European marketing teams are putting branding back at the top for 2026—while GenAI is still rarely scaled broadly. At the same time, DPMA/EUIPO figures show sustained trademark activity.
Background
A McKinsey study describes a clear “back to basics” shift in Europe: branding is the number one priority for 2026 in marketing organizations. At the same time, it highlights a gap in broad adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) in marketing—despite expectations of rising investments.
What the study highlights for Europe
Branding becomes the most important priority for 2026 as a response to uncertainty and increasing competition for trust, attention, and differentiation. GenAI, by contrast, ranks far down the overall priority list (17 out of 20)—even though 50% of CMOs count “GenAI-enabled marketing” among the top three fastest-growing investment areas.
Notably, 94% of surveyed European marketing organizations rate their GenAI capabilities as low to moderate. Where GenAI is scaled consistently, “GenAI leaders” report an average 22% efficiency gain—primarily driven by scaling across functions and workflows rather than isolated pilots.
What DPMA and EUIPO figures signal about trademark relevance
The strategic importance of trademarks is also reflected in official figures: at the end of 2024, the DPMA register contained 897,701 trademarks. In 2024, 80,365 trademark applications (national and international) were filed; 77,221 of these were national applications (+2.6%). Within national filings, 6,916 came from abroad (+21.7%).
At EU level, EUIPO recorded 180,447 trademark applications in 2024 (+2.7% vs. 2023); 22,080 applications came from Germany (nearly unchanged).
How this matters for companies, brands, and marketing teams
The combination of (1) branding as the top priority and (2) rising trademark activity suggests that brand management remains a central competitive factor. At the same time, the study indicates many organizations still do not treat GenAI as a core lever for brand work—despite measurable effects among “leaders.”
In practice, brand strategy and creativity remain core, but efficiency, personalization, and scaling are increasingly determined by GenAI-enabled processes. Moving from pilots to standardized workflows, clear governance, and a solid data/tech foundation can make brand work faster, more consistent, and more cost-efficient.
To the point
- In Europe, branding is the top priority for 2026—as a response to competition for trust and differentiation.
- GenAI is seen as an investment area, yet overall it is still ranked low on the priority list.
- Most organizations rate their GenAI capabilities as low to moderate (94%).
- Impact comes mainly from scaling across workflows (leaders: avg. 22% efficiency gains).
- DPMA/EUIPO figures underline: trademarks remain highly relevant and active.
Source:
McKinsey & Company: “Past forward: The modern rethinking of marketing’s core” (PDF, study/report).
https://www.dpma.de/digitaler_jahresbericht/2024/jb24_de/marken.html
https://www.dpma.de/jb2024/
https://www.dpma.de/dpma/veroeffentlichungen/statistiken/marken/index.html
https://www.dpma.de/digitaler_jahresbericht/2024/jb24_en/trade_marks.html
https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/news-and-events/publications/annual-report