Business & Technology
UK marketers plan to spend more on AI, Canva finds
Canva has published research showing that most UK marketing leaders plan to increase spending on AI. It also found that British consumers are more accepting of AI in advertising when it makes adverts more useful or relevant.
Based on a survey of marketing leaders and consumers across seven countries, the report points to a widening gap between the speed of AI adoption in marketing teams and the care brands must take to maintain consumer trust. In the UK sample, 92% of marketing leaders said they already use AI in everyday creative work, while 98% expect to increase their AI budgets.
That uptake reflects pressure on marketing departments to produce more content with limited resources. More than half of UK marketing leaders surveyed said AI now acts as a “director” within their teams, while 31% described it as a “collaborator”.
Many marketers also reported practical benefits. The findings show that 94% save at least four hours a week through AI use, while 28% save more than eight hours. Another 63% said AI had increased marketing-influenced business decisions.
Trust gap
Consumer sentiment was more mixed. While 71% of British consumers said they do not mind AI in adverts if the result is more helpful or relevant, many also said current AI-generated advertising lacks originality and emotional depth.
Seven in ten UK respondents said AI-generated adverts are missing their soul, while 64% said such adverts are so obvious they are laughable. The findings suggest consumers judge advertising less by how it is made than by whether it feels authentic.
That tension runs through the report. Although many consumers accepted a role for AI in making ads more relevant, 82% said they would still rather see adverts made by people, even if AI could improve them. Another 91% said the best advertising still requires a human touch, and 72% said they would be more likely to buy from an advert created entirely by humans.
There was also concern that the growing use of AI could make brand communications look increasingly alike. In the UK, 76% of consumers said the future of advertising will look and feel like the same AI-generated output. Among marketing leaders, 36% said so-called “AI slop” was already a considerable challenge.
Human role
The study found broad agreement that some parts of marketing remain difficult to automate. UK marketing leaders pointed to empathy and emotional intelligence, brand intuition and creative judgment, and the human imperfections that can make work feel original as areas AI cannot replace.
That view may explain why many executives do not see AI as removing the need for creative staff. Eighty per cent of UK marketing leaders said they expect creative roles to grow over the next five years, with greater emphasis on imagination, judgment and direction rather than routine execution.
Age also shaped consumer attitudes. Among Gen Z and Millennial respondents, 72% said they pay more attention to the vibe of an advert than the method used to create it. Three quarters said they do not mind AI polish as long as real people are featured.
Even so, personalisation remains a sensitive issue. Nearly a third of UK consumers said it becomes too personal when an advert seems to know what they are about to buy before they have searched for it. A larger 63% said they do not want brands using AI to predict what they want.
Calls for rules
The findings show strong demand for clearer rules on how AI is used in advertising. More than three quarters of British consumers said they would feel more comfortable with AI-generated adverts if formal company policies governed their use.
There was also a clear expectation that AI-made advertising will soon become harder to identify. The survey found that 86% of UK consumers believe it will one day be impossible to tell whether an advert was made with AI unless the brand discloses it. Most expect that point to arrive within a few years.
Consumers were also specific about what would improve trust. The most common answers were data protection, disclosure of AI use, guarantees that AI is not replacing jobs, and the ability to opt out of AI-generated adverts. A large majority also said they would like a form of privacy control that lets them decide how personal adverts should become.
Emma Robinson, Head of B2B Marketing at Canva, said the issue for brands is not whether AI belongs in marketing but how it is managed. “AI has changed how marketing gets made, but not what makes it effective. Speed and scale matter, but they don’t build trust on their own. The opportunity isn’t only producing more content. It’s building smarter systems where AI drives efficiency while brand governance and creative judgment protect what makes a brand distinctive,” Robinson said.
The survey covered 1,415 marketing leaders at organisations with more than 500 employees and 3,547 consumers across the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, Japan and India. In the UK, the sample included 200 marketing leaders and 509 consumers.
Nisa Local opened for Botley and Osney customers in November 2025, taking over the former Pickle and Lime grocery unit.
A planning application to Oxford City Council to create a single storey extension and steel security front shutter was refused in March 2026.
You can submit your comments to the Government’s planning inspectorate by May 29.
The extension plans include new services such as an Evri parcel service and to provide two more Cook Frozen Meal freezers.
Also included is a move the Costa Coffee self-service machine to the front of the store, and to provide more floor space for Bake & Bite and the Oxford-based Natural Bread Company.
Due to the scale, and appearance of the extension, the city council said it would result in a “harmful erosion” of the surrounding area and the building’s original character and proportions, which has already been previously extended.
