Marketing Leaders Still Feel Unprepared for GenAI, Kantar Study Finds

A new Kantar report lists ways generative artificial intelligence can optimize marketing efforts.

According to a new study by data and analytics company Kantar, most marketing leaders are still unprepared to implement generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). The research points to a lack of specific training and high costs as the main barriers to broader adoption of the technology in the industry.

The “GenAI for marketing: Fear or FOMO” survey interviewed more than 50 CMOs and marketing directors in Europe, Australia and the US, highlighting challenges and best practices for integrating GenAI into marketing strategies.

The study highlights a discrepancy between the technology’s potential to transform the industry and its current adoption. Among respondents, there is consensus that, in the next three to five years, GenAI will be a game-changer, with an average impact estimated at 9 out of 10.

Despite the optimism, most companies are not yet ready for this transition. Their organizations’ level of preparedness received an average score of 4.9, while external partners, such as agencies and data providers, received a slightly higher rating, with an average of 5.3.

This lack of readiness is holding back marketing’s GenAI revolution, with respondents believing that the industry is still in the early stages, rating the current impact of the technology on the industry at 5.3 out of 10.

Between concern and fear of being left out

The study also discusses whether resistance to GenAI comes from a real fear of the challenges of the technology or from the fear of missing out (FOMO).

According to Carmen Pătrașcu , Managing Director la Kantar România, “There is indeed a consensus that GenAI will transform the sector, but many companies still don’t feel ready. Large organizations are moving from using it solely for efficiency to driving effectiveness,” she says.

Kantar data indicates that companies that strategically adopt GenAI can reduce their product development cycle to six weeks and create high-level creative concepts in 60% less time.

GenAI equals effectiveness, not obsoletion

“People also feared that the accounting business would soon become obsolete when Microsoft launched Excel. Instead, we have more accounting firms than ever,” said Chief Consumer Insights and Analytics Officer at Pepsico, Stephan Gans.

The research also shows that marketing leaders recognize the importance of expert oversight, emphasizing that human presence will remain essential to the use of technology.

“Furthermore, without fundamental marketing skills, marketing professionals risk becoming overly dependent on GenAI, seeking shortcuts and losing the ability to evaluate AI-generated content critically,” says Carmen Pătrașcu.

According to the executive, implementation is not simple: ethical use, training, and data quality must be addressed. “Those who get it right will succeed in generating enthusiasm and understanding about GenAI across the company, explaining what the tools can and cannot do and how they can help achieve more with greater efficiency, speed and effectiveness.”

Four Key Functions of GenAI in Marketing

In all, four main ways were identified in which GenAI can transform marketing:

Build long-term brand strategies, validate and fine-tune marketing results

For example, Group Bel has developed its in-house GenAI tool, BelGPT. Among other features, it connects market share, channel-based sales and competitive data to see where the portfolio’s most significant growth opportunities lie, using AI to aid decision-making.

Perform daily tasks, simplifying routines and automating processes

This includes data management, tracking, and workflow automation. When Reckitt analyzed how its marketers spent their time, it revealed where GenAI could be most impactful. They helped employees automate their most time-consuming tasks and focus on what mattered.

Enable long-term brand planning and innovation

GenAI can help align marketing with overall business goals, guide teams, and influence trend forecasting. For example, Coca-Cola asked fans around the world what the flavour of the year 3000 would be and combined that with insights from GenAI to co-develop a new limited-edition flavour, Y-3000.

Engage consumers in real-time with personalized content

GenAI can help marketers automate media buying or personalise messages for different channels, devices, and languages. For example, AIA , one of Asia’s leading insurance companies, created AI Sonny , an AI version of football player and brand ambassador Son Heung-min, who appears in videos to welcome and onboard new customers in a more personal way.

Healthcare and pharmaceutical company Schwabe Group is an example of how GenAI’s end-to-end integration enables companies to seize new opportunities. “GenAI helps us solve complex challenges and operate more efficiently across the organization,” said Alexander Reisenauer, Head of Global Digital Marketing, global brand strategy and healthcare interests at Schwabe Group.

“By applying AI initiatives in areas such as R&D, we can accelerate processes without compromising the high scientific standards we follow. However, it is essential to highlight that humans remain at the centre of our work. AI helps us by allowing us to focus our efforts on what really matters: developing innovative solutions to improve health,” adds the executive.

Speaking about the situation in Romania, Carmen Pătrașcu concludes: “Even if Romania was not part of this study, marketing professionals from Romanian companies, who are pioneers or courageous in adopting new technology, can use the findings from our report to prepare the starting point in shaping the GenAI adoption strategy. Those who do this will have a major competitive advantage considering that, according to Eurostat, in 2024 in Romania, only 3.1% of companies with more than 10 employees used artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to carry out their activity, 4 times less than the EU average.”

Indeed, while Romania was not included in the study, Romanian entrepreneurs are pioneers in adopting AI technologies and implementing AI solutions. In marketing alone, TUYA Digital, an SEO company based in Bucharest, Romania, became a pioneer in the EU by offering Generative Engine Optimization – GEO. In a short time, this service will replace SEO or will be required by default by clients.

The Kantar study was conducted over two months in Q4 2024, combining qualitative analysis and in-depth interviews with more than 50 marketing leaders from Europe, the US and Australia.

Will AI replace humans? Some say it will, but some doubt that Artificial Intelligence can understand emotions or input the same amount of passion into any product or service offered. On the other hand, there is music composed by AI and paintings brought to life by artificial intelligence. Thousands of programmers are being laid off since AI coding has improved, and the list goes on.

And who knows what the future months, not years, will show us regarding AI advancement, not only in marketing or programming but in all aspects of our daily lives.