OMNICOM MEDIA STUDY REVEALS NEW RULES FOR BRAND GROWTH IN THE ERA OF FRAGMENTED INFLUENCE
MWN-AI** Summary
Omnicom Media has released a pivotal research report titled "The Future of Brand Influence," which delves into the evolving landscape of brand growth amidst a fragmented influence ecosystem. This study indicates that traditional advertising now plays a diminished role in shaping consumer decisions, as other elements like influencers, peer opinions, retail experiences, and AI-driven recommendations take precedence.
Key findings highlight that 71% of consumers rank brand commentary above advertising, with 54% placing trust in personal sources like influencers compared to institutions. Among Gen Z, this figure rises to 67%. The report underscores how trust is shifting from traditional entities to individuals and machines, compelling brands to establish emotional relevance and trust across various consumer touchpoints.
The introduction of generative AI is also transforming consumer behavior. Approximately 70% of respondents credit AI with expediting their journey from inquiry to purchasing, reflecting a significant shift in brand interaction. However, brands face challenges such as fragmented attention spans, ad blindness, and economic pressures prompting consumers to seek cheaper alternatives.
To thrive in this new environment, Omnicom advocates for a strategic rethinking of brand growth principles. This includes enhancing emotional connections, leveraging authentic influencer partnerships, and integrating retail media to engage shoppers meaningfully. Brands are encouraged to treat search as an omnichannel behavior and prepare for AI's increasing role in determining consumer preferences.
Ultimately, the findings suggest that successful brands will be those that skillfully balance machine intelligence and human connection, creating a cohesive and effective influence strategy capable of driving sustainable growth in a complex marketplace.
MWN-AI** Analysis
The recent Omnicom Media study, "The Future of Brand Influence," highlights a transformative era for brand growth in which traditional advertising tactics are no longer sufficient. The fragmented influence landscape—where peer commentary, influencers, and AI-driven recommendations shape consumer perceptions—suggests brands must evolve their strategies to thrive.
Key findings indicate that a staggering 71% of respondents prioritize peer opinions over brand advertisements, which emphasizes the shift from institutional trust to individual and machine trust. As economic pressures prompt consumers to seek cheaper options, brands face the challenge of retaining loyalty amidst these shifting dynamics. To capture consumer attention in this fragmented environment, brands must focus on emotional connections rather than just physical or mental availability.
To navigate these changes successfully, brands should adopt several strategies: 1. **Emotional Marketing**: Engage consumers on a deeper level by tapping into emotions, leveraging storytelling, and enhancing brand relatability. 2. **Influencer Collaborations**: Invest in genuine partnerships with influencers who resonate with target audiences, utilizing them as authentic brand ambassadors. 3. **Retail Media Investments**: Integrate marketing efforts with retail experiences to surprise and delight customers at critical touchpoints in their journey. 4. **Generative AI Utilization**: Embrace AI technologies to optimize marketing efforts and understand evolving consumer behaviors more effectively.
In essence, the future of brand influence lies in harmonizing the roles of human connection and machine intelligence. Brands that effectively blend these elements can create a self-reinforcing growth flywheel, driving discovery, consideration, purchase, and loyalty. Therefore, companies should prioritize adaptability and emotional relevance in their brand strategies to remain competitive in a landscape marked by complexity and rapid change.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
PR Newswire
"Future Of Brand Influence" Outlines How Brands Must Balance Human Connection and Machine Intelligence to Drive Growth
NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicom Media, an Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Connected Capability, today released a new research report - The Future of Brand Influence - revealing how the dynamics of brand growth are being reshaped by a fragmented and increasingly complex influence ecosystem, where traditional advertising now represents just one of many forces shaping consumer decision-making - alongside influencers, peer commentary, retail environments, and AI-driven recommendations.
Supported by research 1 conducted by Omnicom Media Intelligence, the report explores how the long-standing fundamentals of brand growth - physical and mental availability - must now be expanded to include emotional availability, as consumers exert greater control over how, where, and from whom they receive information.
"Influence used to be relatively linear and predictable," says Joanna O'Connell, Chief Intelligence Officer, Omnicom Media North America and lead author of the study. "Today, brand messaging exists alongside everything from influencer opinions to AI-generated answers - and that means brands must earn emotional relevance and trust across a much broader set of touchpoints."
The research provides context for several first-to-market collaborations between Omnicom and leading retailers and social platforms, which will be unveiled this week at CES. These partnerships are designed to help brands enhance influence at critical moments across the consumer journey—from discovery through purchase and loyalty.
Who and What Really Influences Consumers
The study reveals a significant shift in how consumers form opinions and make decisions.
- 71% of respondents say what people are saying about a brand matters more than its advertising.
- Nearly half say AI (45%) and influencers (43%) matter more than advertising when shaping brand perceptions.
