Dentsu explores AI’s impact on consumer identity

Dentsu has released the third edition of its Consumer Vision report, outlining how AI, changing cultural expectations and evolving consumer identities are expected to reshape brand relationships over the next decade.

Titled Mothers of Reinvention, the study draws on responses from 30,000 consumers across 25 countries, alongside interviews with experts in areas including cultural sociology, AI law and consumer psychology. The report follows earlier editions published in 2021 and 2024.

Dentsu identifies four forces shaping brands

The report highlights four major forces that Dentsu believes will influence how brands engage with consumers in the coming years.

The first, Symbiotic Systems, focuses on AI’s transition from a tool to a partner, with consumers increasingly relying on AI agents to act on their behalf. Dentsu said this will require brands to engage not only with people, but also with the systems representing them across media and digital environments.

The second force, Ingenuity Awakened, examines the growing value consumers place on human creativity as AI-generated content becomes more widespread. According to the study, audiences increasingly expect brands to support originality and creative expression.

Consumers seek reinvention and guidance

The report also identifies Infinite Reinvention as a defining consumer trend, with purchasing decisions increasingly linked to personal identity and self-development rather than functional needs alone.

Dentsu found that consumers are using AI and digital tools to explore different lifestyles, behaviours and identities, while still seeking human connection through entertainment and shared cultural experiences.

The fourth force, Wayfinder Brands, suggests that brands will need to move beyond transactional relationships and position themselves as guides helping consumers navigate change.

According to the study, 78 percent of consumers already show lower tolerance for generic messaging, while 81 percent want purchases to represent progress or personal growth rather than simply fulfilling a practical need.

Trust and consistency remain central

The report also points to growing pressure on brands to balance personalization with trust and consistency, particularly as AI-driven experiences become more individualized.

Dentsu said 9 in 10 consumers believe it will become more important for brands to align their actions with their stated values as algorithms play a larger role in shaping experiences.

Beth Ann Kaminkow, Chief Executive Officer Americas and Chief Global Client Officer, dentsu: “What stands out in this year’s findings is that consumers are not only expecting brands to become smarter and faster, they are looking for brands that can help them personally progress and pursue their ambition. There is a growing desire to reinvent themselves, with brands providing inspiration and guidance along this journey. That has implications not just for media and creativity, but for product design, customer experience and the role brands play in peoples’ lives.”

The report argues that AI is increasingly viewed by consumers as a tool for augmentation rather than replacement, helping people learn skills, develop ideas and express individuality more effectively.

AI reshapes long-term brand strategies

The findings build on broader research from dentsu into AI and marketing transformation, including its CMO Navigator – Media Edition: Rethinking Marketing in the Age of AI study published earlier this year.

That research found that 56 percent of global chief marketing officers expect most of their companies’ revenues within five years to come from products, services and businesses that do not yet exist.

Beth Ann Kaminkow: “The notion of AI acting as a force multiplier that does not replace human creativity, but rather unlocks its full potential is really powerful. Consumers are embracing this role of AI augmenting the human. This reflects the way we are evolving at dentsu.”

Dentsu said the report forms part of its wider investment in consumer behaviour and effectiveness research, alongside initiatives including The Brand Reset, developed with Lumen Research and Kantar.

The full report can be accessed here

www.dentsu.com

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