Marketing firms in the Asia Pacific region lead the world in implementing artificial intelligence, a new briefing shows.

Data from Adobe’s 2018 edition of its annual ‘Digital Intelligence Briefing‘ shows that digital marketing firms in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are leading the industry in employing artificial intelligence (AI). Adobe’s surveys found that 28% of top performing companies – those with profits over £150m (AU$270m) – are implementing or planning to implement AI, relative to the rest of the market at 12%.

Speaking about the APAC region particularly, Paula Parkes, senior director, APAC Enterprise Marketing said, “smart organisations are investing in disruptive technologies to drive productivity and deliver compelling experiences for customers”.

Adobe’s survey data revealed that majority of marketers currently engaging with the technology are using AI to analyse data, however APAC firms also lead in adopting AI in more niche areas, such as content creation and creative and design work.

‘Digital Intelligence Briefing: 2018 Digital Trends’ report – Adobe and Econsultancy

Within the North American market, 51% of marketing firms see ‘no perceived need’ for AI implementation, compared to 38% of APAC firms sharing the same sentiment. This indicates that APAC marketers are ahead of the curve in leveraging new technology to capture their customer base. A study by Frost and Sullivan in 2017 found similarly that marketing firms across APAC were more likely to integrate the internet of things (IoT), compared to their counterparts in Europe and North America.

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Parkes concluded that “investment in digital skills and training is directly linked with high business performance. While investment in technology is crucial, organisations must also invest in the skills and education to ensure their employees are capable of using these new tools to create outstanding customer experiences”.

Adobe surveyed a total of 12,795 respondents from Europe, Asia, North America, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East and Africa.