The latest Invoca report highlights the growing influence of AI across marketing sectors, with 95% of marketers planning to boost AI investments in the coming year. Based on a survey of 600 marketing professionals across the U.S. and U.K., this report highlights how AI is increasingly viewed as a catalyst for revenue growth and job creation. Optimism is high, with 80% of marketers seeing returns on AI investments exceed expectations and 93% reporting positive outcomes with AI tools in 2024.
“The real risk for marketers isn’t AI taking their jobs – it’s falling behind by not embracing its potential. The most important action marketing leaders can take is to factor in the needs of the entire revenue organization and prioritize the AI tools that can have an outsized impact on the bottom line,” said Peter Isaacson, CMO of Invoca.
This year, 57% of marketers believe AI will lead to job growth, a 7% increase from the previous year. While there are still concerns over potential job loss, AI’s capacity to automate repetitive tasks is fuelling confidence in its potential to open up new strategic roles. Moreover, 54% of respondents expect AI to have a “very positive impact” on their organizations.
AI ownership is in the hands of executives, with 37% of companies now reporting executive leadership in AI initiatives—up from 18% in 2023. Large organizations are also advancing in AI expertise, with 60% of marketers in companies with over 1,000 employees citing expert knowledge, compared to only 40% in smaller companies. This shifted from last year when smaller companies led in AI proficiency. Additionally, the knowledge gap between senior leaders and managers has narrowed, with AI expertise spreading more evenly within larger organizations.
While AI is essential for revenue growth, with most marketers reporting a positive revenue impact in 2024, adoption still has its obstacles. Data security is the top concern, with many companies cautious about sharing proprietary data and transparency issues in AI tools posing additional barriers.
As AI becomes central to marketing operations, it’s also becoming a career necessity. In 2024, 94% of respondents view AI literacy as a crucial hiring factor for 2025.