74% of CMOs See the AI Opportunity. Just 5% Have Taken Action.

McKinsey recently surveyed more than 100 senior marketing leaders at large CPG and retail brands across North America and Europe. The finding that stood out: 74% of CMOs view generative AI as more opportunity than risk. A strong majority. A clear signal of where the profession stands.

And yet only 5% are actively building generative AI capabilities. Just 4% are scaling use cases.

That gap between conviction and action is not a skeptical one, however. Most CMOs aren’t waiting because they doubt the tech or disbelieve the future. The delay is likely due to day-to-day responsibilities that are accelerating, not slowing down. With an expanding remit, standing up something new requires a kind of organizational momentum that is a balancing act when having to do so much more with less.

The leaders who are pulling ahead are focused on a broad transformation agenda. They are starting with one workflow at a time: A repeatable content task, a reporting process, a briefing cycle, and delivering focused pilots that support efficiency and operational improvements. Small enough to move quickly. Specific enough to measure.

The CMOs who start now will be the ones setting the benchmark when the rest of the market catches up.