Harvard Business Review Analytic Services report sponsored by SAS explores MarTech challenges and growing interest in GenAI

Marketing technology (MarTech) plays a crucial role in helping companies create personalized experiences, deliver consistent messaging, and tailor content to meet relevant customer needs. However, barriers still hinder these technologies from fostering customer trust, as highlighted in a recent report by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, sponsored by SAS, a leader in data and AI.

Optimizing the Use of Marketing Technology to Build Customer Trust

MarTech Challenges

A survey conducted by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services among marketing decision-makers revealed that 91% of respondents consider customer trust vital to their organization’s success. Moreover, 81% believe that MarTech significantly or moderately impacts nurturing and fostering this trust.

Despite this, the report indicates that many MarTech stacks comprise dozens of disparate solutions deployed in siloed systems. Notably, 38% of respondents reported that integrating new technologies into their existing stacks is a significant barrier to enhancing customer trust through MarTech.

Data-Related Barriers

Respondents also identified several data-related challenges that prevent MarTech from positively impacting customer trust:

• Poor Data Quality: 37%
• Silos of Customer Data: 36%
• Lack of Real-Time Data Access: 29%

In addition, other factors threatening customer trust include:

• Inconsistent messaging across channels: 31%
• Inadequate customer service: 30%
• Marketing messaging not aligned with customer needs: 30%

Growing Interest in Generative AI

Despite the obstacles, MarTech offers powerful capabilities to nurture customer trust and loyalty. The report highlights a growing interest in generative AI (GenAI) among marketers for its potential to identify relevant audience segments, develop marketing plans, and generate personalized content.

• 74% of respondents agree that integrating GenAI can enhance their organization’s MarTech stack.
• In the next year, 37% plan to increase spending on GenAI, outpacing other MarTech solutions.

Current Adoption of GenAI

However, the adoption of GenAI in marketing has been gradual. Only 13% of respondents have fully implemented GenAI for marketing purposes, while 45% are piloting or exploring its applications.

Among organizations using GenAI for marketing, the main applications include:

• Customer support through chatbots and virtual assistants: 36%
• Creating more user-friendly online experiences: 30%
• Incorporating advanced security measures to protect customer data: 29%

Expert Insights

“Responsible marketing driven by the careful application of MarTech like GenAI delivers real benefits to brands,” said Lisa Loftis, Global Principal for Customer Intelligence at SAS. “Through a more targeted, personalized approach, marketing campaigns can be more effectively managed and yield better results. By automating repetitive tasks, GenAI allows marketers to focus on more complex, mission-critical tasks where their creativity, experience, and skills can shine.”

GenAI and MarTech solutions, despite their challenges, are empowering more organizations to handle customer data responsibly, providing relevant information, timely offers, and agile support. When customers trust a brand and recognize value in their interactions, they are more likely to share personal data, enabling a hyper-personalized and effective marketing approach.