GenAI is profoundly transforming marketing strategies, from content creation to campaign optimization. The era of isolated experiments is over; it's time to industrialize, measure, and convince... Two recent studies by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG),"How CMOs Are Scaling GenAI in Turbulent Times" and "Six Steps to More Effective Marketing Measurement", highlight the opportunities and challenges of this digital shift.
The Rise of GenAI in Marketing
Based on a BCG survey (April–May 2025) of 200 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) in Europe, Asia, and North America, the first study examines how these professionals are integrating generative AI on a large scale in an uncertain economic context.
Their optimism continues to grow: 83% of them now express confidence in GenAI's ability to transform their performance, up from 74% last year. More significantly, 71% plan to invest more than $10 million per year in it between 2025 and 2027.
Towards More Mature and Immersive Uses
The use cases are numerous: automated content creation, advanced conversational agents, real-time personalization, immersive video generation...
While some tested in 2023 are now reaching scale, three areas are capturing the attention and investments of CMOs:
- Immersive content generation: moving from static text and images to more immersive formats like video, a key next step for 30% of respondents;
- Mass personalization: the rise of tailor-made offers combining predictive AI and GenAI to produce ultra-targeted content;
- Agentic AI: AI agents are reshaping marketing workflows, particularly for B2B companies. A third of B2B CMOs and nearly a quarter of B2C CMOs (23%) cited AI agents as a high investment priority.
Faced with a persistent shortage of GenAI talent, CMOs continue to invest in upskilling their teams through hackathons, incubation studios, and new tools.
The Necessity of Effective Marketing Measurement
According to BCG's second report, based on responses from 3,000 marketing professionals, companies mastering marketing measurement record up to 70% additional growth. Yet, less than 20% of CMOs say they are confident in their ability to measure the real impact of their actions.
To optimize their strategy, industry leaders rely on several levers:
- Alignment of KPIs : successful companies harmonize their financial and marketing indicators for a comprehensive view;
- Advanced use of AI : 76% of the most mature companies use AI to automate campaign analysis and accelerate decision-making;
- Cross-functional collaboration: synergy between finance, product, and data teams enhances the relevance of attribution models;
- Tool modernization: methods combining marketing mix models, incrementality tests, and multi-touch attributions allow for more precise decisions.
Towards Intelligent and Data-Driven Marketing
The adoption of generative AI and the improvement of marketing measures are not just trends; they represent an essential strategic transformation. To maximize campaign impact and ensure measurable profitability, companies must combine technological innovation with analytical rigor.