In an age where AI adoption is profoundly impacting the marketing mandate and reshaping brands’ strategies, CMOs are recognizing that while technology can enhance media’s ability to deliver optimized messages that reflect audience members’ unique interests and needs, shared cultural moments are the tapestry that draws engagements in the environments where audiences are most receptive for inspiration.
In the recently released dentsu CMO Navigator 2026 – Media Edition: Rethinking Marketing in the Age of AI, 4 in 10 global CMOs say that, even when a growing number of shopping decisions will be delegated to AI by consumers, partnering with entertainment IP will continue to be an efficient strategy to engender brand loyalty.
As such, it’s not a surprise that 9 in 10 global marketing leaders report they are planning to increase their investment in these partnerships, with more than a third saying they are planning to “significantly increase” their investment.
While this can partially be attributed to big cultural moments on the horizon (whether they are regional ones like the Super Bowl in the U.S. or global ones like the Academy Awards or the Fifa World Cup), areas that are gaining traction are partnerships with anime IP (31% of global CMOs planning to significantly increase their investment) and investing in campaigns connected to new releases or updates for gaming platforms (45% CMOs looking to prioritize).
Ultimately, CMOs are now considering a bigger aperture and a broader variety of opportunities when it comes to connecting with entertainment. in addition to IP partnerships, CMOs are making sure their brands are present in the spaces and communities where entertainment is adapted and discussed, to leverage the flywheel that content creators provide.
Read the Full Report
Want to learn how marketing leaders are reshaping their strategies to make an impact on their businesses? Get your copy of the CMO Navigator 2026 – Media Edition to explore the following topics:
- Business Growth Inspires an Optimistic Outlook
- Leaning on AI to Deliver on a Widening Marketing Mandate
- How AI is Reshaping CMO Strategies
- Partnering with Sports and Entertainment IP
- Media Transformation in the Algorithmic Era
- A New Breed of CMO: The Perceptive CMO
