AI is rapidly becoming a must-have in every modern marketer's tool belt, helping teams to do more with less. This shift couldn't come at a better time, as marketers today are under pressure to drive higher ROI amid shrinking budgets and tighter resources.
New SurveyMonkey research finds that most marketers see AI as a game-changer, enabling them to grow their business, outpace competitors, hit performance goals, and better understand their audiences.
Yet, for all its merits, AI cannot replicate human insights and emotional intelligence that truly resonate with audiences.
Our research reveals a disconnect: Consumers are paying close attention to how brands use AI—and they're skeptical. Nearly half (45%) say AI-generated content lacks authenticity, and 79% say a human understands them better than AI ever could.
The takeaway? AI is a powerful tool, but marketing still needs a human touch.
To maximize marketing impact, it's essential to understand where AI shines.
AI as the Ultimate Efficiency Driver
AI supercharges data analytics, quickly uncovering insights that would be nearly impossible to process manually at scale.
By handling the heavy lifting, AI frees marketers to focus on what truly drives success: acting on those insights and crafting strategies that make brands stand out. The best campaigns aren't built on numbers alone; they're brought to life by marketers' creative instincts, intuition, and ability to connect with people on a human level.
One example of this in action? AI-powered predictive analytics. Brands are increasingly using AI to forecast trends, personalize customer experiences, and optimize ad spend in real time. Take Spotify, which uses AI to analyze listening habits and deliver hyperpersonalized recommendations, creating an experience that feels tailored to its 675 million monthly users.
Of course, using AI to deliver personalized content is still new, and missteps happen. Spotify's 2024 Wrapped, which used Google's NotebookLM to generate AI podcasts summarizing each user's listening habits, missed the mark, feeling impersonal and a bit awkward for many listeners.
But such experiments show just how much potential there is when AI and creativity come together—refining personalization and offering new ways to engage users while learning from the feedback.
AI as a Creative Catalyst
Writing and editing content (41%) is the leading use of AI in marketing today: 33% of marketers cite content creation as having the greatest impact on their role.
However, opinions differ on how much AI should be involved in content creation, especially when considering the quality and authenticity of AI-generated content. Although more than half (55%) are confident in using AI for customer-facing content and think AI is excellent or good at creating personalized content, others are divided. And nearly a quarter (24%) don't use it at all in their content-creation process.
Instead of debating whether AI can create authentic content, marketers should explore how AI can enhance their creative process. For example, AI can help identify trending topics, optimize SEO, even draft initial versions that can be refined by a human to better reflect a brand's unique voice. The key is to use AI as an assistant—not a replacement—to help shape content that feels both efficient and uniquely human.
A great example of AI's role in creativity comes from Unilever, which has integrated AI into its marketing strategy to enhance production efficiency. The company's use of AI is helping to halve production costs and double the speed of its campaigns. That focus on efficiency is allowing Unilever to produce more personalized, high-quality content in less time—showing how AI can fuel creativity while optimizing operational processes.
AI as an Inspiration Engine
Creativity thrives on fresh perspectives, and AI can provide exactly that. Idea generation (35%) is the second most common AI application for marketers, and 27% say AI helps them spark new ideas.
Whether by overcoming writer's block, brainstorming ad copy, or structuring a creative brief, AI can accelerate the process. But the final spark of originality—the insight that turns a good idea into a great one—still comes from humans.
AI tools like ChatGPT can supercharge brainstorming, helping marketers quickly shape and refine ideas. But the most memorable campaigns still rely on human creativity and insight. Think Dove's Real Beauty or Nike's You Can't Stop Us; they resonated because they tapped into real emotions and cultural moments. AI can only remix what already exists; it's people who imagine what's next.
Striking the Right Balance
AI is an invaluable tool for modern marketers, helping them move faster and work smarter. But like any tool, it works best when used for the right job. AI can process data, optimize campaigns, and even kickstart creative work—but it's the marketer's intuition, empathy, and expertise that make campaigns truly resonate.
The conversation around AI in marketing will only get louder, especially as marketers bravely experiment with how to use these tools effectively—and not every attempt will land. But those who find the balance between AI's efficiency and human creativity will stand out in a sea of sameness.
The best marketers aren't choosing between AI and human insight. They're blending both to create marketing that's not just efficient, but exceptional.
AI can help you move faster. Your creativity makes it matter.
