The age of the algorithm creates both challenges and opportunities for CMOs.
The Dentsu Creative 2025 CMO Report survey reveals that 87% agree that “Algorithms are having a bigger and bigger effect on what we see, and what we shop for,” with this figure rising to 97% in China and 91% in India.
Yet a vicious circle can emerge where visibility in algorithmic marketplaces is key, but optimizing for the latest memes and moments can create diminishing returns. The algorithm craves novelty, but meme culture, by definition, is repetitive. In effect, brands must run harder than ever to stand still.
Two key data points sum up the CMO’s dilemma: 71% agree “If I don’t win with the algorithm, I will be invisible”, rising to 80% in Italy, and 82% in Spain and Germany. Yet 79% agree that “Optimizing for the algorithm risks creating a sea of sameness”.
To manage this tension, CMOs are turning to cultural, creator and community partnerships in an attempt to lead, not follow, the conversation. Smart brands understand the principles that power the algorithm without simply jumping on the latest meme or moment, and the power of community to drive reach.
Dentsu Creative US’ work for Nutter Butter, for example, taps into the playbook of online fandoms - embracing easter eggs, surrealism, and deep, impenetrable lore - to create its own utterly distinctive brand universe. The campaign successfully generated 3.3BN impressions, and a +16.5% increase in household penetration among the vital Gen Z/Y audience.
The more we automate, the more valuable authentic human insight, distinctive craft and unpredictable creative leaps become.
The winners will be those who understand at a bone-deep, structural level what drives fandoms and ignites culture, and who have the confidence to engage the few to reach the many.
dentsu “THE CONNECTING IDEA”
AT DENTSU, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SIX KEY PRINCIPLES TO HELP BRANDS THRIVE IN THE AGE OF THE ALGORITHM:
Passion: Tapping into cultural passion points and communities of interest.
Pace: Responding with agility to the pace of culture, and the algorithm’s hunger for novelty.
Partnership: Engaging with creators and culture-makers.
Performance: Anticipating how every piece of content – brand and demand - will perform with the algorithm.
Presence: Sustaining an always on drumbeat that combines distinctive craft and AI-enabled efficiency.
Personalization: Connecting the customer with the right message in the right moment.
Not every brand will index strongly on every dimension; the opportunity is to identify ownable cultural spaces, conversations, and creators where the brand has permission to play, finding ways to combine efficiency with craft.
This article is selected from Dentsu Creative’s 2025 CMO Report, “Agents of Reinvention: Marketing at the Intersection of AI and Human Ingenuity.”
Drawing on perspectives from over 1,950 senior marketing leaders across 14 markets, the report identifies 10 key themes set to shape marketing in 2025—from anticipating the algorithm and investing in intimacy, to building trust and cultivating taste in the age of Agentic AI.
Explore actionable strategies to meet these challenges and drive growth, while balancing success in both culture and commerce.
To access the full 2025 CMO Report, visit the Dentsu Creative global website:
www.dentsucreative.com/news/dentsu-creative-cmo-report-2025
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