Chief Marketing Officer

Agentic Commerce
Make Your Brand Unmissable

Author: Ndidi Oteh, Rajat Agarwal, Sean Lyons, Joshua Bellin
Research lead: Joshua Bellin
Published: April 2026

Digital commerce has not lived up to its promise. Consumers feel overwhelmed by choices and often struggle to find the products and services that best meet their needs. Brands absorb the cost in lost sales, returns and restocking expenses, and endless spending to reacquire the same customers. The system is accepted, not loved.

AI agents are upending that model, and the impact will be felt in every industry and every stage of the purchase journey. Agents can now compare features, read the fine print, choose a winner, complete a purchase and manage delivery and returns—all autonomously, on a customer's behalf. The long-held understanding of who makes buying decisions, and when, and how, is changing fast.

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Agentic Commerce
Make Your Brand Unmissable

Digital commerce has not lived up to its promise. Consumers feel overwhelmed by choices and often struggle to find the products and services that best meet...

more

Read Report

Talk to my AI agent:
The new rules of brand value

Authors: Ndidi Oteh, Oliver Wright, Nevine El-Warrak, Brett Leary, Karen Fang Grant, Jennifer Ducarre
Research lead: Jennifer Ducarre
Published: June 2026

Consumers are rewriting the rules of brand value. Overwhelmed by too many options, too little time and too much fine print, people are turning to AI and going further than most brand leaders expect.

Our survey of 25,590 consumers across 16 countries finds that nearly three in four (74%) would trust a personal AI agent more than their best friend to make a purchase on their behalf. Not a chatbot. Not a search engine. An AI agent that acts, decides and buys at their instruction.

This is more than a shift in how people shop. AI agents will rewrite the rules of brand value and shape what gets purchased, when, where and by whom, redefining the relationship between consumers and the brands and retailers they choose.

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Talk to my AI agent:
The new rules of brand value

Consumers are rewriting the rules of brand value. Overwhelmed by too many options, too little time and too much fine print, people are turning...

more

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The quest for certainty: How China's Gen Z is reshaping consumption

Published: May 2026

China’s consumers are redefining “the good life” amid uncertainty, shifting from impulse buying to “considered consumption” and prioritizing health, family and financial security. Brand moats have flipped: in beauty and skincare, domestic brands now lead preferences (43% vs. 37% for international). Traditional persuasion is losing power—nearly 70% feel indifferent or resistant to most marketing—while AI is becoming a daily copilot, used weekly or daily by 77% of consumers. To capture the hearts—and wallets—of China's consumers, win loyalty through real value (not discounting), build trust via authentic, data-driven experiences in real-life contexts, and harness responsible AI for faster insights and deeper connections.

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The quest for certainty: How China's Gen Z is reshaping consumption

China’s consumers are redefining “the good life” amid uncertainty, shifting from impulse buying to “considered consumption” and prioritizing health...

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China’s savvy silvers: The new face of aging

Authors: Christine Wang, Pornthip Suchanthabu
Research lead: Deng Ling
Published: March 2026

As China steadily progresses to a “super-aged” society, a new generation of older consumers is stepping from the sidelines into the spotlight. This cohort is redefining old age, turning what used to be seen as a retreat from society into a fresh chapter full of options.

At a macro level, the silver economy is no longer a peripheral niche. By 2035, it is expected to reach CNY 30 trillion (approximately USD 4.3 trillion), representing about 10% of the country’s GDP and a meaningful driver of long-term demand.

But older consumers are not monolithic; they are a vast and diverse group spanning a wide age range and exhibiting highly varied behaviors. This research focuses on a specific group: the “savvy silvers”, 55–65-year-olds mostly in tier 2 cities and above, who tend to have relatively stable household income and higher digital fluency.



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China’s savvy silvers: The new face of aging

As China steadily progresses to a “super-aged” society, a new generation of older consumers is stepping from the sidelines into the spotlight. This cohort is redefining old age, turning what used...

more

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The Good Life, Reimagined​

Author: Christine Wang
Research lead: Deng Ling
Published: December 2025

What makes China’s 1.4 billion consumers so compelling is the powerful convergence of economic, demographic, technological and cultural forces reshaping their behaviors. Over the past decade, Accenture has traced these changing behaviors to connect the dots; this year’s study goes even further to put trends into their historical perspectives, shedding light on their significance.

Our 2025 study reveals that local brands are now preferred over international ones across the board, a reversal of the situation just four years ago. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) has already transformed the consumer landscape and will have profound implications in the years to come. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Chinese consumers are not becoming more materialistic as their purchasing power grows. Instead, they are boldly redefining what a good life means and can look like.


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The Good Life, Reimagined

What makes China’s 1.4 billion consumers so compelling is the powerful convergence of economic, demographic, technological and cultural forces reshaping their behaviors. Over the past...

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Artificial intelligence in aerospace and defense

Authors: Tim White, John H. Schmit
Research lead: Edward Blomquist, Jeff Wheless
Published: June 2025

The Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry is facing significant capacity challenges hindering its ability to meet soaring demand. Commercial aerospace alone has a global backlog of 17,000 aircraft. Additional challenges like supply chain bottlenecks and technical debt are leading executives to seek alternative technology solutions to improve process efficiency. Talent challenges and rising turnover rates pose further complications. This paper, written in collaboration with the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) explains how A&D companies can address these challenges and realize increased manufacturing capacity by leveraging a step change increase in AI and automation by building a strong digital foundation, embedding AI into operational processes at scale and establishing an AI-ready workforce.

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Artificial intelligence in aerospace and defense

The Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry is facing significant capacity challenges hindering its ability to meet soaring demand. Commercial aerospace...

