A new report from Invoca exposes a significant strategic challenge for marketers: a profound disconnect between their confidence in AI's impact and the reality of consumer sentiment. While the vast majority of marketers are racing to adopt AI, new data suggests this rush may be outpacing operational readiness and alienating customers.
Quick Intel
A major perception gap exists: 86% of marketers say AI improves buying experiences, but only 35% of consumers agree.
81% of marketers believe category AI leaders will emerge within the next 12 months, creating intense competitive pressure.
Over half (56%) of marketers would prioritize speed over customer experience, risking brand damage to avoid falling behind.
First-party conversation data is critically underutilized, with only 37% of organizations using call recordings for AI.
Data latency is a key bottleneck, with insights from conversations often taking days to activate.
The report outlines four imperatives for leaders to close the gap between AI perception and performance.
Marketing organizations are operating under immense pressure to demonstrate AI leadership. The Invoca report found that 80% of leaders are being pressured to deliver measurable AI wins, and 90% plan to increase their AI investment over the next year. This urgency is leading to risk-prone behavior, with 56% of marketers admitting they would prioritize speed over customer experience, accepting potential brand damage to keep pace with competitors.
Beneath the surface of this AI optimism lies a significant operational challenge. The report identifies a core execution problem: the underutilization of high-quality, first-party data. While conversation data from phone calls represents a goldmine of customer intent, only 37% of organizations are using this data to power their AI applications. Furthermore, data latency issues mean most marketers take two to seven days to act on new conversational insights, severely limiting the real-time potential of AI.
The research quantifies a stark divide between marketer assumptions and consumer reality. For instance, 85% of marketers believe consumers feel positive about AI interactions, but only 37% of consumers actually do. This discrepancy extends to trust, where 49% of marketers believe consumers prefer AI for complex tasks, but only 30% of consumers agree. This highlights the critical need for strategies grounded in validated customer data rather than internal perception.
To navigate this complex landscape, the report provides four key imperatives for marketing leadership: establishing objective competitive benchmarks, aligning AI investment with strategic goals, prioritizing real-time data activation, and validating all AI initiatives against actual customer data and sentiment.
About Invoca
Invoca is an AI-powered revenue execution platform that connects marketing, commerce and contact center teams to orchestrate seamless buyer journeys and turn every interaction into measurable, profitable growth. The Invoca platform features deep integrations with leading technology partners, enabling revenue teams to connect paid media investments to business outcomes, improve digital engagement and convert more leads into sales.
Invoca's AI vision centers on using trustworthy, first-party data to deliver AI that is intelligent, authentic and empathetic—connecting digital and human experiences to build lasting customer relationships. Top consumer brands, including AutoNation, DIRECTV, Mayo Clinic, Mutual of Omaha and Verizon, rely on Invoca to power profitable growth. Invoca has raised $184 million from leading investors, including Upfront Ventures, Accel, Silver Lake Waterman, H.I.G. Growth Partners and Salesforce
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