Unlock 1: Enable strategic decision-making by linking marketing performance to strategic outcomes through online and offline execution. The capabilities behind this unlock include defining strategic KPIs, integrated planning, end-to-end measurement (along the journey, connecting online and offline channels), test and learn culture and the target technology stack (enabling measurement and definition of KPIs as tools). for decision-making, for example by adopting advanced cloud-based platforms that disseminate common knowledge to support decision-making).
“It is essential for us to integrate offline and online data to more effectively guide our investments across all channels. For example, we try to connect in-store behavior with digital campaigns to evaluate their effectiveness. AI allows us to fill measurement and data gaps, improving the quality of customer activation,” said the digital director of a European luxury brand.
Unlock 2: Foster integrated teams with specialized AI and GenAI skills by leveraging partners or internalizing strategic capabilities. The capabilities underpinning this unlocking include agile collaboration, specialist skills, data-driven decision making, ad tech centralization, and reimagining the GenAI workflow (i.e. integration of GenAI throughout the marketing value chain of activities to improve productivity).
“It is crucial to establish partnerships with specialists with the right skills. We use our partners not only as artisans, but also as strategic advisors. We orchestrate their efforts towards our common goals and encourage them to exchange ideas and perspectives to maximize our benefits,” said a marketing director of a European e-commerce company.
Unlock 3: Ensure data usability rather than mass data collection. Moving from isolated 1P and 2P organic data collection strategies to proactive, targeted, and enriched data collection and activation can drive demonstrable value. The capabilities behind this unlock include targeting audiences and data sources (e.g., using enriched 0P, 1P, and 2P data from multiple sources to create individual audience personalization), preparing for privacy for a future without cookies, user identification, data. enrichment and monetization (e.g. focusing on mature use cases with demonstrable returns to maximize data value, consumer value and trust).
“We proactively built our program from the beginning to prepare for a cookie-free future. We use AI-powered technologies to identify users, measure effectiveness, and make informed decisions on marketing investments. The support from senior management allowed us to secure the necessary cross-functional resources,” said the marketing director of the European e-commerce company.
Unlock 4: Prioritize intelligent execution of select use cases that impact the business, instead of following the latest market trends. The most mature brands have successfully implemented AI and GenAI into their daily operations, with proven impact. They use AI automation to optimize tasks, elevate strategies, and personalize creatives and activation. The capabilities underpinning this unlocking include data-driven content, data-driven media activation (i.e. automated campaigns to enable dynamic coordination and sequencing across channels), power predictive and embedded AI, as well as personalized experiences.
“AI has changed the way we perceive the public. We have moved from a sectoral perspective to a results-oriented perspective. This has increased our efficiency as audience definitions are constantly and dynamically changing,” said the head of digital at a major retailer.
Roadmap to improve maturity
Whether a brand’s marketing maturity level is nascent, emerging, or connected, it needs a strategy to move to the next level and ultimately achieve multi-point status. Today, unlike in the past, companies cannot simply accelerate in a specific area or capability to catch up. To reach maturity and benefit, brands must develop multiple capabilities in parallel.
Our research, including interviews and case studies with brands, allows us to chart the most direct path to increasing brand maturity levels. Building on our findings, we defined a distinct roadmap for using the four “unlocks” to advance a brand’s maturity to the highest level. (See Exhibit 6.)
