Why CMOs Are Betting Billions on GenAI to Redefine Marketing and Communications

Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, has moved from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment. According to the 2025 Global CMO GenAI Survey by BCG, conducted in April and May, “an abundance of successful pilots and a constant stream of new tools have inspired marketers to accelerate their ambitious investment plans for AI and GenAI.”

This rapid evolution should serve as a wake-up call to communications professionals. As GenAI becomes a strategic centerpiece for marketers, communicators will need to understand not just the technology, but also its implications for storytelling, personalization, and measurement.

Big Expectations, Bigger Budgets

The report authored by revealed that “around 80% of CMOs expressed both optimism and confidence about the technology.” Additionally, 71 percent of CMOs plan to invest at least $10 million annually in GenAI over the next three years. These investments are aimed at fueling revenue growth, with 60 percent projecting incremental growth rates of 5 percent or more.

“CMOs thoughtfully prioritize where these technologies can rapidly scale to unlock growth,” the report said, adding that “strong measurement of incremental growth and ROI will be critical to success.”

Content Creation Enters a New Era

Content generation is advancing from simple formats like copy and imagery to immersive media including video. “Companies are now experimenting with scenarios that only recently seemed futuristic,” the report noted. One example is Google’s use of AI tools such as Veo 2 and Imagen 3 to upscale and reimagine the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz for 16K LED screens.

The report emphasized that “teams get to a first draft faster and more efficiently and eliminate the need for reshoots.” As GenAI drives down production costs, communicators have the opportunity to tell more targeted, high-quality stories at scale.

Personalization Becomes a Business Driver

Many CMOs are seeing success with scaled personalization strategies. “Product recommendations, the timing of personalized outreach, and next-best content” are already widely deployed. More advanced tactics, such as churn prediction and campaign audience optimization, are next on the roadmap.

Tesco revamped its Clubcard loyalty program using GenAI and predictive AI. “The initiative makes full use of predictive AI for targeting customers based on their individual preferences as well as GenAI for creating a vast number of offer variants and associated content,” the survey explained.

For communicators, this means messaging must evolve from mass communication to micro-segmented storytelling, crafted and deployed at the pace of AI.

Agentic AI Is on the Rise

Agentic AI, or AI agents that automate tasks and decision-making, is becoming a priority, particularly for B2B marketers. “Across industries, we are seeing widespread application of AI agents to help marketers generate insights, draft campaign briefs, and automate key steps in content creation,” the report said.

Brands like Delta and L’Oréal are leading the way. Delta’s Concierge is designed to “anticipate customers’ needs from airport arrival to their final destination,” while L’Oréal’s Beauty Genius “delivers individual, in-depth beauty diagnoses in real time.”

Communicators will increasingly collaborate with these agents, both as internal productivity tools and external customer experience platforms.

Measurement Is Still a Blind Spot

Despite its importance, measurement ranked last among priorities for improving the digital customer experience. “When it comes to measuring true marketing ROI, many companies are underinvesting,” the report warned. That includes the ability to link marketing to incremental sales and optimize content during live campaigns.

The authors emphasized the importance of collaboration between CMOs and CFOs to “ensure the right level of investment in high-return uses of GenAI.”

For communicators, the ability to measure and articulate ROI will be essential to defending budgets and proving impact.

Upskilling the Team Is Imperative

GenAI talent is scarce, and CMOs are turning inward. “This makes the training of existing teams an imperative,” the report stated. Leading marketers are launching hackathons, incubator studios, and tool demos, while also developing clear guardrails for responsible AI use.

Forward-looking communication leaders should follow suit, embedding AI literacy across their teams and encouraging experimentation within a framework of accountability.

The Bottom Line

The message for communicators is clear. GenAI is no longer a niche capability or a marketing trend. It is a fundamental shift in how brands engage audiences, generate content, and measure performance. As the report concludes, “key areas include pushing the frontiers of content generation, personalization, and insights, arming their marketers with AI agents, and upskilling them on the new technologies.”