Dentsu Creative released today a survey of 950+ chief marketing officers globally, revealing a new level of empowerment, spurred by an unprecedented confidence in the power of creativity:

• 73 percent of respondents from KSA and 80 percent from UAE agree that marketing is a key driver of business transformation.
• 97 percent of KSA respondents of CMOs believe that creative ideas can transform businesses, with 85 percent of UAE respondents agreeing.
• 95 percent of UAE respondents (and 96 percent in KSA) see creativity as more important to their business than ever

Innovation has also been identified as a driver of business transformation, with 63 percent of KSA CMOs planning to invest more than 20 percent of their budget over the next 12 months with UAE CMOs trailing closely at 55 percent.

In parallel to this rising confidence and empowerment, the data reveals that the industry has reached a critical tipping point. New areas of focus have emerged as CMOs in both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (90 percent) and the United Arab Emirates (80 percent) admit to feeling pressure to navigate rapidly evolving technologies and foresee consumer trends. The shift from omnichannel to omnipresent creativity is challenging marketers to deliver culturally relevant content across platforms, and while most of the CMOs in KSA (96 percent vs 83 percent unsure) and in UAE (95 percent embrace vs 65 percent unsure) embrace this approach, some remain unsure how to achieve it. By contrast, trust in Generative AI to enhance creativity and Innovation as a co-pilot and accelerator of human creativity is growing, with fewer considering it as a threat to human value; 57 percent of CMOs in KSA and 60 percent of CMOs in UAE doubted that AI could create emotionally compelling ads.

“Marketers across the Middle East, particularly in the UAE and KSA, are increasingly recognizing the transformative power of creativity and innovation. The survey results reveal that an impressive 97 percent of CMOs in KSA and 85 percent in the UAE believe in the potential of creative ideas to revolutionize businesses”, said Ziad Ghorayeb,CEO of Dentsu Creative – MENA.. “As we navigate the rapid advancements in technology and evolving consumer trends, it is clear that a collaborative approach, leveraging partnerships with brands, creators, and platforms, will be essential for driving sustained growth and societal impact. At Dentsu Creative, we are committed to empowering our clients across the region to harness the full potential of creativity to not only meet but exceed their business objectives.”

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, calling for agencies to not only respond to briefs but also to challenge them and drive transformative change.

This year’s data can be distilled into eight macro-themes, indicating a reliance on creativity as less of an idea and more of a transformation driver:

1. FROM OMNICHANNEL CREATIVITY 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. FROM SEAMLESS EXPERIENCES 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.

5.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. 90 percent of KSA respondents and 80 percent of UAE respondents are challenged to use data and insight to predict future products and propositions.

6.FROM AI AS COMPETITOR TO AI AS 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).

7.FROM INNOVATION AT THE EDGES 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.

8.FROM TRANSFORMING BUSINESS TO CHANGING SOCIETY

With uncertainty on the horizon, the role of marketing as a driver of change and lasting impact becomes ever more important. 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.

Download the report here.