That’s the central takeaway from “The Future of Brand Influence,” a new research report from Omnicom Media, which argues that brand growth is now shaped by a fragmented influence ecosystem where ads compete with influencers, peer commentary, retail environments, and increasingly, AI-generated recommendations.
The report, backed by research conducted by Omnicom Media Intelligence, suggests that the classic drivers of brand growth—physical and mental availability—are no longer enough. To stay relevant, brands must now win a third dimension: emotional availability.
In a media landscape where consumers control how, when, and from whom they receive information, influence has become less linear, less predictable—and harder to buy outright.
Influence Has Escaped the Ad Unit
For decades, influence followed a relatively simple model: brands spoke, consumers listened. Today, that model has collapsed.
According to the research:
- 71% of respondents say what people say about a brand matters more than its advertising
- 45% say AI matters more than advertising in shaping brand perceptions
- 43% say influencers matter more than ads
- Only 32% say advertising most affects their overall opinion of a brand
In contrast, 40% say online commentary carries the most weight.
“Trust is migrating from institutions to individuals—and increasingly to machines as well,” says Joanna O’Connell, Chief Intelligence Officer at Omnicom Media North America and lead author of the study. “That shift fundamentally changes how brands need to show up if they want to remain relevant and influential.”
The generational split is even sharper. 54% of respondents trust people—such as influencers or peers—more than publications or institutions. Among Gen Z, that figure jumps to 67%.
The GenAI Effect: Influence at Machine Speed
Generative AI is accelerating the influence cycle in ways marketers are only beginning to understand.
The study found that 70% of respondents believe GenAI allows them to become an expert in any category—quickly researching pros and cons, comparing brands, and narrowing options before a brand ever has a chance to make its case.
At the same time, attention is eroding:
- 63% say their attention span is just “OK” or worse
- Nearly 40% report not noticing ads on social media at all
- Ad blockers, VPN usage, ad-free subscriptions, and signal loss continue to weaken traditional reach
The implication is stark: brands aren’t just competing with other advertisers—they’re competing with algorithms, summaries, reviews, and AI-generated answers that often bypass ads entirely.
Emotional Loyalty vs. Economic Reality
While influence is becoming more emotional, purchasing behavior is becoming more pragmatic.
The report highlights a growing tension between brand affinity and economic pressure:
- Over 30% of respondents are buying cheaper alternatives to their usual brands, up from 19% earlier this year
- 75% say brand relatability is essential to purchase decisions
- Yet 72% believe brands care more about revenue than loyalty
- 55% feel brands no longer try to connect with them the way they used to
Taken together, the findings paint a sobering picture. As O’Connell puts it, brand influence today is often “blocked, deprioritized, diluted, or self-sabotaged.”
Rewriting the Rules of Brand Growth
Omnicom Media argues that the fundamentals of brand growth still matter—but the paths to achieving them have fundamentally changed.
- Physical availability now means frictionless access across digital and physical channels, not just shelf space
- Mental availability requires breaking through unprecedented noise where reach and frequency are merely table stakes
- Emotional availability has emerged as the decisive lever—driving trust, memorability, and preference at scale
Influence, the report suggests, is no longer about dominating channels. It’s about showing up credibly in moments that matter—whether those moments are human, algorithmic, or both.
From Insight to Action
The report also sets the stage for a series of first-to-market partnerships between Omnicom and leading retailers and social platforms, expected to be unveiled at CES. These collaborations are designed to help brands influence consumers across discovery, purchase, and loyalty—where influence is most likely to translate into action.
To adapt to the new influence ecosystem, Omnicom Media recommends brands:
- Market to humans by tapping emotion at scale
- Use live experiences to capture heightened attention
- Treat influencers as both authentic ambassadors and scalable media channels
- Lean into retail media to influence decisions in real time
- Rethink search as a behavior, not just a channel
At the same time, brands must also begin marketing to machines—adopting Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies to ensure they’re visible and credible in AI-driven discovery environments.
“The future of brand influence isn’t about choosing between humans and machines,” O’Connell says. “It’s about designing systems that serve both.”
The Bottom Line
Omnicom Media’s research makes one thing clear: influence has escaped the confines of advertising. Brands that continue to treat ads as the primary—or sole—driver of growth risk becoming invisible in a world shaped by emotion, peers, platforms, and AI.
Those that learn to balance human connection with machine logic, however, may find themselves building a new kind of growth flywheel—one where discovery, consideration, purchase, and loyalty reinforce each other across an increasingly complex media reality.
