Marketing Leaders Clash With Executive Boards Over Long-Term Brand Value
Fifty-two percent of marketing and communication directors report that the key performance indicators demanded by their executive committees fail to support the creation of a strong brand, according to a study by the Club des Annonceurs cited by lareclame.fr. This finding anchors the upcoming 11th edition of the Brand Immersion conference, scheduled for November 9 at the Théâtre du Lido in Paris, which will address the widening gap between corporate financial targets and long-term brand strategy.
The study, titled “Budgets et Préjugés” and conducted among 35 decision-makers in France, highlights a fundamental disagreement over speed versus endurance. While corporate hierarchies push marketing teams for immediate financial returns, 90 percent of surveyed leaders want corporate decisions to prioritize imagination, long-term effects, and emotion in brand building.
Financial Pressures Threaten Brand Differentiation in Corporate Budgets
Sixty-seven percent of respondents face intense pressure from general or financial management to rationalize marketing investments. For 63 percent of those surveyed, this pressure actively limits their brand’s ability to stand out in competitive markets.
Despite these strict financial demands, marketing leaders maintain that emotional connection remains essential. Ninety-three percent of survey participants state that emotional engagement will save brands, and 83 percent believe communication cannot succeed without creative risk-taking. Furthermore, 87 percent argue that executive committees need better education regarding the long-term power of brands, while an equal percentage call for executive performance indicators to better reconcile rational metrics with emotional impact.
Artificial Intelligence Sparks Disagreement Over Workforce Reduction and Creativity
Sixty percent of respondents state that their general management views AI primarily as a tool to downsize marketing and communication teams. In direct contrast, 87 percent of marketing leaders argue these technologies should save time for creative work rather than replace human staff.
These organizational tensions form the core agenda for the upcoming Brand Immersion event in Paris. Operating under the theme “Magic: et si les marques étaient moins raisonnables?”, the conference aims to provide advertisers with data-driven arguments to defend their creative choices before executive boards, while offering agencies insight into client constraints.
Expert Perspectives and Conference Agenda at the Théâtre du Lido
The November 9 event features a packed schedule designed to arm communications professionals with concrete metrics and strategic insights. The program includes presentations of studies from Ipsos, BVA, and VML, alongside trend selections from the Future 100 report.
Scheduled speakers bring cross-disciplinary expertise to the discussion on corporate imagination:
- Biliana Todorova: Doctor in neurosciences.
- Benoît Heilbrunn: Philosopher and marketing professor.
- Sir Martin Sorrell: Founder of S4 Capital.
Panel discussions throughout the day will be led by Élodie Carcolse, deputy editor-in-chief at la Réclame. Readers of la Réclame can access tickets for a promotional rate of €250 excluding tax instead of the standard €300 using the promo code MAGICLARECLAME.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brand Immersion
Who organizes the Brand Immersion conference?
The event is organized by the Club des Annonceurs, an association that conducted the “Budgets et Préjugés” study among 35 decision-makers in France.
What is the main theme of the 2025 conference?
The 11th edition centers on the theme “Magic: et si les marques étaient moins raisonnables?”, focusing on how brands can integrate emotion and creative risk into their strategies.
What specific data sources will be presented at the event?
Attendees will review studies from Ipsos, BVA, and VML, as well as trend analysis from the Future 100 report.