I’m pleased to announce the publication of the first of my two generative AI (genAI) Marketing in APAC reports, “The State Of Generative AI For Marketing In Asia Pacific.” The data overview report covers a wide range of topics on APAC marketers’ use of genAI, including adoption, investment, use cases, benefits, challenges, and concerns. Here are the key findings:
APAC Marketers Are In The Early Stages Of Using GenAI
Despite 99% of the B2C marketing decision-makers we surveyed in APAC intending to use genAI for marketing, their readiness, usage, and investment are still in the early stages.
- About half of marketers are ready to adopt genAI. Overall, 48% of the marketing leaders surveyed expressed readiness.
- Most brands are still in the exploration phase. Agencies are more advanced, with 46% already using genAI compared to 24% of brand marketers.
- Marketing’s genAI investment is still low. Brands and agencies typically spent less than $50,000 on genAI in the past 12 months.
Marketers Reap Tangible Benefits From Early GenAI Use Cases
Among the B2C marketing decision-makers we surveyed in APAC, 85% say their firm is either already using genAI for marketing or exploring how to do so — and nearly 60% have done so for at least three marketing use cases (see Figure 1). Marketers:
- Use genAI for content and creative development the most. The top use cases include advertising content development, creative brief development, email content development, and analytics and insights.
- Expect positive outcomes, especially for productivity and efficiency. Among the marketers we surveyed, 83% anticipate that it will increase productivity and 77% that it will boost efficiency. However, only 36% expect it to increase revenue.
- Think that genAI will have tangible value in various marketing scenarios. Besides improving team productivity and making marketing delivery more cost-efficient, many marketers believe that genAI will improve content velocity, creativity, storytelling, and customer understanding.
Invest In Training And Governance To Advance The GenAI Marketing Journey
In order to progress to the next stage of the genAI marketing journey, marketers must expand the adoption of various use cases. But before doing so, they need to invest in training and governance to effectively address barriers to adoption and alleviate concerns. Forrester clients can read the full report for more detailed guidance.
Fortunately for marketers a little behind, the genAI revolution in APAC’s marketing industry is just beginning. Marketers should dive deeper to identify applicable use cases and best practices to unlock the full potential of genAI for marketing and stay ahead of the competition. Stay tuned for the following report, “Generative AI Marketing Use Cases in APAC” to learn more.
