This deck reports early findings from a research program on AI in marketing, presented at an interim session in December 2024. It draws on thirty CMO vision interviews and desk research, and sets out what still has to be tested in a quantitative survey.
Key findings
- The dominant use of AI so far is short term cost efficiency, which the interviews find has not translated into competitive advantage.
- Creative work presents a dilemma between automation and brand differentiation.
- Upskilling is identified as the priority, and CMOs are open to support from external partners in delivering it.
- The internal partnerships AI requires are still immature. Work with IT, legal and data functions is described as developing rather than established.
- Interest is strongest in incremental value opportunities, the moments where two capabilities meet.
How CMOs describe Google
The interviews produced a mixed picture. Google is highly respected and seen as a valuable resource for junior colleagues, and CMOs are open to a deeper learning engagement.
Two findings are less comfortable. Its dominance is described as challenged, and its marketing proposition as unclear.
What gets measured next
The quantitative stage was scoped as fifteen AI-specific questions taking about three minutes, put to the entire IRG audience, with survey design due in mid February and fieldwork starting a few days later.
Four benchmark statements were to be integrated into the IRG100 program, covering whether the business understands AI’s opportunities and challenges, whether AI is used in business and marketing strategy, and whether marketing leads its adoption.
The program content was also being extended, with dedicated sessions on CMO AI capability and on humanized growth in the era of AI.
The Marketing2030 program it feeds
Marketing2030 is introduced with four questions: what forces are reshaping society and consumption, what stakeholders expect of businesses and brands, what marketing’s future role is, and how the CMO can step up to the emerging opportunity.
The milestones run from a kickoff in January 2025 through a Cannes announcement in June, dedicated Oxford research from September, vision interviews in October, a quantitative survey in February 2026, and a launch of findings at Cannes Lions in June 2026.
The audience it can draw on is the IRG community and more than 850 CMO alumni. A challenger board and a list of potential partners across academia, industry bodies and publishers were being assembled at the time.
Scope and limitations
These are interim learnings from thirty interviews, presented before the quantitative survey ran. Parts of the deck are marked illustrative, and the challenger board membership was still shortlisted and under discussion.
Source
This page summarises Early Finding Summary, by IRG, Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative, 2024-12-19.