Marketers in Australia and New Zealand have indicated that getting return on investment (ROI) is their biggest priority in the local landscape, while budgetary constraints are the greatest challenge, according to Salesforce's latest Annual State of Marketing Report.

But on the global stage, it's artificial technology (AI) that's taking precedence. Implementing the new tech was highlighted as the biggest priority and greatest challenge of marketers globally,

The report, now in it's ninth iteration, surveyed nearly 5,000 marketers worldwide, including 200 from Australia and New Zealand. It was conducted between February 5 and March 12, 2024, across 29 countries. The findings delves into how marketers are evaluating and implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their operations, their data acquisition, maintenance, and application strategies, and how they are ensuring customer trust and security as vulnerabilities increase.

According to the report, 33% of Australian marketers are fully satisfied with their ability to unify customer data sources. Meanwhile, 53% have access to real-time data to execute a campaign, but 61% need the IT department’s help to do so.

Australian marketers use an average of nine different tactics to collect data, with customer service data being the most common. Interestingly, 71% of Australian marketers are already experimenting with or have fully implemented AI into their workflows. High-performing marketing teams are 2.8 times more likely than underperformers to have fully implemented AI within their operations.

The three most popular AI use cases among Australian marketers are automated data integration; personalising the customer journey across channels; and improving customer segmentation/lookalike audience modelling. High performers in Australia fully personalise across an average of six channels, compared to underperformers who fully personalise across 2.

The report also reveals that 48% of Australian marketers track customer lifetime value (CLV), and 86% say they have a clear view of marketing’s impact on revenue. However, only 51% of Australian marketers say loyalty data is fully integrated across all touchpoints, and 31% say loyalty program functionalities are accessible across all touchpoints.

Salesforce APAC SVP & CMO, Leandro Perez, said: "AI represents a new frontier for businesses, and marketers are at the forefront of embracing this new technology. With a strong data foundation, marketers can connect with customers and prospective customers more effectively and at scale. At Salesforce, we’re empowering marketers to unify their customer data and unlock the full potential of AI."