South Africa, Nov. 2 -- The solution requires a shift in investment towards building consideration, earning trust and creating demand. The problem is that these investments take time to deliver, often two or three quarters, while the pressure to demonstrate immediate returns continues to intensify. NIQ's CMO Outlook for 2026 highlights the contradiction: only 69% of marketing leaders surveyed globally believe their CEO and CFO support long-term brand investment, down eleven points in a year, yet 84% prioritise return on investment when allocating budgets.

The uncomfortable truth is that we have become exceptionally good at harvesting demand, while steadily losing the ability to create it.

Demand is not created at the point of purchase ...