AI has rapidly been integrated into e-commerce businesses' marketing, but governance is lagging behind. According to a new study from the agency Noos, based on responses from 145 Swedish marketing managers in retail and e-commerce, the majority of companies lack a clear plan for their AI investments.
Only 12 percent of the marketing departments surveyed have a separate budget for AI. The figures for follow-up and responsibility are at the same level: 14 percent have defined KPIs and 19 percent have appointed an internal AI manager. Half of the companies do not measure AI work separately.
Many marketing departments are using AI, but very few are leading with AI. They are experimenting without a strategy, clear goals, or connection to the business. In that case, there is a great risk that AI will remain a productivity tool, instead of a real competitive advantage, says Anton Peterson, partner at Noos.
Productivity Before Business Benefit
The results show that the primary benefit of AI so far lies in efficiency. 63 percent of respondents note time savings and 57 percent experience increased creative capacity. However, the effect on sales and profitability is weaker. 35 percent state that the work has led to improved sales and 44 percent see improved profitability.
The smaller group of 12 percent who report that AI has had a significant positive impact on profitability stands out due to its working method. These companies work based on a defined strategy, link initiatives to business goals, have structured measurement, and clear internal ownership.
What distinguishes the companies that actually drive business value with AI is not that they use more tools, but that they have structure, direction, and connection to the business, says Fredrik Winberg, partner at Noos.
He also highlights a risk with the increased production speed:
When everyone can produce more content faster, volume ceases to be a competitive advantage. What we are seeing now is creative inflation: more output, but less differentiation.
An area that is expected to change the customer journey is AI-powered search. Over half of marketing managers believe that AI search will affect how consumers find brands in the future. At the same time, only 13 percent state that the issue is a strategic priority today, and 12 percent measure their visibility in these services.
AI search is not only changing how we search, but how brands are discovered and chosen. AI is shifting the value in search from clicks to influence, says Vincenza La Starza, Head of Organic Search at Noos.