The highest 50 genAI use circumstances in advertising and marketing

As genAI adoption accelerates, organizations should transcend the hype to find out which use circumstances ship actual worth. To supply readability, we at MartechTribe surveyed 283 advertising and marketing professionals — together with CEOs, consultants, advertising and marketing administrators and operations managers — to know how regularly entrepreneurs use totally different genAI purposes.

The use circumstances analyzed have been rigorously chosen from our Martech Supergraphic, which tracks tendencies in advertising and marketing expertise. In 2024, 2,324 genAI instruments accounted for 77% of development within the advertising and marketing expertise panorama, highlighting AI’s vital trade influence. Nevertheless, adoption patterns differ: some use circumstances are deeply built-in into day by day workflows, whereas others stay largely aspirational.

Insights based mostly on the 6 essential martech features

The survey outcomes highlighted distinct patterns throughout the six key martech classes from the Martech Map: 

• Advertisements.
• Content material.
• Social.
• Gross sales. 
• Knowledge.
• Administration. 

Amongst these, content material and knowledge use circumstances dominated the highest 20, whereas ad-related use circumstances struggled to achieve traction.

1. Content material takes heart stage

Content material-related genAI purposes (orange) lead the pack, with seven of the highest 20 use circumstances specializing in content material ideation, manufacturing and optimization. Entrepreneurs rely closely on genAI to streamline workflows, improve personalization and sustain with the rising demand for high-quality content material. 

The highest content material use circumstances are:

• Copy ideation (50.7%): GenAI is extensively used to brainstorm and generate contemporary concepts.
• Copy manufacturing (43.9%): Automation performs a serious function in drafting content material throughout a number of codecs.
• Content material optimization and testing (28.6%): Entrepreneurs use AI to refine content material efficiency.

Dig deeper: 3 advertising and marketing use circumstances for generative AI that aren’t copywriting

2. Knowledge as a strategic driver

Knowledge-related purposes (blue) are additionally outstanding, with six of the highest 20 targeted on targeted on data administration, competitor analysis and documentation. GenAI’s capacity to research huge quantities of information and extract actionable insights is a key driver behind its reputation. 

The highest knowledge use circumstances cowl sources aside from buyer knowledge.

• Information and documentation (22.5%): AI helps the group and retrieval of vital advertising and marketing knowledge.
• Competitor analysis (21.4%): GenAI helps entrepreneurs keep forward by analyzing competitor methods.

3. The adtech adoption hole

Regardless of the sturdy presence of promoting (crimson) in digital advertising and marketing, genAI adoption on this space stays low. The very best-ranked advert utility seems at place 28, with seven of the underside 23 falling below adtech. A number of components could clarify this hole.

• Outsourcing: Many entrepreneurs depend on companies and exterior companions for advert manufacturing, limiting their direct interplay with genAI instruments.
• Embedded AI: Google Advertisements’ Efficiency Max and Fb’s Benefit+ automate advert optimization with out entrepreneurs actively realizing the function AI performs.
• Inventive management: Entrepreneurs could also be hesitant to delegate inventive decision-making to AI.

Dig deeper: Unlock the true worth of genAI in martech

4. Social and administration: Two combined baggage

Social and administration use circumstances (yellow and gray) present divergent tendencies in adoption. Whereas some purposes get pleasure from excessive adoption, others stay underutilized. 

For social, analytics and scheduling instruments are extensively used, whereas AI-driven group engagement and influencer administration face resistance.

In administration, transcription and summarization duties see excessive adoption, boosting productiveness, however expertise administration and recruitment instruments stay largely untapped.

5. Gross sales: Selective integration

Gross sales-related genAI use circumstances (inexperienced) are utilized selectively, primarily in lead scoring and buyer segmentation. Entrepreneurs appear to desire AI for data-driven insights quite than automating the gross sales course of fully, emphasizing the continued significance of human involvement.

Dig deeper: 6 methods to make use of generative AI on your advertising and marketing

Insights based mostly on utilization frequency

When it comes to month-to-month utilization, the survey exhibits that genAI sometimes helps strategic plannng and specialised duties, whereas day by day and weekly use circumstances are extra operational and production-focused.

The highest monthly-used genAI purposes embrace:

• Content material: Picture/video ideation (24.3%).
• Knowledge: Information and documentation (22.5%).
• Knowledge: Competitor analysis (21.4%).
• Content material: Picture/video manufacturing (21.1%).
• Content material: Content material optimization and testing (20.0%).

These duties are sometimes extra advanced and resource-intensive, requiring periodic effort quite than day by day execution. They help content material planning cycles, strategic insights and campaign-level optimizations quite than day-to-day operations. 

Day by day and weekly use circumstances primarily give attention to content material creation and administration, corresponding to:

• Copy ideation (50.7%).
• Copy manufacturing (43.9%).
• Transcription, notes, summaries (43.2%).

These features are extremely repetitive and built-in into common workflows, reflecting an ongoing want for velocity and effectivity in advertising and marketing execution.

Some use circumstances, corresponding to Content material: Picture/video ideation (6.1%) and Content material: Lead scoring and distribution (3.2%), have seen preliminary adoption however have been ultimately deserted, probably as a consequence of challenges in ROI realization, integration complexity or shifting priorities.

Insights from the ‘wishlist’

The survey knowledge highlights clear patterns in genAI use circumstances that respondents have but to strive, providing insights into entrepreneurs’ aspirations and hesitations. 

Primarily based on the responses, these use circumstances fall into three classes.

Excessive curiosity (wishlist use circumstances)

These are the areas the place a big variety of respondents (40% or extra) have indicated they haven’t tried the use case but however are doubtless excited by exploring it sooner or later. 

The next use circumstances could require extra schooling, proof of worth and gear accessibility to encourage adoption. These use circumstances symbolize rising alternatives with sturdy potential demand.

• Content material: Audio/podcasts manufacturing (51.4%).
• Knowledge: Compliance and danger (46.4%).
• Content material: Social media administration (43.2%).
• Content material: Lead scoring and distribution (42.5%).
• Administration: Expertise administration/recruitment (41.1%).

Reasonable curiosity (some tried, many nonetheless )

This group contains use circumstances with a reasonable stage of respondents (20-40%) who haven’t tried them but however should have an interest. These areas may even see gradual adoption as extra case research and profitable implementations develop into out there.

The next areas could also be thought-about worthwhile however might have obstacles corresponding to complexity, funds constraints or competing priorities:

• Content material: Web site/web page constructing (38.2%).
• Administration: Gross sales assistants (36.1%).
• Knowledge: Viewers constructing (31.4%).
• Content material: Picture/video manufacturing (29.3%).
• Knowledge: Knowledge sourcing (28.9%).

Few (decrease precedence use circumstances)

A smaller share (under 20%) of entrepreneurs have expressed curiosity in these use circumstances, suggesting they might not presently see them as vital to their operations. To achieve traction, these use circumstances could require stronger worth propositions or higher alignment with advertising and marketing priorities.

• Advertisements: Model security (17.9%).
• Social: Customer support and help (14.6%).
• Gross sales: Pipeline optimization (12.9%).
• Advertisements: Video adverts creation (12.5%).
• Administration: Information and documentation (11.4%).

Dig deeper: 4 advertising and marketing ‘jobs to be carried out’ being reworked by genAI