Comviva study titled ‘The AI Efficiency Divide: Measuring AI’s Real Value Beyond the Hype’ highlights the widening gap between AI investment and measurable business outcomes
New Delhi, India – 02 June 2026: Even as AI adoption accelerates across marketing functions,
most organisations are struggling to prove its business value. Ninety percent of organisations
increased their AI marketing investment over the past two years. Only twelve percent can prove
it worked. This gap between expectation and actual delivery is the defining challenge of the
next eighteen months of marketing leadership. Against this backdrop, Comviva has released
its Global CMO Survey Report titled “The AI Efficiency Divide: Measuring AI’s Real Value
Beyond the Hype,” examining how marketing leaders are scaling AI while facing pressure to
demonstrate tangible outcomes.
The report further underscores gaps in measurement maturity, with only 16% of marketing
leaders confident in defending AI investments with clear business evidence, while many
continue to rely on approximations. It also reveals limited cost visibility, as 67% of
organizations are unable to determine total AI costs and 79% rely on estimates rather than
precise measurement, reinforcing the disconnect between investment and measurable impact.
The Accountability Gap No One Planned For
According to the report, a significant disconnect exists between AI deployment and value
realization, with most organizations lacking robust measurement frameworks.
- While 35% rely on rough estimates, 32% track campaign activity without linking it to
revenue outcomes, and 21% lack consistent measurement infrastructure altogether. - At the same time, 86% of leadership teams are demanding stronger proof of ROI,
increasing pressure on CMOs to justify AI investments with tangible business outcomes.
What’s Blocking AI Measurement?
The report identifies structural barriers that prevent organizations from effectively measuring
AI impact.
- Cost fragmentation is the biggest challenge, with 62% of organizations struggling as AI
expenses are spread across cloud, talent, data, and vendors. - In addition, 58% cite revenue attribution complexity, as AI influences multiple touchpoints,
making its contribution difficult to isolate. - A further 55% report a disconnect between customer experience and revenue, while 50%
highlight governance and integration gaps that limit consistent measurement.
Rajesh Chandiramani, Chief Executive Officer at Comviva said,
“AI is rapidly moving from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption, and the industry is entering a phase where accountability and outcomes will define success. Organisations will increasingly focus on connecting AI investments directly to business metrics—whether it is revenue growth, customer lifetime value, or operational efficiency. The real opportunity lies in building the right measurement frameworks and data foundations that enable this shift. Those who can translate AI from a capability into a consistently measurable business driver will be best positioned to lead in the next phase of digital transformation.”
These findings indicate that AI delivers the strongest impact when applied to use cases linked
to revenue generation and real-time decision-making.
Where AI Investment Actually Pays Off
Despite these challenges, certain AI use cases are delivering clear returns.
- Customer segmentation and targeting lead, cited by 57% of respondents, followed by
campaign automation and optimization at 43%. - Predictive personalization and recommendations, highlighted by 41%, are also driving
stronger customer engagement. - Pricing and offer optimization (39%) and demand forecasting (36%) further contribute to
improved decision-making and revenue outcomes.
The Real Cost Equation: Revenue Drivers and Hidden Costs
While organizations are beginning to identify where AI drives revenue, they often
underestimate its true cost.
- Key revenue drivers include improvements in customer lifetime value (43%), acquisition
efficiency (40%), and conversion rates (38%). - However, cost visibility remains fragmented, with 62% tracking software and API costs and
56% accounting for cloud infrastructure. - Critically, talent and integration costs are often underreported, leaving total AI investments
underestimated by as much as 30–50%.
This incomplete view risks overstating ROI and misguiding investment decisions.
Why Promising AI Initiatives Still Fail
The report highlights that many AI initiatives fail to scale due to operational gaps.
- Around 54% of organizations struggle to define and track deployment timelines, delaying
time-to-value. - Meanwhile, 57% are unable to link customer experience improvements to measurable
revenue outcomes, and 58% cite challenges around explainability and trust.
These gaps suggest that success depends not just on deploying AI, but on operationalizing it
effectively across speed, experience, and governance.
Access the full report here – CLICK
Methodology
The report is based on a survey covering over 200 senior IT and business executives across retail, ecommerce, and telecommunications sectors worldwide. The sample was evenly split between telecommunications and retail/e-commerce organizations (50% each) and included a diverse mix of leadership roles such as CMOs (21%), CCOs (12%), Chief Data/Digital Officers (14%), Heads of Marketing/Analytics (15%), Directors of Marketing Analytics/AI (10%), Directors of Data Science/AI (10%), and other senior marketing leaders (18%). Geographically, respondents were distributed across North America (55%), Europe (20%), Asia-Pacific (16%), the Middle East & Africa (5%), and Latin America (4%), ensuring a broad and representative global perspective.
About Comviva
Comviva empowers organizations to drive transformative growth with measurable business impact. Our AI-driven digital solutions and intelligent platforms enable our customer to unlock new revenue opportunities, enhance customer experiences, and simplify operational complexities to achieve exponential success.
From maximizing customer lifetime value to enabling large-scale digital transformation, Comviva is
trusted by 200+ global communication service providers and enterprises to solve complex challenges
and prepare for the future. With our solutions deployed across 100+ countries, Comviva has brought
the benefits of digital innovation and mobility to billions worldwide. As a subsidiary of Tech Mahindra
and a member of the Mahindra Group, Comviva is committed to driving growth, efficiency, and
transformation for tomorrow. For more information, visit us at www.comviva.com
Media Contact:
Sundeep Mehta
PR & Corporate Communications
sundeep.mehta@comviva.com
Mob. +91 99100 30732
