Marketers adopted AI almost universally, but most can't prove it works. Here's why the AI marketing ROI gap exists and how to actually close it with measurement.
Key takeaways
- Adoption is near-universal: Comviva's 2026 Global CMO Survey found 90% of organizations raised AI marketing investment over two years.
- Proof isn't: only 16% of leaders feel confident defending AI spend to their board, and just 12% can rigorously isolate AI's incremental revenue impact.
- Boards are asking: 86% of marketing leaders say they've been asked to justify AI spending at the board level.
- A widely-cited MIT report claims 95% of enterprise genAI efforts show no measurable return, though it's a preliminary, non-peer-reviewed study that drew debate.
- Vanaxity's recommendation: treat this as a measurement problem, isolate AI's incremental impact, consolidate fragmented costs, and report cost per outcome, not efficiency.
📖 Read the full guide on Van Data Team → The AI Marketing ROI Gap: Adoption Up, Proof Missing
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