- 54% trust people—such as influencers or peers on social platforms—more than publications or institutions; among Gen Z, that figure rises to 67%.
- Only 32% of respondents say a brand's advertising most affects their overall opinion of a brand, compared to 40% who cite what people online are saying.
"Trust is migrating from institutions to individuals, and increasingly to machines as well," O'Connell says. "That shift fundamentally changes how brands need to show up if they want to remain relevant and influential."
The GenAI Effect: Faster Paths from Curiosity to Action
Generative AI is accelerating the pace at which consumers move from inquiry to expertise to purchase.
- 70% of respondents say GenAI enables them to become an expert in any product or service category, from researching pros and cons to comparing brands.
At the same time, attention is increasingly fragmented:
- 63% of respondents say their attention span is just OK or not great.
- Nearly 4 in 10 report not noticing ads on social media, even in high-ad-load environments.
- Ad blockers, ad-free subscriptions, signal loss, and VPN usage continue to erode traditional advertising reach.
Economic Pressure Is Competing with Emotional Loyalty
The report also highlights the growing tension between brand influence and economic influence:
- More than 30% of respondents now report buying cheaper versions of their usual brands, up from 19% earlier this year.
- 75% say brand relatability is essential when making purchase decisions - yet 72% believe brands care more about earning dollars than building loyalty.
- And 55% feel brands no longer try to connect with them the way they used to.
Summarizing the collective impact, O'Connell says, "These findings reveal a media ecosystem in which brand influence is either being blocked, deprioritized, diluted, or self-sabotaged."
Implications: Rethinking the Rules of Brand Growth
While physical, mental, and emotional availability remain critical drivers of growth, the study finds that the paths to achieving them have fundamentally changed:
- Physical Availability now requires ubiquitous, frictionless products/services access across digital and physical channels.
- Mental Availability depends on cutting through unprecedented noise and dis-intermediation in a marketplace where reach and frequency are just table stakes.
- Emotional Availability has emerged as a decisive lever for building authentic connection at scale.
Says O'Connell, "These shifts are coming together to unveil a new marketing reality where brand influence is achieved by balancing the role of machines with the power of human connection in moments where brands are likeliest to capture people's attention."
Key Takeaways and Recommendations
To succeed in the new influence ecosystem, Omnicom Media recommends that brands:
- Market to humans by tapping into emotion at scale.
- Leverage live experiences to capture elevated attention and emotional engagement.
- Invest in influencers as authentic brand ambassadors and scalable media channels.
- Lean into retail media to surprise and delight shoppers throughout the purchase journey.
- Treat search as a behavior—meeting consumers wherever they are, on their terms.
- Market to machines by preparing for what's next.
- Adopt Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies to prepare for AI's growing role in shaping consumer decisions.
"The future of brand influence isn't about choosing between humans and machines," says O'Connell. "It's about designing systems that serve both. Brands that do this well can turn discovery, consideration, purchase, and loyalty into a self-reinforcing growth flywheel."
The full Future of Brand Influence report can be downloaded here.
ABOUT OMNICOM MEDIA
Omnicom Media, an Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Connected Capability, is the world's largest global media management network. Powered by the Omni Intelligence Platform, Omnicom Media agencies leverage $73.5 billion in billings, 40,000+ specialists across 70+ markets, and the industry's most powerful portfolio of Identity (Acxiom RealID™), Commerce (Flywheel), and Intelligence (Q™) assets to design dynamic Growth Ecosystems that enable the world's most ambitious businesses to grow faster and smarter. The Omnicom Media portfolio includes leading global media agency brands OMD, Initiative, PHD, UM, Hearts & Science, and Mediahub; Data, Identity & Analytics powerhouses Acxiom and Annalect; and a broad spectrum of specialized services. For more information visit omnicommedia.com.
1 The Future of Brand Influence study surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18–72 between October 15–20, 2025, using OMG Signal, Omnicom Media's proprietary standing consumer panel.
SOURCE Omnicom Media
FAQ**
How does the Omnicom Media study suggest that brands adapt their strategies to thrive in an environment where Omnicom Group Inc. OMC reports that consumer trust is shifting from traditional institutions to individuals and AI-driven platforms?
What implications does the Omnicom Media report have for marketing strategies employed by Omnicom Group Inc. OMC, particularly regarding the balance between emotional connection and machine intelligence in influencing consumer behavior?
In what ways can Omnicom Group Inc. OMC leverage insights from the study to enhance its first-to-market collaborations with retailers and social platforms for improved brand growth in the fragmented influence landscape?
How does the Omnicom Media study redefine traditional metrics of brand growth for Omnicom Group Inc. OMC, particularly with the emphasis on emotional availability alongside physical and mental availability in reaching consumers?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC).
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