Observed Signal · Jun 22, 2026 · Interview · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Samsung CMO: Emotional Intelligence Will Define Marketing
Benjamin Braun, Samsung’s Europe CMO, told The Drum at Cannes Lions 2026 that as artificial intelligence becomes a universal capability, emotional intelligence (EI) will be the primary competitive advantage for marketers. Braun argued CMOs should focus on applying human judgement to make AI-generated insights actionable, protect creative quality and avoid low-quality generative outputs he calls “AI slop.” He described Samsung’s internal Studio AI — an in‑house creative operation that blends AI tools with experienced creative leadership — and said agencies must also adopt AI to become faster and more efficient. Braun also urged marketing leaders to be accountable to finance through measurement and econometrics, and positioned AI as a tool to automate mundane tasks so teams can focus on high-value, emotionally-driven work.
Senior Samsung marketing leader framing AI vs emotional intelligence is noteworthy for brand and creative strategy but is an opinion/interview rather than a platform policy or major technical release.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Benjamin Braun is Samsung’s Europe Chief Marketing Officer and spoke with The Drum at Cannes Lions 2026.
- Braun said emotional intelligence (EI) will become the competitive advantage as AI becomes a universal capability.
- Samsung has an in‑house creative operation called Studio AI that combines AI tools with experienced creative leadership.
- Braun warned against low-quality generative outputs, calling them “AI slop,” and said such work can harm brands.
- Braun said marketers must use econometrics and measurement to demonstrate commercial value and gain CEO/CFO trust.
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