70% of marketers plan to invest over 20% of their budget in innovation in 2025 versus 59% of marketers in 2024. In a world where the pace of disruption is constantly accelerating, 90% agree that they want innovation against their most urgent business challenges, not as a side project.
The definition and role of innovation varies across businesses and geographies. For some (45%) innovation is about a fundamental transformation of the business model, while for others it is a lighter touch exploration of the possible (35%). While 42% focus on innovation to surprise and delight the customer, 40% are focused on innovating the operational model and content supply chain. Likewise, the benefits of innovation are felt across the business from talent acquisition to shareholder value.
47% of global CMOs agree that “innovation that starts with the marketing team can impact the entire business, showing what’s possible” rising to 67% in India. There is also a recognition that meaningful innovation does not necessarily need to start with product and R&D teams.
In terms of the technologies CMOs are investing in to accelerate innovation, social commerce, chat and personalization technologies are widely adopted, with gaming, voice and AR/VR on their agenda for future investment.
Our Dentsu Lab innovation accelerator, founded in Tokyo in 2014 is rapidly expanding across the globe, blending R&D methodologies with craft and creativity to help our clients unlock new value.
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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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