations advanced in gen AI report average efficiency improvements of 22%, with expectations to reach 28% within two years — gains many hope to channel into growth.
• Need for better operating models and integration: CMOs are increasingly focused on tighter alignment of marketing with sales, customer experience, and agile ways of working — to overcome silos and strengthen consistency across all customer touchpoints.

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