New study: GenAI hype is over as 93% of CMOs see strong ROI

In just one year, marketers have dramatically advanced their use of Generative AI (GenAI), with 85% now actively deploying the technology-up from 75% in 2024 according to a new study from SAS and Coleman Parkes Marketers and AI: Navigating New Depths.

Eight in ten marketers are reporting a return on GenAI investment. Among CMOs and marketing teams using GenAI, 93% and 83% respectively report ROI.

"GenAI 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."

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

Confidence in GenAI is rising fast. Today, 62% of marketers report a strong understanding of GenAI and its business impact, up from just 50% in 2024.

The momentum is clear with marketers reporting top uses of GenAI as:

· Chatbots (62%)

· Content generation (45%)

· Trend analysis (36%)

Emerging GenAI use cases include: deploying synthetic data (18%), exploring small language models (12%), and experimenting with digital twins (5%).

Investment is Rising
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. Adopters are leading the way, integrating GenAI into workflows, expanding into agentic AI, and building the infrastructure to support autonomous decision-making.

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