The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has issued a warning about the widening gap between the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in European marketing companies and the professional skills needed to effectively implement this technology.
According to the latest European Marketing Agenda report, supported by CIM, the deployment of AI across European marketing companies has seen a significant rise over the past year. The report, which surveyed 1,250 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs), reveals that 47% of marketing teams and agencies across Europe are actively using AI, while an additional 40% are in the planning or pilot stages of implementation.
Top AI Applications
The study identifies key areas where AI is being utilised within marketing agencies and businesses, with content production (69%), conversational AI (35%), and automated analysis (14%) emerging as the top applications. Despite the clear benefits of AI adoption, only 4% of respondents feel confident in their ability to professionally implement AI, highlighting a skills gap within the industry.
The report also sheds light on the challenges hindering the effective implementation of AI, including limited understanding of appropriate AI software (57%), a lack of in-house expertise (39%), and insufficient data for training AI models (24%). To address this gap, CIM has developed a suite of AI courses aimed at empowering marketing professionals with the necessary skills to leverage this technology effectively.
Closing the Skills Gap
Chris Daly, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, emphasised the need for marketers to upskill to keep pace with the rapid adoption of AI. CIM’s AI courses cover a range of topics, from ethical and effective AI usage for copywriting to AI customer journey optimisation. These courses aim to equip marketing professionals, content producers, copywriters, and business owners with the skills required to harness the full potential of AI in marketing.
As AI continues to revolutionise the marketing landscape, closing the skills gap will be crucial for businesses to fully leverage the benefits of this transformative technology.
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