I recently wrote the next competitive advantage for brands won't come from having more agencies or better technology, It will come from how decisively CMOs design and navigate the system managing them.
In 2026, the most effective CMOs will be judged on the systems they build, not just the names on their roster. As 2025 ended we saw the UK market beginning to split into two distinct paths: the integrated platform (the holdcos) and the agile specialist (the indies).
For the CMO, the job has changed. It is no longer about finding one perfect partner. It is about building a system where scale and speed actually work together.
The power of the platform: The holdco evolution
The major holding companies (WPP, Publicis, Omnicom and Dentsu) are unstoppably moving toward single operating systems. By merging their sub-brands, they are creating data-first architectures which are, frankly, impressive.
If you are a global CMO needing AI working at scale across 40 markets, the modern holdco has become your enterprise solution. The groups are successfully moving from being a collection of agencies to becoming seamless technology platforms. This shift provides much-needed efficiency and de-risking for big businesses.
However, there is a catch: Creative homogenisation. When every brand uses the same global machine and algorithm, there is a risk being quietly voiced by CMOs they may in time start to look and sound the same.
The rise of the specialist: The indie renaissance
On the other side, we’re seeing a surge in the specialist. Independents thriving because they are using AI to do the heavy lifting, allowing senior staffers to be close to the CMO and influence creativity.
Independents are gaining where CMOs feel the global machine is at risk of smoothing over their brand’s personality. When working at their best these indies act like special ops teams: Agile, culturally connected, and offering the human-led precision high-growth brands crave.
The challenge and catch for the CMO here is one of orchestration. Managing a roster of specialists requires the brand leader to be hands-on and more time-committed to ensure all parties effortlessly fit together.
The hybrid future: Efficiency meets distinction
What we are seeing at Ingenuity+ is a move away from one-size-fits-all. Instead, CMOs are building hybrid ecosystems.
They often set out to use the holdco as the engine room (the media muscle, creative vision, global production, and data infrastructure) while carving out space for independents to handle high-impact brand moments and breakthrough creative deployment.
Looking ahead, 2026 will be the year of recalibration for many, using AI for the efficiency of scale, and humans for the efficacy of brand distinction. In this fast-changing market, your most important hire may not be your new agency; it may just be the strategy behind the agency you seek to hire.
Before signing your next contract, ask yourself one question: Is your current setup built for the efficiency of 2024 or the distinction of 2026?
Richard Robinson Executive Director, Ingenuity+
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