Utilizing technology and generative AI

In this section: the correlation
between technology expertise
and client-centricity, plus the
latest trends in generative AI

Tech adoption correlates to
client-centricity

Program leaders rely heavily on technology for ABM, especially at scale. As one CMO said in our Beginners’ Guide to Martech: “It’s not just a tool. It’s the foundational element of your marketing strategy. The difference between winning and losing is about the tech.”

And the data proves it. A total of 62% of organizations with advanced technology expertise are “extremely account-centric,” and 64% of organizations that are “extremely account-centric” see significantly higher ROI from ABM.

62^%

of organizations with deep technology expertise are “extremely account-centric” vs 29% of all others

Martech competency is improving

1/5

of marketers struggle with intent data

Marketers appear to have made great strides in their technology literacy since last year – although this may reflect our more senior survey sample (who perhaps aren’t as involved in the day-to-day use of the tools).

Where marketers gave themselves only passable grades for foundational systems (CRM, Marketing Automation System (MAS), ABM Platform, etc.) in 2023, this year the scores have in some cases doubled.

Leaders are blazing ahead when it comes to customer data platforms, with 40% of the subset giving themselves top marks in this area, compared to 20% of laggards.

A fifth of all marketers gave themselves bottom marks for their ability to use first- and third-party intent data, which could explain why a further 45% said they are “light in terms of insights into what matters to our key accounts.”

Generative AI is taking root

2.3/5

is the mean maturity score
for generative AI tools

In 2023, marketers scored themselves a 1.6 out of 5 in generative AI maturity, with 5 being “fully leveraging the tool’s capabilities.” A year on, the mean score is 2.3.

A third of marketers are exploring potential use cases for generative AI in ABM, but most marketers (38%) have moved on to implementing generative AI on a limited scale in their programs. A small group (7%) are expanding their usage across multiple areas.

The most popular use case for generative AI is “generating insights into the needs of our strategic accounts.”

Read Robert Hollier’s thoughts
on the generative AI
marketing chasm here

The second most popular use case for generative AI is arguably more ambitious and broader in scope: deploying generative AI to “engage clients more effectively and improve the customer experience.”

Perhaps most surprising is how few marketers seem to be tapping into generative AI for its most basic advantage: written content. Just 25% of respondents said they were using the technology to write marketing material.