The Evolution of Data-Driven Marketing

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the average level of marketing maturity has decreased by 8% from 2021 to 2024. This does not necessarily mean that companies have failed, but it indicates that expectations have risen. Today, a mature marketing operation must be driven by AI and GenAI (generative AI). Companies must therefore integrate data more deeply, plan comprehensive marketing strategies, and deliver enhanced consumer experiences.

The Three Categories of Essential Capabilities

The 19 capabilities required to develop marketing maturity are divided into three main categories:

1. Foundational Capabilities: These include data quality, staff training, and strategic planning.
2. New Bets: These concern the adoption of emerging technologies and the centralization of data-driven decision-making.
3. Advanced Capabilities: They focus on optimizing daily operations through automation and the use of AI.

Four Ways to Unlock New Opportunities

To achieve AI-driven marketing maturity, companies must develop four essential capabilities:

1. Connected Strategic Decisions: It is crucial to maintain a continuous connection between online and offline activities. This involves strategic KPI setting and integrated planning, as well as end-to-end measurement of results to ensure that every marketing action aligns with overall business objectives.
2. Integrated Teams with AI Skills: Creating multidisciplinary teams that include AI and generative AI experts is essential. Companies can choose to collaborate with external specialists or develop internal skills to fully leverage AI capabilities.
3. Strategic First-Party Data Management: Companies must manage the data they collect strategically, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. This approach allows them to gain valuable customer insights and improve campaign personalization.
4. Intelligent Execution: Focusing on use cases that generate real business impact is essential. Companies should avoid chasing every new trend (FOMO - Fear of Missing Out) and instead concentrate on what truly affects business outcomes.

These capabilities not only help improve a company's responsiveness and agility in reacting to market changes but also contribute to increased productivity and long-term profitability.

Marketing Maturity: A Necessary Journey

Every brand must assess its position on the maturity curve and focus on the capabilities that best support these four strategies. Companies at the initial levels need to close the maturity gap by investing in appropriate technologies and ensuring readiness for a cookie-less future.

Emerging companies must link their inputs and outputs in multidimensional measurement systems to make more informed strategic decisions. Finally, the most advanced brands must continue to innovate and integrate AI solutions into every aspect of their operations.

The differences between various levels of AI-driven marketing maturity can be understood through four main categories, each characterized by specific capabilities and approaches to using artificial intelligence. These levels, identified by studies such as those by the Boston Consulting Group, are:

1. Nascent: At this initial stage, companies are at the beginning of their journey toward data-driven marketing. They use basic measurement techniques and rely mainly on third-party data. While they recognize the potential of AI and GenAI, their approach is still exploratory, and marketing activations are disconnected across touchpoints.
2. Emerging: Here, companies start leveraging advanced technologies such as AI algorithms for optimization and GenAI for content personalization. They use first-party and third-party data across various business areas, including marketing, sales, and operations. This level represents a significant step toward greater digital technology integration.
3. Connected: Companies at this stage have developed a more integrated, data-driven marketing strategy. They use AI systematically to improve strategic decisions and optimize campaigns. Data collection and analysis are more sophisticated, enabling advanced personalization of customer experiences.
4. Multi-Moment: This is the most advanced level of AI-driven marketing maturity. Companies at this stage are highly responsive and agile in reacting to market changes. They use AI not only to analyze data but also to automate complex decision-making processes and continuously improve marketing strategies in real time.

These maturity levels not only reflect a company's ability to integrate AI into their operations but also their skill in creating value through strategic use of data and digital technologies. Companies that progress through these levels tend to be more productive and profitable than their less mature counterparts.

With the emergence of new technologies such as AI and GenAI, companies have a unique opportunity to enhance their marketing maturity. By investing in the right capabilities and following a holistic strategic plan, brands can increase their productivity, profitability, and overall competitiveness. The key to success lies in the ability to continuously adapt to new market challenges and fully leverage the opportunities offered by digitalization.