AI Marketing Budgets in 2025: Where CMOs Are Really Spending (and Why It Matters)

In case you’re still wondering whether AI in marketing is just a quick hype or here to stay, the numbers just came in: it’s the latter, by a long shot. A Boston Consulting Group survey in 2025 revealed that 71% of CMOs plan to invest over $10 million annually in generative AI over the next three years, which is a leap from the previous year’s figure of 57% (Source: Marketing Dive). That’s not “experiment” money. That’s “business critical” money.

In this article, StratDev breaks down exactly where those budgets are going, what it means for marketers and agencies, and how to prepare for this new AI-first playing field.

Where Are CMOs Spending Their AI Budgets?

Gartner has revealed that the 2025 marketing budget of CMOs remains at 7.7% of overall company revenue. Paid media still makes up most of this budget (Source: Marketing Dive). However, more marketers are looking to lessen their advertising and labor spend, which is partly due to the benefits of AI. That said, how are CMOs actually spending their AI allocation?

1. AI-Enhanced Content Creation Is Getting Industrialized

Most marketing teams used to treat content production as either slow or expensive, often both. But with AI, CMOs are now able to do the following:

• Rapidly scale campaign assets across channels
• Repurpose long-form content into short-form variations
• Localize or personalize messaging for segmented audiences

It’s not just a copy, either. Tools like Adobe Firefly, Runway, and Synthesia are being used to generate branded visuals and videos that once took entire creative teams weeks to produce. Thus, the question is no longer, “Should we use AI to create content?” but “How do we systematize and QA the content AI is creating?”

This is why we’re seeing CMOs investing in internal content AI workflows, prompt libraries, and review systems, not just tools.

2. Personalization at Scale Isn’t Optional Anymore

On the other end, consumers have also shifted their expectations. Everyone now expects everything to feel personalized: from emails, product recommendations, and even landing pages.

What used to be possible only for tech giants is now becoming table stakes, thanks to AI. Brands are layering AI over first-party data to deliver highly tailored experiences in real-time:

• AI-curated product suggestions
• Dynamic email subject lines and body copy based on behavior
• Chatbots that remember preferences and predict intent

These are not vanity plays. They’re direct revenue drivers, especially as cookies may continue to disappear and brands fight to make every interaction count. Ultimately, CMOs aren’t just using AI to communicate, instead they’re using it to convert.

This is why personalization engines and real-time decisioning platforms are quickly becoming staples in the CMO’s stack.

3. Campaign Optimization Is No Longer Manual

Gone are the days when marketers had to wait for A/B test results to come back after two weeks and four meetings. AI is increasingly being used to:

• Predict campaign performance before launch
• Auto-optimize budgets across channels based on ROI
• Identify segments that respond to specific messages—without manual sorting

And here’s the real kicker: CMOs are combining predictive models with AI-generated creativity. That means AI is both producing the content and deciding how to deploy it. That’s a seismic shift. It’s changing how agencies report performance, how teams structure their testing calendars, and how marketers think about “creativity” itself.

4. AI Agents Are Quietly Reshaping Customer Experience

This isn’t about clunky bots giving you canned responses. CMOs are now investing in AI agents that:

• Handle complex support workflows
• Schedule demos or appointments in real time
• Integrate with CRM systems to drive retention

This kind of automation isn’t just saving money, it’s also improving customer experience at scale. 

What This Means for CMOs and Agencies

It becomes clearer and clearer every time we delve into the realm of AI that we’re in a new phase: AI is no longer an edge case, it’s a full-on operational infrastructure.

For marketers:

• If you're not actively exploring how AI can extend your team’s output, you’re likely already falling behind.
• The smartest teams aren't replacing talent with AI—they’re using it to amplify their best people.

For agencies:

• Clients will expect you to integrate AI into your deliverables, not pitch it as a future possibility.
• Your competitive edge won't be if you use AI, but how effectively you use it—faster go-to-market, smarter segmentation, leaner ops.

Final Thoughts

At StratDev, we’ve seen firsthand how the AI revolution isn’t just transforming tools, it’s reshaping expectations.

The most successful marketing teams in 2025 won’t be the ones with the most tech. They’ll be the ones who know how to operationalize it, align it with strategy, and keep the human touch intact where it matters most. The latter is the most important aspect for us in StratDev.

If you're building toward an AI-enabled future and need a partner that’s already operating in it, StratDev is here to help you move with confidence.

Let’s build smarter, together.