A strong 62 pc of marketers believe generative AI will augment human creativity, enhancing human qualities such as intuition, emotion, and context understanding. On the other hand, organisations investing in generative AI for marketing dedicate almost 62 pc of their total marketing technology budget towards it, seeing this technology as a catalyst for creativity and innovation in marketing.
According to Capgemini Research Institute’s report ‘GenAI and the evolving role of marketing: A CMO’s Playbook’, half the organisations have already set aside specific budgets, and 47 pc have allocated teams, for the implementation of generative AI in marketing.
The report said 57 pc of marketers expect generative AI to act as a catalyst for unlocking new creative possibilities, particularly when collaborating between human and AI-driven innovation; 55 pc foresee this motivating teams to think beyond conventional boundaries. In the next two to three years, marketers already using generative AI expect it will be applied across data analysis (90 pc), search engine optimization (89 pc), customer services (89 pc), content creation (88 pc) and image and video generation (86 pc).
Research showed organisations believe that this technology can help build a unique brand image (67 pc), accurately analyse customer and market trends (65 pc), reduce marketing costs (66 pc), and increase efficiency in generating content and results (65 pc).
Gagandeep Gadri, Managing Director of frog, a part of Capgemini Invent, said, “The future of marketing will undeniably be influenced by the widespread adoption of generative AI to deliver personalised content and communication; it’s value realisation will need a fusion of strategic choices, human centred creativity and a good understanding of the art of the possible in a very fast-moving space. In many ways, this feels like the Digital boom from 20 years ago, where the brands that succeeded were those that stayed true to their values but were brave and bold on how digital could deliver growth for their business. The same will apply for generative AI.”
Ethical and regulatory issues
As AI algorithms become increasingly sophisticated, marketers will continue to face complex ethical considerations around issues such as the responsible use of customer data, the transparency of AI-driven decision-making processes, and ensuring algorithms do not reinforce social inequalities.
The research indicates that only 30 pc of organisations have implemented clear guidelines for the use and oversight of AI systems and less than half consider attributes of trust, privacy, and responsibility when selecting AI systems for marketing activities. Less than half of organisations (42 pc) are implementing measures to protect themselves from challenges related to the use of generative AI in marketing, such as monitoring or searching for AI-derived versions of their work, including logos and artwork.
Generative AI skills gap
According to the report, 71 pc of organisations anticipate that certain marketing roles will be impacted by generative AI, including SEO specialists, digital marketing and creative directors, PR/communication specialists, copywriters, and customer insight specialists.
In all 63 pc of organisations recognise that demand for generative AI skills in marketing significantly outstrips supply and to address this skills gap, most are implementing internal and external strategies. On average, 53 pc companies are planning to provide generative AI training for their marketing teams in the next six months, with companies in the Netherlands, India, Australia, and the US most likely to implement this initiative. Sectors such as media, insurance, automotive, and life sciences show a higher-than-average commitment to generative AI training for their marketing teams.
Marketing as a strategic force
Research shows that marketing has transformed in recent years, with Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) increasingly playing a central role in strategic decision-making processes. In business-to-consumer sectors, 71 pc of C-suite respondents see marketing as a strategic partner in driving business growth and 72 pc of B2C organisations involve the CMO in critical decisions to drive business goals and objectives.
CMOs have assumed greater direct responsibility for contribution to revenue growth (49 pc) and profit-related decisions (44 pc) over the past two years, increasing by 25 and 19 percentage points from 2021 respectively.
Almost 60 pc of organisations are integrating generative AI into their marketing efforts, of which 37 pc are actively implementing it across various initiatives, while an additional 21 pc are in the experimental phase. In order to succeed, organisations are adopting diverse AI strategies tailored to their specific marketing needs and available resources. Nearly a quarter of organisations rely solely on external applications and platforms for generative AI in marketing, however, half of them are in the process of either developing or using in-house applications alongside external tools.
The research findings are based on a survey of 1,800 executives from 14 countries across North America, Europe, and APAC. In addition, 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with Chief Marketing Officers and marketing leaders.