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Now, the applicant, Mansi Jain Chowdhry, has submitted an appeal to the refused planning permission.
The applicant disagrees with the council’s assessment and believes the decision is “unsound” as the extension would not harm the character of the site or its surroundings but assist in strengthening a community facility.
The appeal statement says the extension is at the rear of the property so it does not alter the public-facing proportions, the ground floor retail space has bee in commercial use since the early 1900s.
The Brews and Books café is run by volunteers of the Wantage Literary Festival from 9.45am to 1.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Due to its success in its first year, the Vale of White Horse District Council, which own and manage The Beacon and Wantage Literary Festival, has agreed the café is to stay permanently.
This news comes ahead of the inaugural Wantage Children’s Books Festival, managed by the literary festival, which will be held on Saturday, May 30.
Money raised from the café helps cover the costs of these annual events, helping them to continue attracting greater authors to the town.
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Helen Pighills, cabinet member for community health and wellbeing at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Since its opening, the Brews and Books Café has brought a buzz, providing a welcoming space for the community to meet up, relax, and maybe read a book.
“We are looking forward to continuing this partnership and are grateful to the volunteers giving their time to support it.”
Judith Knight, director of the Wantage Children’s Literature Festival, said: “The café began as a welcoming social space where authors and festival‑goers could meet, talk, and feel at home during the annual festival.
“The response was so positive that when the opportunity arose to make it permanent, we jumped at the chance.
“It has become not only a much‑loved community hub but a vital source of funds for the festival.”
SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
Acquirz has appointed Kevin Smith as Head of Data and AI and Kelly Merchant as Campaign Manager following its acquisition of Marketscan.
Smith joins the Cheltenham-based business with more than 20 years of experience in data, analytics and technology leadership. His background spans strategy, architecture, machine learning integration, data engineering, analytics, governance and insight delivery.
Merchant brings nearly 10 years of experience in customer relationship management and email marketing. Her work has included building automated customer journeys, personalised content, data-led segmentation and lifecycle marketing strategies across financial services and retail.
The appointments come during a period of expansion for Acquirz, which was founded in 2019. The company operates in B2B data services and email marketing, and recently acquired Marketscan, a UK data-led marketing business with a history of more than 40 years.
Growth phase
Smith will lead data and AI across the business, including embedding AI-led insight into operations for customer targeting, data enrichment and process automation.
Before joining Acquirz, he built his career from an apprentice database consultant role in 1999, later managing global teams and working on large-scale data projects.
Merchant’s appointment reflects Acquirz’s continued focus on campaign delivery for clients. Her CRM and email marketing experience includes work on campaign performance and audience engagement.
Acquirz offers managed email campaigns, self-service email marketing software, and data supply for direct mail, calling and email, alongside data cleansing, enrichment, analysis and segmentation. It also provides data licensing and wholesale services for reseller partners.
The business says its database covers more than three million companies and 2.5 million personal B2B email records. Its client base includes both large brands and smaller businesses.
Smith said: “Acquirz has built an impressive reputation for delivering award-winning services. From its data solutions and creative campaigns to its managed services, it is a brand well recognised for the breadth and accuracy of its data.
“I’m looking forward to building on this success and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for the team, the business and customers.”
Merchant said: “I’m delighted to be working closely with Acquirz’s diverse client base. What attracted me most to the role is the opportunity to combine creativity with data in an environment that encourages new ideas and strategies. I’ve already learnt a lot from the team, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
Leadership view
Chris Skinner, Director and Co-founder of Acquirz, linked the appointments to the company’s broader expansion.
He said: “Since launching the business in 2019, we’ve focused on delivering innovative, award-winning solutions, whether that is B2B data, customer acquisition, managed email marketing or more bespoke support. That delivery is driven by the strength of our team, and we’re delighted to welcome Kevin and Kelly at a pivotal time for the business.
“Following our recent acquisition of Marketscan, and with strong growth and an exciting product pipeline, their expertise will play a key role in helping scale and drive the business forward.”
The latest hires underline Acquirz’s push to add senior staff as it integrates Marketscan and broadens its offering in data-led marketing and campaign services. Smith’s role signals a stronger focus on AI in internal operations and client work, while Merchant adds campaign management experience as the business expands.
Marketscan’s addition gives Acquirz a larger footprint in UK data-led marketing, combining a newer agency with a longer-established operator. Against that backdrop, the company is continuing to build out its management and delivery teams in Cheltenham.
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