Why AI in Demand Generation Is No Knight In Shining Armor [New Research]

AI isn’t the (only) answer [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( [CMI Logo]( WEEKLY NEWS 9.20.24 WEEKLY NEWS 9.20.24  [Together with PAN] [Together with PAN]  FEATURED [How Hard Is It To Find Content or Marketing Jobs (and How Much Should They Pay)?]( By Stephanie Stahl [How Hard Is It To Find Content or Marketing Jobs (and How Much Should They Pay)?]( Are marketers satisfied? Is generative AI really taking over? What factors influence compensation? Get the answers here, then download CMI’s 2025 Career Outlook for Content and Marketing, which includes salary numbers. [Read more](  READ OR LISTEN TO MORE OF THE WEEK'S BEST STORIES: [20+ Tips and Ideas That Make Paid Social Media Content Pay Off]( by Ann Gynn Is paid social media a smart move these days — or a waste of budget? We asked Content Marketing World speakers and heard a resounding “Yes, but … .” They walk you through the strategy, audience, and ROI factors to consider. [Why AI in Demand Generation Is No Knight In Shining Armor [New Research]]( by Robert Rose New research sheds light on what works in demand generation today, what doesn’t, and where demand-gen marketers spend their budget and time. Spoiler: AI isn’t helping much yet. [Don’t Let AI Headlines Steer Your Marketing Career the Wrong Way]( by Content Marketing Institute Team Headlines seemingly abound about generative AI’s impact on the careers of marketers and media creators. But what’s a marketer to do? Go behind the headlines to find the real story, and consider this advice as you plan for 2025. [ICYMI: How To Build a Winning Content Plan for Social Media [Template]]( by Jodi Harris A content plan for social media gives your brand a better chance for success in that volatile and ever-changing marketing space. Learn the four steps to laying the groundwork and how to build a plan that everybody on your team can easily use.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE Underwhelming demand? It’s been a challenging year for most groups within the marketing realm. But marketers who spend their efforts at the earliest parts of the customer journey have arguably had it the worst. With an economy that looks good on paper but doesn’t seem to lead to more marketing budget, the continuing “short-termism” espoused by leaders, and AI sucking all the proverbial oxygen out of innovation, brand and demand-gen marketers feel out of sorts. This is just one of the conclusions from CMI’s Content Marketing for Demand Generation research (conducted between March and April 2024). Here are some highlights and insights based on the answers of 117 respondents responsible for brand awareness or demand generation in their organizations. We asked these marketers if they feel pressure to achieve results despite limited budgets and resources. And guess what? More than half (56%) said, “Yes, to a great extent.” Another 39% said, “Yes, to some extent.” Only 5% answered “No.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, only 24% of these same marketers report that their organization’s demand-generation strategies are extremely or very successful. Another 63% of marketers rated their programs as just moderately successful. Ten percent said their strategies are not very successful, and 3% said not at all successful. That same “meh” feeling applies to demand-gen marketers’ feelings about their ability to create targeted content. More than half (53%) rated their organization’s targeted content as average, fair, or poor. This percentage decreased slightly compared with last year’s 58%, but that’s hardly comforting. Only 47% rated their targeted content abilities as very good or excellent this year. As usual, revenue is at the heart of what demand-gen marketers found most challenging in the last year: 62% of respondents mentioned budget constraints, and 58% cited a lack of resources. Yet demand generation takes up a fair amount of the budget: 20% reported spending more than half of their marketing budget on demand generation, and another 21% said it takes up more than a third of their budget. For example, a [recent Deloitte study]( found that 79% of C-suite respondents expect gen AI to drive substantial organizational transformation in less than three years. So, demand-gen marketers get pressured to use AI to do more with less. But while I can see the correlation between those objectives, the causation isn’t there. Today, when I see generative AI taking root in a marketing organization, it’s a cross-collaborative way to drive a more effective content strategy. It doesn’t take fewer people, and it doesn’t take any less effort, creativity, or content. The simple truth is that gen AI amplifies people’s efforts — end of sentence. If you have bad ideas, too few ideas, or an inefficient measurement process, AI can only amplify those things. If you have diverse ideas, a solid, collaborative content strategy, and a good measurement process, gen AI amplifies those things. AI is not the hero coming to save the day. It’s simply the potion that enhances what you’re already doing. As this year’s research proves, great demand gen is still a very human-driven, challenging process. Efficiency won’t elevate the Knights of “Meh” to Prime Ministers of Prosperity or Kings of Kudos. Only creativity, differentiation, and the application of ideas will lead to the happily ever after. You can read more about the demand-gen research in [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week. I’d love to hear what you think of it and where you need help with strategy. [Drop me a line any time](mailto:robert@contentadvisory.net?subject=CMI%20content%20feedback%20—%20demand%20generation%20research&elqTrackId=8E606622F8E5C0E0EAB4EFE78006ACF0&elqak=8AF5CC9CEBBAB2F6E4C2AED25286E6EE8A0F307FE070DFABC5FA6A9CD0A4EC401D93). It’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS [What will 2025 look like for your marketing team?]( What will 2025 look like for your marketing team? Whether it's making the case for new resources, solidifying cross-channel alignment, or switching up your agency, your Reality Check results can spark meaningful conversations with your leadership team. 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