62% of CMOs say finding the right external people is their biggest talent challenge

Vendor & agency management

62%

of CMOs identify finding the right external people as their biggest talent challenge

Reader Note:: This figure is sourced to "Deloitte CMO Survey 2025." It reports the share of CMOs who identify finding the right external people as their biggest talent challenge. The report does not define "external people" or state the survey base for this item in the full text.
Evidence:: Self-reported behaviour
Vendor interest:: High — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
Sample:: Mixed undisclosed sources. Includes Deloitte's 2025 survey of 1,854 executives across EMEA for one AI finding, plus Deloitte CMO Survey 2025 and other Deloitte analysis; the overall report sample and methods are not fully disclosed.

Good for

A rough sense of size and direction, and deciding what to look at first.

Exact numbers, or saying that one thing caused another.
This was measured in one market. It may not hold where you are.
This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
The source says how much it looked at, but not how any of it was chosen.
The source never says how this number was measured.

Creative strategy is the top thing marketers want from an influencer partner

Hybrid (in-house + agency) was the most common way brands ran creator marketing

How brands manage creator marketing: in-house, agency, or hybrid approaches
Management approach	Share of brands (%)
Hybrid model (mix of in-house and agency)	37%
In house - using creator marketing software	24%
In house - no creator marketing software	11%
Partnering with agencies for ad-hoc activations or campaigns	15%
Full service agency	14%
Other	1%

49%

of marketers plan to use a specialist influencer marketing agency to execute their work in 2026

Our Substack turns the data behind these cards into full breakdowns: what changed, why, and what to do about it.

Brand safety and compliance topped agencies’ creator marketing challenges

Top Challenges for Agencies in Creator Marketing Programs
Challenge	Agencies (%)
Ensuring creator suitability, risk mitigation, or legal compliance	36%
Managing expectations from clients	35%
Finding the right opportunities for clients	32%
Demonstrating measurable impact or ROI	32%
Fueling creative and content supply chain for clients	29%

Clients are increasingly expecting guidance on AI from influencer marketing agencies

Biggest shift in client expectations of influencer marketing agencies vs last year
Expectation	Agencies overall (%)	Enterprise agencies (%)
Strategic guidance on AI, automation, or new platforms	48%	52%
More focus on measurable ROI	40%	44%
Faster campaign turnaround times	40%	41%
Integration with paid media / cross-channel performance	38%	48%
Deeper creator vetting and brand safety protocols	38%	39%

48%

of enterprise agencies saw increased client demand to integrate influencer content across other paid channels