Data analysis and market research top list of AI use cases

Marketers are tapping into AI’s analytics and research capabilities in higher numbers than for genAI content production, according to a new survey of over 1,200 marketers by adtech platform Mediaocean.

The same marketers are also keeping a watch on consumer interest in AI and other trending technologies. Where AI topped the list of consumer trends in a previous survey, CTV now leads the field.

AI capabilities. Data analysis (45%) and market research (40%) were the top ways marketers are using AI.

“Marketers continue to focus on data analysis and market research to enhance decision-making processes, to optimize campaigns and gain deeper insights into consumer behavior,” said Karsten Weide, principal and chief analyst for W Media Research, during a roundtable discussion about the report.

“Using generative AI for automated content creation, such as dynamic creative optimization, that only comes after analytics,” said Weide.

Consumer trends. Many marketers also rated genAI as a top consumer trend (55%), just below CTV (56%). TikTok/social video came in third at 47%. GenAI scored first in the previous survey.

Here are all the top consumer trends rated by marketers and where they landed in the rankings:

“As so many dynamics are changing and with the focus on first-party data and performance, brands still need reach,” said Deborah Wahl, former CMO of General Motors, at the roundtable. “It’s incredible watching the growth of the CTV market and where that can go. … I changed a lot of the spending, when I was running things [at General Motors] to really focus on [CTV], and it’s good to see that’s the number one trend that everyone is looking at.”

Dig deeper: 3 reasons why digital video and CTV are booming in 2024

Why we care. Creating images and texts from a simple prompt is working its way into marketing workflows. Three-quarters of marketers in this survey haven’t yet taken the plunge, perhaps due to lingering concerns over brand safety. What many marketers can verify, however, is the ability for AI to help “sift through the data you often can’t fully process,” Weide said.

With the holidays coming up, marketers will likely deploy AI capabilities to help shoppers find the right gift. Consumers are interested in how retailers are using these tools. And for wary consumers, they might not even know when the experience is AI-powered.

The full report can be read here (registration required).

Learn more about the applications of AI at the fall MarTech Conference. Join MarTech’s Kim Davis Christopher Penn for Beyond genAI: There’s more than one kind of artificial intelligence.