Mailchimp: 98% mid-market marketers say AI will improve effectiveness, but only one third are using it

Core Insights - Intuit Inc. released a report titled "The Marketing Equalizer: Leveraging AI for Mid-Market Growth," in collaboration with WARC, focusing on the marketing challenges and opportunities for mid-market businesses [1][2] Mid-Market Business Challenges - Mid-market businesses, defined as those with 10 to 499 employees, face unique marketing challenges, having outgrown startup scrappiness but lacking enterprise-level resources [2] - Despite optimism about AI's potential to enhance marketing performance, capability gaps and lean teams hinder widespread adoption [2][4] AI Adoption and Barriers - A significant 98% of surveyed marketers believe AI will improve marketing effectiveness, yet only about one-third report extensive use of AI within their organizations [4][9] - The primary barriers to AI adoption include a lack of in-house expertise (39%), integration challenges (35%), and data privacy concerns (33%) [4][9] Marketing Strategies and Resource Allocation - Mid-market marketers typically concentrate their media investments, with the median number of marketing channels used being less than five, primarily focusing on digital platforms like paid search and paid social [5] - More than half of mid-market companies operate with 10 or fewer marketing staff, indicating a demand for tools that enhance efficiency without adding complexity [6][9] Regional Variations in AI Adoption - There are notable regional differences in AI adoption and team growth expectations, with 86% of marketers in Australia and New Zealand anticipating team growth compared to 64% in the UK and 71% in the US [7] - Confidence in AI deployment also varies, with 44% of respondents from Australia and New Zealand reporting wide AI usage, compared to 28% in the UK and 27% in the US [7] Recommendations for Mid-Market Businesses - To build sustainable marketing practices, mid-market businesses should diversify their marketing channels, effectively utilize owned channels like email and SMS, and leverage AI to enhance performance over time [10] - The report provides a step-by-step approach for advancing AI maturity, emphasizing the importance of assessing skills, infrastructure, and establishing leadership accountability [11]