Dentsu Creative CMO 2024 is OUT! Revealing a New Era of Empowerment

Dentsu’s global creative network, Dentsu Creative has today released its annual global survey of 950 chief marketing officers, this year revealing a new era of empowerment worldwide, spurred by an unprecedented confidence in the power of creativity. 

You can download the report here.

CMOs on creativity – ‘Industry reaching a tipping point’

The impact and effectiveness of creativity as a key driver of business transformation was cemented by CMOs during the survey.

• 73 percent of respondents from KSA and 80 percent from UAE agreed that marketing remains a key driver of business transformation.
• 97 percent of KSA-based CMOs believe that creative ideas can transform businesses, with 85 percent of UAE respondents agreeing to the notion.
• 95 percent of UAE respondents (and 96 percent in KSA) also echoed that creativity is more important to their business than ever before.

 Use the report to find out:  

• Is your thinking in line with the rest of the industry?
• Will your marketing investments pay off? 
• Where could you look next for inspiration? 

Distilling the Denstu Creative report’s transformation themes

Now in its fifth year, the survey data from CMOs across sectors in Australia, Brazil, China, Canada, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the UAE, US and UK is interpreted by Dentsu Creative’s award-winning Chief Strategy Officer, Patricia McDonald, in partnership with its international Strategy, Growth and Marketing community to form the CMO Report.

The annual study is conducted to provide insight into the hearts and minds of CMOs globally, to help benchmark their direction against peers and highlight their expectations from agency partners.

Taking the data from 45 questions, eight key themes have been identified to offer an industry toolkit and roadmap.

From omnichannel to omnipresent creativity

In a fast-changing world, where growth is harder to come by, CMOs need creativity in every aspect of their business not just communications. 97 percent CMOs in KSA and 85 percent CMOs in UAE believe Creativity has more potential than ever to unlock growth.

From share of voice to share of culture

In a world where attention has shifted, brands will scale in new ways, integrating with culture, content and entertainment. 96 percent of KSA respondents and 95 percent of UAE respondents of CMOs agree it is more important than ever for brands to be part of culture.

From controlling to conducting 

CMOs recognise that brands today are built through ecosystems of connected talent, partners and creators: Respondents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (80 percent) and the United Arab Emirates (70 percent) acknowledge that in the future marketing will be a collaboration between brands, creators and platforms.

From ‘seamless’ to distinctive experiences

As product advantages are swiftly copied, brands will build differentiation through connected and distinctive brand experiences. Nine out of ten of marketers in the UAE agree that every touchpoint can and must tell the brand story-from comms to commerce, but only six out of ten (63 percent) respondents in the KSA market agreed.

From insight to foresight

CMOs face pressure to act not only as the voice of the customer, but the voice of the future, anticipating trends and desires before they arise. Approximately 90 percent of KSA respondents and 80 percent of UAE respondents are challenged to use data and insight to predict future products and propositions.

From AI as a competitor to a co-pilot

As AI matures, CMOs are reappraising its potential as a collaborator and co-creator rather than a threat to human creativity. The percent of CMOs agreeing that Generative AI will never make content that moves us declined 18 percentage points year on year globally, with almost 60 percent of Middle East respondents agreeing (57 percent for KSA and 60 percent for UAE).

From innovation at the edge to innovation at the core

As the pace of change accelerates, clients are investing significant proportions of their budget in Innovation, no longer a niche or a nice-to-have. On a global note, more than half  (56 percent) of marketers are planning to invest more than 20 percent of their budget in innovation, with 63 percent of KSA CMOs following the same trend and 55 percent of CMOs from the UAE following similar trends.

From transforming businesses to impacting society

With uncertainty on the horizon, the role of marketing as a driver of change and lasting impact becomes ever more important. For instance, 73 percent of CMOs in the KSA and 70 percent in the UAE want their marketing activity to impact people, impact business and impact society.