Software company Salesforce has released its ninth report exploring the state of marketing and how industry professionals are using data and AI. The report is based on a survey with more than 4,800 advertisers from 29 countries, including Canada, conducted from Feb. 5 to March 12 of this year.

The study revealed that AI is one of marketers’ top priorities, but also one of their biggest challenges. They are looking to both generative and predictive AI to help personalize their offerings and increase efficiency.

In Canada, 81% of advertisers say they are experimenting with AI or applying it to workflow. They are determined to apply AI in their operations with the right data, but are concerned about security, according to the study. They are using the tech to drive the best real-time offers, improve customer segmentation and automate customer interactions.

Overall, the number one priority for Canadian professionals is improving ROI, while their top challenge is ineffective use of technology. The second priority is improving their use of tools and technologies, while the second challenge is engaging with customers in real time.

Twenty-four percent are fully satisfied with their ability to unify customer data sources. Around 55% have access to real-time data to execute a campaign and 64% need help from IT to do so. They use an average of nine different tactics to collect data, with customer service data being the most common.

The report also found that marketers in Canada are looking for unified analytics. There is no shortage of data sources, but putting that data to work is a challenge, especially when a long-term view of the data is required. Around 55% of advertisers track customer lifetime value (CTV) and 84% say they have a clear view of marketing’s impact on revenue.

“We are in a new era of AI, catalyzed by the generative gold rush, and marketers are leading the charge by embracing rapid advancements in the technology to better connect with customers and prospects,” said Ariel Kelman, Salesforce chief marketing officer. “A strong data foundation will be critical to AI success for marketers as they work to bring together and unify customer data for real-time activation.”

Global overview

In 2022, Salesforce found that 68% of advertisers had a defined AI strategy. Today, 75% of them are already using it, with more than half experimenting with both predictive and generative AI. While the majority of high- and moderate-performing companies are testing, refining and implementing AI, more than one-third of lower-performing companies have not yet moved beyond a formal consideration phase, according to the study.

The report also showed that data and AI can help marketers reach customers in new ways and be more efficient, but they are far from reaching its potential. Even those achieving strongest results see room for improvement: less than half are fully satisfied with their attempts to unify customer data to create relevant experiences. Also, only 32% of all respondents are completely satisfied with how they use customer data.

Data exposure or leakage; lack of necessary data; lack of strategy; inaccurate results; and copyright or intellectual property issues are the top five concerns for respondents when using AI.

Salesforce also found that companies are increasingly turning to strategies such as account-based marketing and loyalty programs to improve customer acquisition and retention. However, many of the data sources for these programs remain disjointed, as is the resulting customer experience. Some 39% of marketers say that loyalty program functionality is accessible at all touch points, while 48% of Canadian advertisers think the same.

Email is still the preferred channel in terms of number of messages sent, but retail and consumer goods professionals are not relying solely on this channel. They are investing in faster-growing channels, such as mobile. Salesforce showed that there is a steady upward movement in messaging via email, notifications, SMS and OTT. Eighty-one percent of advertisers say mobile messaging will be a higher priority in the coming year.

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