Australia’s AI marketing benchmark goes global with US push

The Australian Centre for AI in Marketing (ACAM) is taking its AI maturity benchmark global, launching the Global Centre for AI in Marketing (GCAM) with the United States as its first international market.

GCAM will build an international evidence base to help marketing leaders measure their organisation’s AI maturity and compare their progress with peers. The US benchmark will be delivered in partnership with The CMO Syndicate, with findings set to be unveiled at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in the final quarter of 2026.

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US becomes first international benchmark

The CMO Syndicate will serve as GCAM’s founding US benchmark market partner. The commercial growth and transformation firm will lead participation among American CMOs and senior marketing executives across industries.

The inaugural study will establish a baseline for future comparisons between the US, Australia and other international markets that join the benchmark.

Louise Cummins, co-founder and CEO of ACAM and GCAM, said the expansion comes as businesses invest more heavily in AI while struggling to build the organisational capabilities needed to generate value from it.

“CMOs don’t need more AI tools, they need credible intelligence that shows where their organisation stands, how it compares and what will make the greatest commercial difference next,” Cummins said.

“GCAM will turn benchmark insight into action. It gives marketing leaders the evidence needed to focus investment, strengthen executive and board conversations, build team capability and create a structured pathway from isolated pilots to responsible, measurable transformation.”

Measuring more than AI adoption

The Global AI in Marketing Benchmark is designed to move beyond measuring adoption rates, technology investment or attitudes towards AI. Instead, it assesses whether marketing organisations have the foundations required to generate sustainable value from the technology.

GCAM’s diagnostic measures seven maturity drivers: Leadership and Culture; Skills and Capability; Governance, Risk and Brand; Data and Technology Readiness; Use Cases and ROI; Team Design and Workflow; and Roadmap, Planning and Investment.

Organisations are then mapped across six maturity levels, allowing marketing leaders to benchmark their position and identify areas for further investment.

The methodology builds on ACAM’s 2026 Australian AI in Marketing Benchmark, conducted with Kantar as research partner and supported by IBM Australia. That study found 83 per cent of organisations remained at early to mid stages of AI maturity, while none reached the two highest levels.

The CMO Syndicate joins global expansion

Ani Matson, founding partner of The CMO Syndicate, said marketing leaders need clearer evidence to determine whether AI experimentation is translating into meaningful organisational progress.

“AI is advancing faster than most organisations can build the leadership, capabilities and governance needed to use it well. That makes it increasingly difficult for CMOs to know whether they are truly progressing or simply experimenting,” Matson said.

“The Global AI in Marketing Benchmark provides a credible way to understand where an organisation stands, where the gaps are and what to prioritise next.”

Matson said The CMO Syndicate would bring the perspective of experienced CMOs to the US benchmark and help ensure the research reflects the realities of the American market.

The CMO Syndicate will also join the GCAM Advisory Group and co-host the US benchmark launch at Georgetown University.

ACAM will continue developing and delivering the underlying research, capability programs and transformation methodologies. GCAM will act as the international platform for expanding the benchmark and building comparisons across organisations, sectors and markets.

The benchmark methodology, diagnostic and underlying research assets remain owned by ACAM.