WARC report: TikTok and the new creative advantage
How community signals are reshaping creative success in the age of AI
The New Creative Advantage
Creative scale from AI is rising faster than quality, so the report’s core takeaway is to pair AI with real-time community data connections to create more resonant video ideas; download the full report for the five principles of the “Intelligence Loop.”
- 90% of marketers use AI as a core creative tool, 88% report more creative volume, and 45% see significant quality gains.
- Half of media budgets are still spent on ads poorly suited for their platforms, despite higher content output.
- The report draws on insights from 400 global marketing leaders and references tools like Symphony Agent.
Generative AI has allowed marketers to scale creative output at lightning speed, but quality hasn't kept pace. While 90% of marketers now use AI as a core creative tool and 88% report an increase in creative volume, only 45% see significant improvements in quality.¹ Compounding the issue, half of all media budgets are still spent on ads poorly suited for their platforms, proving that more content doesn't guarantee better engagement.
To break through the machine-made noise, the next creative advantage lies in marrying AI with real-time community signals. Drawing on insights from 400 global marketing leaders, a new report from WARC and TikTok explores how top brands use tools like Symphony Agent to build adaptive creative systems that translate platform insights directly into resonant, native video concepts.
"The gap opening up in AI-assisted creativity is not a technology gap; it is an intelligence gap," said Andy Yang, Global Head of Creative & Brand Ads at TikTok. "Most brands are briefing the most powerful creative tools ever built with the weakest possible inputs: static demographics, legacy assumptions, data that tells you who someone was, not what they care about right now."
The New Creative Advantage
1. Source: The New Creative Advantage, WARC in collaboration with TikTok, July 2026
Your questions, answered
Business Help CenterWhy does AI creative quality still lag?
Creative output is growing fast, but quality is not keeping pace. The report highlights an intelligence gap: many marketers use AI with static audience inputs and legacy assumptions, which can limit relevance and engagement.
What is the new creative advantage?
It is the combination of generative AI and real-time community data connections. The idea is to build adaptive creative systems that turn platform insights into resonant, TikTok-first video concepts.
What do I get from the full report?
The full report covers five core principles of the Intelligence Loop and shows how audience participation can support compounding creative growth. A download option is provided on the page.