Marketers struggle to deliver on AI promise despite big investment

A new report highlights a divide between optimism about artificial intelligence in marketing and the execution of meaningful results, with European marketers focusing on compliance while US teams favour rapid experimentation.

The study, conducted by Contentful in collaboration with Atlantic Insights, surveyed hundreds of senior marketing professionals across multiple regions and sectors to assess how AI is reshaping the marketing landscape. It identifies a trend towards "evidence-based creativity" as marketing teams are required to balance creative instincts with increasingly sophisticated data analysis and compliance standards.

Skills shift

The findings suggest that data analysis and interpretation have become the most important skills required in modern marketing, cited by 46% of respondents. Other skills such as digital experience design (40%), personalisation strategy (37%), and writing for AI tools (37%) also feature prominently. Campaign testing and optimisation is ranked as a top skill by a third of respondents, which the report sees as indicative of a shift towards data-led creative decision-making.

Organisations are also responding with training initiatives, as 45% have introduced programmes dedicated to AI. This reflects the growing integration of AI into day-to-day marketing workflows, where nearly half of respondents reported using both AI copilots in productivity software (49%) and generative tools for content creation (48%).

Investment and execution gap

The report finds that while 74% of marketing teams are investing in AI and 34% expect to allocate at least USD $500,000 to AI marketing tools or initiatives over the next two to three years, there remains what the study calls an "optimism–execution gap". Two-thirds of marketers say their current marketing technology stack is not yet delivering the operational efficiencies promised by AI. Out of those who have implemented AI tools, only 18% have seen a reduced reliance on developer or data teams.

"There is a growing fear that AI will erase marketing jobs, but that concern is misplaced. The real risk is failing to use AI strategically," said Elizabeth Maxson, Chief Marketing Officer, Contentful. "When marketers invest in the right tools that support their teams' daily work and prioritise marketing talent that blends creativity with analytics, that's when AI stops being hype and starts delivering meaningful results."

Another challenge highlighted in the research is the pressure to adapt quickly to AI tools. For 41% of marketers, adapting to AI workflows is now seen as a bigger pain point than either content volume or resource shortages.

Regional approaches

The study identifies marked differences between European and US marketing teams. European marketers, particularly those in regions impacted by regulations such as GDPR, are taking a compliance-led approach. Over half (58%) of EMEA marketers are selectively testing AI tools based on defined plans, and 32% place an emphasis on governance skills such as maintaining brand voice, meeting compliance requirements, and upholding quality standards.

In contrast, US marketers are more likely to focus on campaign optimisation and creative experimentation, with 37% focusing on this area compared to 26% in EMEA. Success metrics also differ: in the US, high content quality (45%) and flexibility (39%) are cited as important, while in EMEA, operational excellence and speed are seen as priorities by 43% of respondents.

"Marketing is a deeply creative industry, but there is an urgent need for marketers to start thinking more like engineers in order to keep pace with the rise in AI," said Alice McKown, Publisher, The Atlantic. "Tomorrow's most valuable marketing leaders won't be defined as creative or analytical. They'll be both."

Developing full-stack marketers

The research points towards the emergence of "full-stack marketers" who are capable not just of creative work, but also fluent in constructing AI-enabled workflows, writing effective prompts, navigating technology stacks, and incorporating AI into daily activities. These new skillsets are combined with growing expertise in digital experience design, personalisation strategy, and governance.

Quantitative data was gathered from 425 marketing decision-makers using advanced statistical techniques, and diary studies were conducted with marketing professionals over a ten-day period. These studies captured real-world application of AI in workflows through activities such as content creation, campaign optimisation, translation, and A/B testing. Subject matter expert interviews added context and best practices.

The report concludes that "evidence-based creativity" is now considered a central capability in marketing teams, as organisations strive to generate, test, and scale ideas backed by measurable impact.