New study: GenAI moves beyond hype as over 93% of CMOs see a clear ROI

Marketers continue to demonstrate their appetite for AI with now more than 8 in 10 actively deploying GenAI technology according to a new global study from SAS and Coleman Parkes, Marketers and AI: Navigating New Depths.

This widespread use has gone beyond hype as among CMOs and marketing teams using GenAI globally, 93% and 83% respectively report a clear ROI – in EMEA, the combined figure for both averages 85%.

In 2024, marketers hoped GenAI would streamline operations and reduce costs. In 2025, they’re seeing even more benefits: 94% report improved personalisation, 91% cite efficiency in processing large datasets, and 90% confirm savings in time and operational costs. Nearly nine in 10 marketers also report collective gains in predictive accuracy, customer loyalty, and sales.

All of this is leading to a rise in confidence in GenAI. Today, 62% of marketers report a stronger understanding of the technology and its business impact, up from just 50% in 2024.

There has also been some evolution in how marketers use GenAI even within just 12 months. Chatbots (62%) and generating text / copy (45%) still rank as the highest two current use cases, but trends analysis (36%) has risen to third place and customer journey mapping (22%) has entered into the top five after being the eighth highest use case in 2024.

When researching the types of GenAI being actively used, LLMs as expected (like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Grok), are top at 77%, with deploying synthetic data (18%), exploring small language models (12%), and experimenting with digital twins (5%), some of the other types being used.

These gains are enabling more autonomous, AI-driven marketing strategies across the board. Strategic commitment is also on the rise with 93% of marketing teams now budgeting for GenAI through 2026.

“GenAI is no longer a future consideration – it’s a present-day imperative – and it has officially moved from hype to essential marketing infrastructure,” said Jenn Chase, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President at SAS. “With 85% of marketing teams actively embedding GenAI into daily workflows – the technology is no longer a pilot project but a core driver of marketing transformation. Benefits are extending far beyond just time and cost savings. Improved customer loyalty and increased sales are now directly attributed to GenAI-powered analytics and targeting.”

The report is based on a new survey of 300 organisations worldwide, including 160 in EMEA, ranging from SMBs to enterprises with 10,000+ employees. The respondents are marketers who work at organisations across a range of industry sectors.