The Australian Centre for AI in Marketing (ACAM) has launched to help marketers understand and benefit from AI It is founded by marketing leaders Louise Cummins, former CMO of World Vision Australia; Jodie Sangster, former CEO of ADMA and CMO of IBM, Rochelle Tognetti, former Deloitte CMO and partner and Douglas Nicol, former strategy partner at The Works, part of Capgemini.
The acceleration of AI adoption comes as almost eight in ten Australian marketers are set to ramp up AI investment this year, according to Canva research. Analysis from Harvard Business School shows AI will unlock a 25 per cent boost in productivity and a 40 per cent leap in quality.
“It is clear that AI can have a transformative impact and help reconnect us with the soul of what great marketing is about, however this cannot be just technology led, we need to also consider the human dimension that will fuel this transformation. When we talk to marketers we sometimes hear fear and uncertainty and that holds our industry back. Our vision for the centre is to create a future where every marketer in Australia confidently understands, embraces, and benefits from AI, driving better results for themselves, their company, and the industry,” Cummins said.
Australia is forecast to spend US$8.3 billion on AI by 2027, making it the second largest AI spender in APAC according to IDC. Six in ten are struggling to integrate new AI tools in workflows and 95 per cent say AI literacy will be a must-have skill set in the next two to four years. This gap between investment and literacy is what ACAM plans to address.
To help shape its roadmap and deliver practical insights, ACAM has created the AI Pioneers Circle – a collective of Australia’s CMOs to provide insight, direction, and real-world experiences to guide AI adoption in marketing. At different stages of their AI journey, these marketing leaders will share their learnings, challenges, and successes to help others navigate AI. This group will include CMOs and executives from companies including Woolworths, IKEA, Nine Entertainment, The Iconic, Menulog, Bluescope, Mirvac and Red Cross Life Blood.
“I’m excited to be part of the AI Pioneers Circle and play an active role in helping every marketer in Australia fully leverage AI’s potential. This is especially vital in the not-for-profit sector, where AI can maximise team expertise, improve efficiency, and ensure every dollar is spent effectively. For Lifeblood, AI presents a unique opportunity to reimagine both the customer experience and how we work, driving greater impact for the community we serve,” Jeremy Weiss, CMO at Australia Red Cross Lifeblood said.
“Our goal is to offer clear and actionable guidance on AI integration while preserving the essential human element in marketing. We believe that with the right support, marketers can enhance their efficiency and performance through responsible AI adoption,” Cummins added.
The centre is not membership-based but is a collaborative organisation committed to providing the broader marketing community with access to research, knowledge, and upskilling through research, scholarships, free training sessions, and low-bono consulting to not-for-profits.
“We have made a conscious decision not to make The Australian Centre for AI in Marketing membership based. This isn’t about exclusivity, but about working together as an industry to navigate the seismic shift AI is bringing to our ways of working. AI is set to reshape marketing as we know it and ACAM exists to ensure we do it right together,” Cummins added.
ACAM will be releasing the findings from its first benchmarking study next month.
