Comviva Report: 90% of Organizations Increase AI Marketing Investment, Only 12% Can Measure ROI
2026-06-06 10:42
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en.Wedoany.com Reported - Comviva's "Global Marketing Director Survey Report" indicates that although 90% of organizations have increased their AI marketing investments over the past two years, only 12% can demonstrate a return on these investments. This gap between expectations and actual results will become a defining challenge for marketing leaders over the next eighteen months. The report, titled "The AI Efficiency Divide: Measuring AI's Real Value Beyond the Hype," examines how marketing leaders are developing AI while being forced to demonstrate tangible results.

The report highlights deficiencies in measurement maturity, with only 16% of marketing leaders confident in defending AI investments with clear business evidence, while many still rely on rough estimates. Cost visibility is limited, with 67% of organizations unable to determine the total cost of AI, and 79% relying on estimates rather than precise measurement, further widening the gap between investment and measurable impact.

The report points to a significant disconnect between AI deployment and value realization, with most organizations lacking robust measurement frameworks. 35% of organizations rely on rough estimates, 32% track marketing activities but do not link them to revenue outcomes, and 21% lack consistent measurement infrastructure. Meanwhile, 86% of senior management teams demand stronger evidence of ROI, increasing pressure on marketing directors to justify AI investments with business outcomes.

The report identifies structural barriers preventing organizations from effectively measuring AI impact. Cost fragmentation is the biggest challenge, with 62% of organizations facing AI expenditures distributed across cloud, talent, data, and vendors. 58% cite the complexity of revenue attribution, as AI influences multiple touchpoints, making its contribution difficult to isolate. 55% of respondents report a disconnect between customer experience and revenue, while 50% highlight deficiencies in governance and integration that limit measurement consistency.

Comviva CEO Rajesh Chandiramani stated that AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to enterprise-level adoption, and the industry is entering a phase defined by accountability and results. Organizations will increasingly focus on directly linking AI investments to business metrics, whether revenue growth, customer lifetime value, or operational efficiency. Building measurement frameworks and datasets suited to this shift is the real opportunity. Enterprises that can transform AI into a sustained, measurable business engine will be best positioned for the next phase of digital transformation.

These results show that AI's impact is most significant when applied to use cases related to revenue generation and real-time decision-making. Customer segmentation and targeting top the list, cited by 57% of respondents, followed by campaign automation and optimization at 43%. Predictive personalization and recommendations (highlighted by 41% of respondents) also enhance customer engagement. Pricing and offer optimization (39%) and demand forecasting (36%) also contribute to improved decision-making and revenue outcomes.

The report also notes that organizations are beginning to identify areas where AI generates revenue but often underestimate its true cost. Key revenue drivers include enhancing customer lifetime value (43%), acquisition efficiency (40%), and conversion rates (38%). Cost visibility remains fragmented, with 62% tracking software and API costs, and 56% accounting for cloud infrastructure. Talent and integration costs are often underestimated, leading to an understatement of total AI investment by 30% to 50%. This incomplete perspective may lead to overestimated ROI, thereby distorting investment decisions.

Many AI initiatives fail to scale due to operational deficiencies. Approximately 54% of organizations struggle to define and track deployment timelines, delaying time to profitability. 57% cannot link customer experience improvements to measurable revenue outcomes, and 58% cite difficulties with explainability and trust. These gaps indicate that success depends not only on AI deployment but also on its effective operationalization in terms of speed, experience, and governance.

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