Kantar has joined ACAM‘s national AI marketing benchmark as a strategic research partner, alongside founding partner IBM.
The partnership will support the next phase of the initiative as ACAM expands its national AI benchmarking program.
Now in its second year, participation from leading marketers for this year’s report has more than doubled, signalling growing urgency among CMOs and senior leaders to better understand AI readiness and transformation progress.
This year’s expanded study includes inputs from CMOs and leaders from financial services, retail, technology, telecommunications, government and not for profit sectors, providing a broader view of how AI maturity varies by sector.
The 2026 report, due to release in July, is expected to highlight major shifts in how organisations are approaching AI adoption, governance frameworks and operational integration.
ACAM chief executive and co-founder Louise Cummins said: “A year ago, most organisations were still experimenting with AI, but we are now seeing a much deeper focus on operational transformation, leadership readiness and workforce capability. This is no longer just a technology conversation, it is a business transformation challenge.
“What’s becoming increasingly clear through this year’s benchmark is that this is no longer simply a technology conversation. Across sectors, we’re seeing strong common trends around governance, organisational redesign, capability development and the pressure to move from isolated pilots into scalable transformation.”
“The addition of Kantar as our research partner strengthens the next phase of our benchmark and insights capability as we continue building the broader ACAM ecosystem alongside our strategic partners.”
Kantar Australia executive group director Karin Du Chenne added: “AI is already reshaping how brands grow, but most organisations are still underestimating what it takes to turn capability into competitive advantage. The next phase of AI in marketing will be defined by who can embed it into decision-making, not just deploy it in pockets.
“Kantar brings a unique perspective to this partnership, linking AI adoption directly to brand growth outcomes. That means moving beyond experimentation to evidence, beyond pilots to scaled impact, and ensuring AI is applied in ways that are effective, responsible and commercially meaningful.”
