Balance between AI and fundamentals: How CMOs are transforming their organization in 2025

Drum examines new WFA research revealing marketers integrate AI while maintaining core marketing strengths. Based on data from 600 global brands, there are things that are actually working in 2025.

The latest survey by the World Federation of Advertisers, the Future 2025 Marketer, released at Global Marketers Week in Brussels in front of an audience of 2,500 marketing professionals, reveals clear patterns across the market. This comprehensive study provides valuable insight into what truly distinguishes successful marketing organizations in today's complex landscapes.

This study reveals what may sound obvious, but it appears to be lost. The fundamentals of marketing are still the most important.

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Five key differentiators

In addition to in-depth interviews with CMOs of Diageo, Haleon, Nissan and Cathay Pacific, using data from nearly 600 companies in 25 countries, five important patterns emerged from notable research in-depth interviews with CMOs of Diageo, Haleon, Nissan and Cathay Pacific.

The fundamentals of marketing are still unnegotiable: Despite the rush to digital transformation, this study clearly shows that brand strategy and creative foundations continue to be important differentiators. Companies reporting improved performance are 24% more likely to maintain strength in these areas. This reinforces what Drum observed in his recent conversation with a marketing leader at WFA Global Marketing Week in Brussels. Fundamentals are more likely to extract greater value from new technology first.
Data-Based Growth Strategies: The most interesting findings here aren't just about having data. It's how it is used. A more performant marketing team is 19% more likely to prioritize consumer and market insights in their growth strategies. It's also 11% less for short-term metrics. This suggests a more confident, long-term orientation in which many organizations benefit from emulation.
Essential for integration: The most prominent data points are most sharply related to organizational structure. An overwhelming 97% of successful marketers say cross-team collaboration is important. This is not just about marketing, sales, or e-commerce teams communicating from time to time, but about basic structural integration. While companies thriving in today's markets have largely solved this challenge, struggling companies usually maintain strict sectoral boundaries.
Implementing AI that is enhanced rather than exchanged: Encouragement reveals that successful marketers are not replacing human creativity with AI. They're finding ways to enhance it. Companies reporting better results are 29% more likely to view changes in people and technology transformation as extremely important. It emphasizes that the most effective approach combines technological advancements with human strategic thinking.
C-Suite Positioning Noble Cycle: Key insights from the research concern marketing positions in organizational leadership. A successful marketer distinguishes himself by effectively demonstrating and communicating its impact to all stakeholders. This creates an advanced cycle. 43% of high-performance marketers considered the influence of C-suites as important (compared to just 23% of low-performing counterparts), while 46% increased leadership influence through board-level appointments. This positioning not only increases your marketing status, but also directly increases your marketing mission, unlocking the ability to reinvest in both basic skills and emerging technologies, and proves that strategic marketing drives measurable business growth.

Impact on CMOS in 2025

The most striking thing about this study is how it strengthens the need for balance rather than a single data point. The most successful marketing organizations are not the most advanced AI capabilities or the most powerful traditional brand building skills, and they have not mastered both.

This balance between marketing fundamentals and technological advancements is considered to be a critical feature of marketing success in the coming years.

WFA CEO Stephan Loerke strengthens this point when he talks to him at Global Marketer Week in Brussels. Reflecting the findings, he stated: “Perhaps the most important insights from our research are something that we all need to remind us from time to time. It's a fundamental fundamental role in marketing. Many companies have shifted their focus from brand strategy, creative excellence and consumer insights.

“Companies that see better results aren't abandoning these basics. Instead, they're not simply adding them, they're integrating new marketing capabilities and technology, and essentially integrating them.

For CMOs navigating this complex landscape, this study provides a clear roadmap. Address the basics, integration structure, strategically invest in AI and strengthen the impact of C-Suite. Those who manage this balancing act may be in a success story in 2026.