Marketers powerless to act on underperforming activity

The rise of AI might be proving a boon for some areas of marketing but it is having a major impact on campaign reporting, meaning brands are often unable to act quickly enough to pull or adjust failing activity.

So says a new study from marketing data intelligence company Adverity, which reveals more than half (53%) of marketers are failing to use data insights to consistently drive campaign action.

Worryingly, some 91% take at least several days to respond to clearly underperforming campaigns, while one in three say they often have to wait weeks before acting.

The report reveals that long reporting times remain the biggest barrier to turning insights into action for marketing professionals (33%), leaving marketing teams paralysed while underperforming campaigns continue unchecked. This is followed by data being spread across too many platforms (21%).

Adverity lays the blame firmly on the fact that 92% of marketers are now experimenting with AI across their reporting workflows but rather than doubting the technical capabilities of the models, marketers note that AI tools operate in a vacuum, completely separated from real-world business realities.

Two-fifths (39%) of marketing professionals blame a lack of business context, insisting AI tools do not understand specific campaign objectives, business KPIs, or the wider decision context.

Meanwhile, a quarter (24%) cite a lack of governance context, with AI tools failing to comprehend or abide by internal data governance and quality rules.

Adverity chief executive Alexander Igelsböck said: “Everyone is excited about what AI can do, but we are looking at a classic case of running before we can walk. Right now, the industry is trying to build advanced AI strategies on top of foundations that are fundamentally broken.

“Even with clean, connected data, AI remains limited without the business and governance context to act effectively. A marketing intelligence and knowledge layer can help to close this gap, enabling faster decisions to be made accurately and operational waste to be reduced.”