New report from Lightricks and the American Marketing Association highlights adoption patterns, challenges, and opportunities across the marketing profession
Chicago, IL—A new report released by Lightricks and the American Marketing Association (AMA) reveals that executives are driving AI adoption in their organizations. The results of this research were revealing: AI adoption in marketing has surged to 90% and the transformation is distinctly driven from the top down. Unlike previous technological transformations in marketing, where adoption typically originated at the entry level and permeated upward, AI integration today is being led by executive leadership.
“We know that AI integration is being led by executive leaders,” noted AMA CEO, Bennie F. Johnson. “AI is a tool that can help shape strategy and operations and we know it can have the ability to transform our work and industry. I’m glad we’re having meaningful conversations about adoption and asking questions about ethical concerns. Marketing is a dynamic profession and I’m pleased to be able to share the ways in which marketing is leading the way with new technology.”
For more information and to download the full report visit—Leading from the Top: How Marketing Execs are Driving AI Adoption. Lightricks and the AMA surveyed over 1,000 marketing professionals in September of 2024 for this new report.
Findings from the report:
Adoption
- 77% of executives are using AI weekly or more, compared to 53% of entry-level staff, indicating that AI is reshaping not only operations but strategic leadership in marketing.
- According to another recent survey by the American Marketing Association, 48% of marketing leaders say generative AI is very or extremely important to their current roles, compared to only 34% of individual contributors. This difference suggests that AI isn’t just another digital tool—it’s becoming a core component of high-level decision making.
Confidence Gap
- Contrary to conventional expectations, executive-level marketers display a higher confidence in AI’s creative potential than entry-level counterparts:
- Executive level: 55% are very confident in AI’s ability to improve creative marketing outputs, with only 7% expressing no confidence
- Entry-level marketers: Only 33% are very confident, while 48% are somewhat confident and 19% express no confidence.
- While entry-level marketers, often viewed as digital natives, might be expected to embrace new technologies more readily, the data suggests that broader business experience and strategic perspective may be more significant factors in driving AI adoption and confidence
Training
- Executives are receiving training through multiple channels:
- 65% received company-provided training
- 56% pursued formal training outside the company
- 33% supplemented with self-directed learning
- Only 13% report wanting training but not receiving it
- Entry-level marketers show a different pattern:
- 41% rely on self-directed learning
- 34% received company-provided training
- 27% want training but haven’t received it
- Perhaps most concerning is that more than a quarter (27%) of entry-level marketers want training but haven’t received it, compared to just 13% of executives. This unmet demand for training among entry-level staff represents a missed opportunity for organizations to build stronger AI capabilities from the ground up.
Ethical Concerns
Entry-level marketers, ethical considerations take center stage:
- 43% express concerns about the quality or accuracy of AI-generated content
- 39% worry about ethical issues such as bias and copyright infringement
Executive-level concerns center on business implications:
- 46% are primarily concerned about whether AI-generated work will be acceptable to their company and clients
- 38% worry that generative AI might diminish human creativity
Methodology
In September 2024, Lightricks engaged the American Marketing Association to survey more than 1,000 marketing professionals. Each participant is employed in a marketing role across various organizational levels, from entry-level to C-suite executives. For this analysis, “Executives” encompasses those identifying as Owner, Partner, President, C-Level, or VP positions (representing 15.26% of respondents), while “Entry-level marketers” refers to those in Senior Non-Supervisor, Specialist, or Coordinator roles (21.39% of respondents). The survey focused on understanding AI adoption patterns, confidence levels, ethical concerns, and future outlook across different experience levels in marketing organizations.
###
About Lightricks
Lightricks is a global leader in developing AI-powered creative tools that empower creators and brands. With innovative products like Facetune, Videoleap, and the recently launched LTX Studio, Lightricks is transforming the creative landscape. Learn more about Lightricks.
About the American Marketing Association (AMA)
As the leading global professional marketing association, the AMA is the essential community for marketers. From students and practitioners to executives and academics, we aim to elevate the profession, deepen knowledge, and make a lasting impact. The AMA is home to five premier scholarly journals including: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of International Marketing, and Journal of Interactive Marketing. Our industry-leading training events and conferences define future forward practices, while our professional development and PCM® professional certification advance knowledge. With 70 chapters and a presence on 350 college campuses across North America, the AMA fosters a vibrant community of marketers. The association’s philanthropic arm, the AMA’s Foundation, is inspiring a more diverse industry and ensuring marketing research impacts public good.
AMA views marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. You can learn more about AMA’s learning programs and certifications, conferences and events, and scholarly journals at AMA.org.