LEVERAGING AI IN MARKETING

As AI becomes more widely understood, its applications in marketing strategies are becoming clearer. But how are marketers currently leveraging AI, and how do they plan to invest in it in the coming year?

To explore these questions, Ascend2 and our Research Partners conducted the “Leveraging AI in Marketing” survey. We extend our gratitude to the 400 marketers who participated in December 2023.

This Survey Summary Report, titled “Leveraging AI in Marketing,” reflects the perspectives of all market segments surveyed. Specific segments are reported separately and exclusively by our participating Research Partners.

This research is created for your benefit—use it to enhance your marketing strategy. Feel free to use the charts, discuss them in your blog, or share them on social media. Just remember to credit the research as published.

CURRENT USE OF AI

Our research shows that if you’re not yet using AI to boost your marketing strategy, you’re falling behind. Two-thirds (66%) of marketing professionals surveyed are already incorporating AI to some degree, while another 17% have plans to adopt it. Only 17% are not using AI in their marketing efforts and have no plans to do so.

RATING SUCCESS

Over a quarter (26%) of marketers consider their use of AI for marketing to be very successful. However, another 24% report little to no success, indicating there is still significant room for improvement in leveraging AI to enhance marketing performance.

TOP CHALLENGES

As marketers begin incorporating AI into their strategies, they often face hesitations due to unfamiliarity with these emerging technologies. Nearly half (45%) of marketers cite a lack of expertise as a major challenge when implementing AI. Additionally, one-third of respondents highlight ethical and privacy concerns, budget limitations, data quality, and accessibility as significant issues.

AI USE CASES

Personalization is the most frequently reported use case for AI in marketing, cited by 38% of surveyed marketers. Around one-third are using AI for ad optimization, chatbots, and social media listening. However, AI applications like dynamic pricing and lead scoring have not yet been widely adopted by most marketing professionals.

KEY BENEFITS

According to 57% of marketers, AI can enhance the efficiency of their marketing strategies. Nearly half (46%) believe AI can improve targeting efforts. As AI continues to refine targeting capabilities, marketers may become more inclined to incorporate AI into their segmentation practices.

TARGETING AND PERSONALIZATION

A substantial 86% of surveyed marketing professionals agree that AI can greatly enhance their ability to target and personalize content for individual customers. By delivering personalized content, marketers can better reach and engage their target audiences, providing improved customer experiences that positively impact the bottom line.

MEASURING SUCCESS

How do marketers measure the effectiveness of their AI use? The most effective indicators, according to 44%, 43%, and 42% of marketers, are increased Return on Investment (ROI), improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced customer engagement, respectively. Meanwhile, only 17% of those surveyed view alignment with business objectives as an effective measure of success.

FUTURE INVESTMENT IN AI

Marketers’ investment in AI is set to increase in the coming year. Over three-quarters (77%) of surveyed marketers plan to boost their investment in AI for marketing within the next 12 months, with 29% indicating they are very likely to do so and another 48% expressing a moderate likelihood.

Discover how AI is transforming marketing strategies. Continue reading for insights and download the full report to stay ahead in 2024!

Related report: THE USE OF AI TO ADVANCE PERSONALIZATION IN 2024 | Ascend2

• Methodology and Participants
• Introduction
• Current Use of AI
• Rating Success
• Top Challenges
• AI Use Cases
• Key Benefits
• Targeting and Personalization
• Measuring Success
• Future Investment in AI
• About Ascend2 Research

Number of Pages:

• 14 pages

Pricing: 

• Free

Methodology

Ascend2 benchmarks the performance of marketing strategies, tactics, and the technology that drives them with a standardized online questionnaire and a proprietary 3-minute Survey format. This survey was fielded to a panel of marketing professionals and marketing research subscribers.