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Customer service on the brink
Course correct now for future growth

Authors: Sean Lyons, Alex Colcher, Erika Simpson, Dawn Anderson, Joshua Bellin
Research lead: Joshua Bellin
Published: June 2025

Customer service is failing. Just 18% of consumers say technology has improved their experience, and 87% would abandon a brand after a single bad interaction. As companies pursue cost-cutting, they’re overlooking what consumers actually want: effortless, empathetic and empowering support. Gen AI can reset the balance, automating 65% of agent tasks while enabling richer, more human conversations. To capture the opportunity, businesses must shift from fragmented service models to intelligence-led ecosystems that personalize every interaction, predict needs and embed service at the heart of customer experience. Done right, service becomes not a cost center—but a growth engine.

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Customer service on the brink

Customer service is failing. Just 18% of consumers say technology has improved their experience, and 87% would abandon a brand after a single bad interaction. As companies pursue...

more

Read Report

Me, my brand and AI: The new world of consumer engagement

Authors: Oliver Wright, Emily Weiss, Brett Leary,
Emma Blackburn, Jen Ducarre
Research lead: Emma Blackburn, Jen Ducarre
Published: June 2025

Gen AI is rapidly transforming consumer engagement,
becoming a trusted companion and decision-maker in everyday
life. With 72% of consumers using gen AI regularly and 75%
open to AI-powered personal shoppers, brands face a shift in
how trust and loyalty are built. The report finds gen AI is now
the second-highest source for purchase recommendations,
with emotional intelligence and agentic capabilities reshaping
buying behavior. To stay relevant, brands must define their role
in the LLM ecosystem, prioritize experiential differentiation
and design proactive, emotionally engaging AI experiences
that integrate across services and platforms—before AI
bypasses them altogether.

Read full report

Me, my brand and AI: The new world of consumer engagement

Gen AI is rapidly transforming consumer engagement,
becoming a trusted companion and decision-maker in everyday
life. With 72% of consumers using...

more

Read Report

Life Trends 2026: Forward, together

Authors: Nick Law, Katie Burke, Jake Brody
Research lead: Agneta Björnsjö
Published: February 2026

In a world reeling from relentless change, people are being thrust into transformation journeys they never chose—emotionally, technologically, and culturally. Nearly 46% of global consumers say their desire for stability has grown stronger, while 54% use AI weekly to manage life’s complexity. Businesses must now evolve beyond customer centricity to life centricity.

This year’s five defining trends reflect that shift: a stability premium as people seek clarity in chaos; human journeys shaped by AI in daily and profound moments; finding Neo, where employees reimagine AI from the ground up; good vibrations as play and presence reclaim value; and coming of age, where older generations emerge as powerful cultural and economic forces.

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Life Trends 2026: Forward, together

In a world reeling from relentless change, people are being thrust into transformation journeys they never chose—emotionally, technologically, and culturally. Nearly 46% of global consumers say...

more

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Reinventing relevance in the age of overload
Accenture 2024 China market CMO research

Authors: Christine Wang
Research lead: Ling Deng
Published: March 2025

Chinese consumers are overwhelmed—76% have abandoned purchases due to decision fatigue, driven by content saturation and an overload of options. In response, companies have shifted heavily toward performance marketing, now comprising 60–70% of budgets, but this has led to brand sameness and declining differentiation. Accenture urges CMOs to refocus on brand love through four actions: clarify brand purpose, create emotionally resonant communications, simplify choices using AI and use technology to unleash creativity. Success lies in balancing short-term ROI with long-term emotional connection— helping brands stand out, not just sell more.

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Reinventing relevance in the age of overload

Chinese consumers are overwhelmed—76% have abandoned purchases due to decision fatigue, driven by content saturation and an overload...

more

Read Report

Customer service on the brink
Course correct now for future growth

Authors: Sean Lyons, Alex Colcher, Erika Simpson, Dawn Anderson, Joshua Bellin
Research lead: Joshua Bellin
Published: June 2025

Customer service is failing. Just 18% of consumers say technology has improved their experience, and 87% would abandon a brand after a single bad interaction. As companies pursue cost-cutting, they’re overlooking what consumers actually want: effortless, empathetic and empowering support. Gen AI can reset the balance, automating 65% of agent tasks while enabling richer, more human conversations. To capture the opportunity, businesses must shift from fragmented service models to intelligence-led ecosystems that personalize every interaction, predict needs and embed service at the heart of customer experience. Done right, service becomes not a cost center—but a growth engine.

Read full report

Customer service on the brink

Customer service is failing. Just 18% of consumers say technology has improved their experience, and 87% would abandon a brand after a single bad interaction. As companies pursue...

more

Read Report

Me, my brand and AI: The new world of consumer engagement

Authors: Oliver Wright, Emily Weiss, Brett Leary,
Emma Blackburn, Jen Ducarre
Research lead: Emma Blackburn, Jen Ducarre
Published: June 2025

Gen AI is rapidly transforming consumer engagement,
becoming a trusted companion and decision-maker in everyday
life. With 72% of consumers using gen AI regularly and 75%
open to AI-powered personal shoppers, brands face a shift in
how trust and loyalty are built. The report finds gen AI is now
the second-highest source for purchase recommendations,
with emotional intelligence and agentic capabilities reshaping
buying behavior. To stay relevant, brands must define their role
in the LLM ecosystem, prioritize experiential differentiation
and design proactive, emotionally engaging AI experiences
that integrate across services and platforms—before AI
bypasses them altogether.

Read full report

Me, my brand and AI: The new world of consumer engagement

Gen AI is rapidly transforming consumer engagement,
becoming a trusted companion and decision-maker in everyday
life. With 72% of consumers using...

more

Read Report