Marketers are leveraging AI’s analytics and research capabilities in greater numbers than for content production genAI, according to a new survey of more than 1,200 marketers by advertising platform Mediaocean.
The same marketers also monitor consumer interest in AI and other trending technologies. While AI topped the list of consumer trends in a previous survey, CTV is now leading the pack.
AI capabilities. Data analysis (45%) and market research (40%) were the top ways marketers are using AI.
“Marketers continue to focus on data analysis and market research to improve decision-making processes, optimize campaigns and gain deeper insights into consumer behavior,” said Karsten Weide, principal and chief analyst of W Media Research, during a panel discussion on the report. .
“Using generative AI for automated content creation, such as dynamic creative optimization, only comes after analytics,” Weide said.
Consumer trends. Many marketers also ranked genAI as one of the top consumer trends (55%), second only to CTV (56%). TikTok/social video comes in third place with 47%. GenAI scored first in the previous survey.
Here are all the top consumer trends marketers evaluate and where they rank:
“While many dynamics are changing and the focus is on first-party data and performance, brands still need reach,” said Deborah Wahl, former chief marketing officer of General Motors, during the panel discussion . “It’s incredible to see the growth of the CTV market and the direction it can take. … I changed a lot of the spending when I was running things (at General Motors) to really focus on (CTV), and it’s nice to see that it’s the number one trend that everyone is looking at.
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Why we care. Creating images and text from a simple prompt is now making its way into marketing workflows. Three-quarters of marketers in this survey have yet to take the plunge, perhaps due to lingering concerns about brand safety. What many marketers can verify, however, is AI’s ability to “sift through data that you often can’t fully process,” Weide said.
As the holidays approach, marketers will likely deploy AI capabilities to help shoppers find the right gift. Consumers are interested in how retailers use these tools. And for cautious consumers, they may not even know when the experience is powered by AI.
The full report can be read here (registration required).