What Marketers Really Think About Creative and AI

​M+C Saatchi Performance, a leading global performance marketing agency has unveiled findings from the second installment of a survey; ‘The Marketer’s Lens: What Marketers Really Think about Creative and AI’.

The purpose of the survey was to get a snapshot of how marketers feel about three hot topics; Commerce Media, Creative and AI, and Media Measurement. This is the second installment focused on the use of Creative and AI in performance creative development. The first installment, focusing on Commerce Media is available here and the new installment looking at Creative and AI is here.

The findings from this report will help marketers better understand the maturity of these three important areas of growth and provide insights into how their peers are reacting to ongoing and rapid changes in the marketing landscape.

Digging Deeper into the Data from ‘The Marketers Lens: What Marketers really think about Creative and AI’:

• Creative teams have hit a crunch point

Creative teams are time, budget, and resource poor, respondents said creative could be improved with:

• More budget (63%)

• More resources (48%)

• More time (47%)

AI is has become mainstream in creative development but requires oversight 61% of respondents plan to use AI tools in the next 12 months, as Allita Crasto, global head of creative said; “We are in an era of balancing agility and scalability, content must be created faster, personalised at scale, and optimised for multiple platforms. AI is becoming essential to that equation, helping teams keep up with demand. However, while automation can enhance efficiency, the real challenge is ensuring creative remains impactful, brand-aligned, and strategically driven. The best results come when AI and human creativity work hand in hand.”

Gone are the days of a six week or quarterly creative campaign refresh. 80% of respondents said they are using AI to refresh creatives daily or weekly. Only 4% of respondents rarely use AI to develop creative.

50.83% of respondents have concerns about the use of AI in the creative process
However, just because most creative teams are using AI doesn’t mean there are no concerns that these platforms are becoming increasingly widespread.

“These concerns are genuine, which is why an approach of ‘AI-driven, human-curated’ can be helpful. Most brands have strong brand guidelines to adhere to, and that is why human oversight is crucial to get the right balance between minds and machines.” Said Allita Crasto.

She continued; “This data shows exactly why 'AI-driven, human curated' is so important. Advertisers will always need a creative person to oversee the interaction with an AI tool or platform, add intelligence through nuance, review for emotion and ensure the output aligns with the brand's needs. As the industry shifts more and more towards AI, it's essential not just to be curious about AI-driven platforms, but to adapt them into our routine.”

In Summary

The role of Creative in performance marketing is evolving rapidly. Marketers are embracing AI to scale content, but the challenge remains—how do we balance efficiency with impact? AI in creative development is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ - it’s an essential tool. The ability to scale content, personalise messaging, and adapt to platform demands drives its adoption. But the best results come when AI is used as an enabler, not a replacement for human creativity.

Read the full report here.