The adoption of generative AI (GenAI) in marketing remains uneven, with new research finding that 27% of chief marketing officers (CMOs) report little to no implementation in their organisations. According to a poll from Gartner of 418 marketing leaders conducted between July and September 2024, while some businesses are integrating AI tools into marketing workflows, many others have yet to fully embrace the technology.
“Many believe GenAI will transform marketing, but despite the hype, many CMOs feel that their GenAI investments have yet to pay off,” said Gartner marketing practice senior director analyst Suzanne Schwartz.
Companies that portrayed themselves as consistently exceeding marketing and revenue goals are moving faster in AI adoption. The survey identified high performers as organisations 1.3 times more likely to surpass year-on-year profit growth and achieve all marketing objectives related to customer acquisition, retention, and revenue expansion. These organisations are at the forefront of GenAI integration.
Among firms that have adopted GenAI, 77% report using it for creative development, with this figure increasing to 84% among high-performing businesses. AI is also playing a role in strategy development, with 48% of organisations applying it in this area, rising to 52% among high performers.
Marketing teams are further leveraging AI for evaluation and reporting, with 47% of respondents citing significant benefits in these areas. Despite concerns over return on investment, the survey suggests that companies successfully incorporating GenAI are seeing measurable improvements in efficiency. “The most successful marketing organisations are leading the way when it comes to GenAI adoption,” said Gartner marketing practice senior director analyst Greg Carlucci. “They’re leveraging AI for tasks such as content creation, campaign planning and strategy development in order to optimize campaigns and drive their organisation forward.”
Although marketing teams allocate significant resources to campaigns, 44.5% of total marketing budgets are spent on campaigns and media plans. However, many CMOs report dissatisfaction with results, with 87% experiencing campaign performance issues in the past year. In some cases, underperformance has forced companies to terminate campaigns early, with 45% of CMOs reporting that they sometimes, often, or always had to shut down campaigns due to poor performance.
The survey also highlights challenges beyond marketing execution. It found that 31% of CMOs identify finance as the biggest obstacle to successful campaigns, followed by executive leadership and sales, each cited by 26% of respondents.
AI adoption trends extend beyond marketing execution
While Gartner’s findings highlight the current state of GenAI adoption in marketing, Forrester’s 2025 outlook for B2B marketing, sales, and product teams points to broader trends shaping AI-driven transformation.
AI is becoming central to marketing operations, with two in five organisations expected to incorporate AI assistants into their workflows. Forrester’s Marketing Survey 2024 indicated that 64% of global B2B marketing leaders plan to increase spending on AI-powered conversation automation, reinforcing the shift toward automation. Businesses are being encouraged to integrate AI to enhance productivity rather than viewing it as a threat to jobs.
However, Forrester warns that AI implementation may not be seamless. Active selling time is projected to decline by 10% as organisations struggle with AI integration. GenAI investments require structured data, yet many sales teams have yet to optimise AI-driven processes. Companies are advised to focus on data organisation before expecting productivity gains.
Restructuring is also emerging as a challenge, with only 12% of marketing leaders confident that their current team structure can meet revenue targets. Forrester cautions that shifting job titles alone will not resolve inefficiencies. Instead, businesses must prioritise strategic planning, process optimisation, and the balanced integration of human and AI-driven skills to drive long-term growth.
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