How to Measure AI Success — and Machine-Age Marketing Metrics
CMOs are used to measurement. Deadlines, budgets, compliance and campaign performance have all long been benchmarked and scrutinized. But when it comes to paradigm shifts (such as AI), traditional KPIs fall short.
Too many marketing leaders either throw out established metrics entirely (“it’s AI, so the old rules don’t apply”) or reduce AI to cost savings and headcount reduction. Both approaches miss the bigger picture. AI isn’t just another tool: It’s a paradigm shift that will change how value is created within and across the enterprise. For this, CMOs need a new scorecard.
A Framework for the AI Era
To capture the full impact of AI, measurement must expand across four dimensions and tie back to the enterprise's broader goals, whether that’s market share, purchase frequency or product trial.
1. Efficiency Gains — AI should reduce friction, shorten timelines and improve accuracy. Metrics include time-to-market acceleration, error reduction or decreased manual work. But these gains only matter if they ladder up to the business’s growth agenda.
2. Outcome Effectiveness — Are campaigns smarter and more impactful? Are they improving targeting, personalization or customer value? This is about output quality and brand position, not just volume or cost.
3. Innovation Velocity — AI should multiply the pace of testing and learning. The new model is “good, fast and cheap: pick three.” The ability to try, fail and iterate quickly at a low cost is now a measurable advantage.
4. Team Enablement and Human Impact — Perhaps the most overlooked dimension: Does AI make people better at their jobs? Success means teams feel empowered to focus on higher-value creative work rather than being anxious about being automated out. The cultural dimension is critical. If AI undermines team confidence, transformation stalls.
The Human Factor: Why Independents Lead
This is where independent agencies often outperform their holding company peers. Large networks are built for scale, but that’s both an advantage and a limitation. Standardized processes across dozens of clients leave little room for tailoring transformation efforts to a specific organization’s culture, processes or preferences.
Independents, by contrast, can design bespoke AI frameworks that fit the unique strengths, weaknesses and culture of each client. Customization is not a "nice to have." It’s a success factor! Most transformation efforts fail not because of technology, but because they ignore the human and cultural realities of the enterprise. Aligning measurement with both business objectives and organizational culture, independents help CMOs unlock AI’s promise while keeping teams motivated and proud of their contributions.
Beyond Automation Anxiety
History reminds us that automation always reshapes work. From agriculture to manufacturing to digital, humans have consistently adapted, finding new ways to apply skills and creativity. The same will be true of AI. But for that transition to succeed, CMOs must measure AI’s value beyond what it replaces.
Boards want to hear about the costs that have been cut, but they won’t stop there. They want to see how AI is creating value: better campaigns, faster innovation, stronger brands and more empowered teams. That’s the story that earns continued investment and elevates marketing’s seat at the table.
The New Mandate
In the machine age, CMOs can’t measure AI like a line-item project. They must measure it as a catalyst for organizational progress and growth for the brand and within the category. Great catalysts strike a balance between efficiency and creativity, and ROI and human impact. Those who embrace this broader scorecard won’t just prove AI's worth. They’ll prove their own.
About the Author
Daniel Cinquegrano is director of analytics and data insights at Goodway Group. He has 15 years of experience in digital media analytics, with over seven years laser-focused on retail media. In key roles at Triad Retail Media and Walmart Connect, he led teams delivering advanced analytics and actionable insights from complex data to major global brands, helping them maximize ROI and drive business growth. His expertise spans developing data-driven strategies, custom audience solutions, and measurement frameworks for retail media clients. He collaborates across teams to create meaningful, innovative solutions for clients that enhance media performance and foster long-term success.
