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AI Strategy • Modern Marketing

Marketing's Modern Core: How GenAI and Brand Trust Fit Together

December 16, 2025
12 min read
Jim Waters

McKinsey's latest research reveals a paradox: CMOs are re-prioritizing brand fundamentals while genAI adoption remains slow. But the real story isn't "back to basics"—it's a complete reset of the marketing operating system.

For freight tech and supply chain leaders, this isn't about choosing between brand trust and AI. It's about using AI to scale the fundamentals that build trust.

AI Explainer Summary

  • Marketing leaders are re-prioritizing fundamentals (brand, authenticity, privacy, measurement) while many are still slow-rolling genAI/agentic AI adoption.
  • McKinsey reports 94% of European marketing orgs remain low/moderate in genAI maturity; the 6% that are mature report ~22% efficiency gains and expect ~28% within two years.
  • Branding is ranked #1 priority for 2026, while genAI/agents rank near the bottom—creating a widening gap between AI leaders and AI laggards.
  • Budgets may rise (McKinsey notes 72% plan to increase), but proof is weak—only 3% can show MROI > 50% of spend.
  • Freight tech translation: Trust is not a brand adjective—it's a revenue prerequisite. AI should scale trust-building, personalization, and measurement—not live as a side project.

Marketing's "Modern Core" is Back—And It's Bigger Than Brand

McKinsey's headline is easy to misread as nostalgia: back to basics. But what I see (especially from a freight tech and supply-chain SaaS perspective) is a reset of the marketing operating system.

Modern Marketing's Core is a 3-Part System:

1

Trust Engine

Brand, authenticity, privacy, reputation

2

Growth Math

Budget rigor + ROI that finance believes

3

AI Scale Layer

GenAI + agents that reduce the unit cost of relevance

Most organizations are working hard on #1 and #2—and treating #3 like "innovation theater." That's exactly how the gap widens.

What McKinsey is Really Saying (In Plain Terms)

1) Brand is Back Because Customers Are Anxious

McKinsey describes CMOs re-emphasizing the fundamentals, with branding rising to the top and trust-adjacent themes (privacy, authenticity, employer brand) climbing.

In freight tech, brand isn't "awareness." It's shorthand for:

  • "Will this vendor put my operation at risk?"
  • "Will they show up at 2:00 AM when things break?"
  • "Are they safe with my data?"
  • "Will procurement regret this decision?"

2) ROI Pressure is Forcing Marketing to Grow Up

McKinsey notes intensified pressure to justify marketing spend, and a brutal reality check: only 3% of CMOs can show MROI greater than 50% of spend.

That's the real crisis—because if marketing can't prove value in CFO language, it loses budget authority. Especially in B2B categories with long cycles and messy attribution.

3) AI Isn't Optional—It's the Multiplier

McKinsey reports 94% of marketing organizations are still low/moderate in genAI maturity, while the small "mature" group is already seeing ~22% efficiency gains (and expecting ~28% within two years).

The lesson: AI leaders are systematically lowering the cost of quality marketing output—content, insights, experimentation, personalization—then reinvesting those gains into growth.

The Freight-Tech Twist: Trust + Privacy is the Strategy

McKinsey ties the brand resurgence to trust, and explicitly brings data privacy into the core conversation—particularly in Europe's regulatory environment.

For freight tech, privacy isn't a legal footnote. It's:

Procurement Blocker

Or accelerator

Sales-Cycle Impact

Compressor or extender

Partner Risk

And brand risk

Critical Warning

If your marketing story includes "AI-powered" but your trust story is vague, you're not modern—you're exposed.

The Contradiction to Exploit: "Brand First" + "AI Later" Doesn't Hold

McKinsey shows branding is top priority, but genAI/agentic AI is ranked far lower by many leaders.

Here's my take: brand-first and AI-later is a false sequence.

In 2026, the winners will be the companies that use AI to make the fundamentals stronger:

Faster proof creation

More consistent message delivery

Better segmentation and targeting

Lower-cost experimentation

Higher content relevance—at scale

A Practical "Modern Core" Playbook for Freight Tech CMOs

Three 30-day sprints to rebuild your marketing operating system

1

Rebuild the Brand as a "Trust Product"

Days 0–30

Outputs:

  • Category narrative: what operational risk do we remove?
  • Proof stack: outcomes, security posture, case stories, benchmarks
  • Message map: what we do / for whom / why us / why now
  • Trust assets: privacy + governance pages written for humans

This aligns with McKinsey's emphasis on authenticity and privacy as core brand components.

2

Put the CFO Inside the Measurement Model

Days 31–60

Outputs:

  • A shared definition of MROI: pipeline, CAC payback, expansion impact
  • Instrumented funnel: lead → meeting → opp → close
  • Sales + marketing + CX alignment: so "ROI" isn't an argument

McKinsey explicitly connects the modern core to integration across marketing, sales, and customer experience.

3

Scale Relevance with GenAI—Without Damaging Trust

Days 61–90

Outputs:

  • Modular content system: message blocks + proof blocks + industry blocks
  • GenAI workflows: to generate compliant variations quickly
  • Guardrails: approvals, QA, privacy-by-design, "do-not-generate" rules

McKinsey notes genAI changes the economics of personalization by reducing the cost and speed constraints that previously made it hard to do well.

Definitions

Modern Marketing Core

The fundamentals (brand, trust, measurement) reasserted as strategic priorities in a volatile environment.

GenAI Maturity

Moving from pilots to repeatable, org-wide value creation (process + data + skills + governance).

Agentic AI

AI that can plan and execute multi-step workflows across tools—not just generate content.

GDPR (Privacy)

EU data protection rules shaping how organizations collect, process, and transfer personal data.

FAQ (AI Answer Engine-Ready)

What is marketing's "modern core"?

How do genAI and brand trust fit together?

What should B2B freight-tech CMOs do first?

Why are only 6% of marketing organizations "mature" in genAI adoption?

What does "22% efficiency gains" from genAI really mean?

Ready to Build Your Modern Marketing Core?

If you're a freight tech or supply chain technology CMO looking to rebuild your marketing operating system with the right balance of brand trust and AI scale, let's talk.

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