Value Over VolumeHow Marketers View AI in 2026

According to the McKinsey State of Marketing Europe 2026 report, half of all marketers view generative AI as one of the fastest-growing investment areas. Yet it ranks surprisingly low among this year’s key focus areas. The result is a clear gap between ambition and prioritisation. Why, then, are so many marketing organisations still hesitating to fully embrace its potential?

When potential meets reality

The report’s conclusions accurately reflect what many of those we speak to experience in practice. A lack of expertise, technical limitations, challenges in scaling initiatives, unclear strategies, and hesitant leadership are all slowing meaningful progress.

This creates a classic catch-22 situation. Marketing teams are expected to drive AI initiatives without sufficient resources, while decision-makers hesitate to invest in areas where the business value is not readily apparent. What follows is predictable: pilots, test projects, and fragmented efforts that are never truly given the mandate – or momentum – to scale.

Those who succeed see clear impact

The gains, however, are tangible for those organisations that successfully integrate generative AI into their marketing operations: the 6% reporting high AI maturity have achieved average efficiency gains of 22%.

In the short term, this often involves automation, accelerated production, and improved analytical support. Longer term, the shift is more fundamental – profound changes in how brands are built, content is conceived and produced, and how digital experiences are designed.

The report also shows that AI maturity is rarely the result of technological advancement alone. The organisations creating the greatest impact operate with clear, well-defined priorities, unified governance, and a tight alignment between brand strategy, business objectives, and day-to-day execution. Without this direction, even the highest ambitions tend to deliver limited returns.

The brand remains the cornerstone

It is no coincidence that branding once again tops the list of priorities for Europe’s marketing leaders. A clearly positioned brand remains the strongest foundation for long-term growth. AI cannot create this clarity; however, it can reinforce it.

As the volume of generic, AI-generated content – so-called “AI slop” – continues to increase rapidly, authenticity, creativity, and consistency become ever more crucial. A strong brand provides direction, acting as both filter and quality benchmark. Only then can AI be employed to scale the right elements: tone of voice, narrative frameworks, experiences, and relevance.

The same rationale applies in digital environments. Unique, well-crafted content is essential not only for building trust but also for ensuring optimal performance across SEO and AEO in an increasingly AI-integrated landscape.

This is where AI adoption begins

At KAN, we do not see AI as a superficial layer applied to marketing and digital services. It is a reinforcement tool. For many organisations, the real challenge is therefore not selecting the right AI tools, but defining what is worth scaling: a brand promise that endures, a creative idea that resonates, a digital experience that remains consistent over time.

Once that clarity is in place, AI can begin to contribute meaningfully – not by merely creating more, but by creating more of what matters. AI adoption in marketing is as much about strategy and brand understanding as it is about technology. It requires defining what should be reinforced and building ways of working that ensure AI delivers measurable impact.

For organisations exploring what to strengthen – and how AI can support that ambition without diluting the brand – this is precisely where the work begins.