The study of 123 clients, asked them to rank their top business concerns, and found that agility in the workplace was by far the most important issue. Whether the brand has the right blend of science vs. art regarding data came second, and third was whether AI was driving a competitive enough advantage for their business.

Other notable concerns from CMOs included the threats and opportunities of GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft), implementing an ecommerce strategy and the various challenges associated with Brexit.

Sue Unerman, chief transformation officer at MediaCom, said: “We are now in an age where business transformation and the ability to adapt quickly are boardroom priorities – and these results from our clients reflect this.

“How brands best use data as the second most important issue is no surprise either; data should be an enabler and insight-driver, but not all organisations are taking advantage of its capabilities.”