AI Is Everywhere — But Real Business Value Is Still Rare

How New Zealand businesses can move from AI curiosity to measurable growth

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept. It is actively reshaping economies, industries and the way businesses operate. Global indicators already show the scale of this shift. In the United States alone, AI-driven investment is estimated to account for around 40% of GDP growth this year, while research suggests that consumers who actively embrace AI could influence more than half of total spending by 2030.

Yet despite this momentum, a major disconnect remains.

Recent international research into AI adoption found that while more than 80% of organisations are experimenting with generative AI, an overwhelming 95% are not yet achieving measurable business returns. In other words, AI awareness is high — but impact is low.

This same pattern is clearly emerging across New Zealand.

Awareness Is High. Adoption Is Shallow.

Across corporate, enterprise and SME environments, AI is being talked about in boardrooms, leadership forums and strategy documents. However, for many organisations, AI still lives at the edges — used inconsistently, tested in isolation, or limited to individual productivity tools.

When New Zealand business leaders were asked to rate how effectively their organisations were responding to AI opportunities, most placed themselves at three out of ten. That score tells an important story: AI is recognised as important, but not yet operationalised.

The challenge is not a lack of tools. It is a lack of structure, clarity and alignment.

AI does not create value simply by existing. Value emerges when AI is embedded into workflows, decision-making and systems that already matter to the business.

The Real Risk: Accelerating Broken Processes

One of the most common mistakes organisations make is attempting to “layer AI” on top of inefficient or disconnected processes. AI excels at speed and scale — but if the underlying workflow is flawed, AI simply helps you move faster in the wrong direction.

This is why many early adopters experience frustration. They invest time and money, but returns are delayed because the foundation isn’t ready.

Successful AI adoption starts with visibility:

• Clear workflows

• Defined customer journeys

• Clean data

• Feedback loops that show what is working

Without these fundamentals, AI becomes noise rather than leverage.

Where AI Is Delivering Value Right Now

Across New Zealand and internationally, organisations that are seeing results tend to focus AI in three practical areas:

1. Workflow optimisation and productivity

AI is being used to remove friction from day-to-day operations — automating repetitive tasks, improving response times, and reducing manual effort across marketing, sales and customer service.

2. Customer-driven innovation

Businesses are analysing customer behaviour, feedback and engagement data to shape new services, campaigns and experiences. AI helps turn insight into action faster.

3. Agentic AI and autonomous systems

More advanced organisations are beginning to explore AI agents that act like digital workers — handling conversations, qualifying leads, triggering actions and supporting decision-making. This requires deeper thinking about roles, governance and culture, not just technology.

This is where many businesses hesitate — not because AI isn’t capable, but because it challenges how work is structured.

Why Marketing Is the Natural Starting Point

Marketing is one of the most effective places to move from AI experimentation to real ROI.

Why?

• Marketing already generates large volumes of data

• It touches sales, customer experience and revenue

• Results are measurable

• Automation compounds over time

However, success depends on having a central system rather than scattered tools.

This is exactly where DxM Marketing AI changes the equation.

DxM Marketing AI: Turning AI Into a Marketing Operating System

DxM Marketing AI is a cloud-based Marketing Management platform designed to help businesses operationalise AI — not just talk about it.

Instead of disconnected tools, DxM Marketing AI brings together:

• CRM and customer data

• Marketing automation

• AI-powered workflows

• Lead management and pipelines

• Customer communications

• Reporting and insights

AI becomes embedded into the system — quietly improving outcomes behind the scenes.

This approach aligns perfectly with what leading AI practitioners are now advocating:make the invisible visible, measure the flow, identify constraints, and automate feedback.

From AI Literacy to AI Confidence

Another recurring theme in AI adoption is education.

AI succeeds when people understand:

• What AI can realistically do

• Where it should (and shouldn’t) be used

• How humans remain in control

When teams are confident, they experiment more effectively and identify better use cases.

DxM Marketing AI supports this transition by providing practical, applied AI inside everyday marketing and sales workflows — not abstract tools that require technical expertise.

Trust, Security and Governance Still Matter

As AI becomes more embedded, concerns around privacy, security and decision transparency grow. These concerns are valid.

The solution is not to slow innovation — but to build trust into the system:

• Clear governance

• Human oversight

• Transparent automation

• Secure data handling

A managed platform approach ensures AI supports the business responsibly, rather than becoming a risk surface.

AI as a Catalyst for Modernisation

Perhaps the most important insight is this:AI is not just a technology upgrade — it is a modernisation trigger.

When adopted well, AI forces organisations to:

• Simplify legacy systems

• Reduce technical debt

• Improve data quality

• Clarify ownership and accountability

Businesses that invest now are not just preparing for AI — they are building faster, more resilient, more adaptable organisations.

The Bottom Line

AI is already reshaping markets. The opportunity is real — but value is not automatic.

The businesses that win will be those that:

• Move beyond experimentation

• Focus on foundations first

• Embed AI into systems that matter

• Measure outcomes, not activity

With DxM Marketing AI, DigitalxMarketing helps New Zealand businesses move from AI awareness to measurable marketing performance — using AI not as a buzzword, but as a practical growth engine.

Email info@digitalx.marketing or visit www.digitalx.marketing to learn more.