Despite growing consensus around the power of digital to drive engagement, CMOs across Asia Pacific continue to face significant hurdles in delivering on its promise. According to the latest Adobe/CMO Council research, many marketing leaders are still struggling to build robust business cases for further investment in digital channels—especially when it comes to proving impact on revenue, margins, and transactional volume.
While marketers increasingly recognise digital’s role in enabling continuous customer touchpoints, only 21% believe it can directly drive commercial outcomes. That disconnect is reflected in tight budgets and limited capabilities—particularly within agencies—where digital proficiency remains uneven.
Three Digital Imperatives for APAC Marketers
The report outlines three strategic priorities to help CMOs accelerate their digital maturity:
1. Optimise for Engagement & Enablement
Leading organisations are diving deeper into customer intelligence and analytics, integrating tools that streamline operations and connect online and offline data to deliver smarter, more personalised experiences.
2. Boost Team Performance & Close the Talent Gap
The skills shortage is widening. In 2013, 37% of marketers cited agency capability as a barrier. In the latest survey, that figure has jumped to 47%, despite 74% of respondents working with one or more digital agencies. Upskilling internal teams and demanding more from partners is now mission-critical.
3. Align Budgets to Customer-Centric Metrics
Digital budgets are rising—78% of respondents reported increases over the past year—but success hinges on tying investment to profitability and growth. Marketers who anchor their business cases in bottom-line metrics are gaining traction with internal stakeholders.
Leading with Data: Australia’s Early Adopters
Paul Robson, President of Adobe Asia Pacific, notes:
“Digital and business transformation is a complex and challenging task, but the rewards are great. Early adopters in Australia are leading the region in digital marketing proficiency… They are raising the bar by measuring, predicting and using insights across multiple channels to create relevant and personalised experiences.”
The Bigger Question: Is Digital Moving the Needle?
While more marketers than ever are allocating between 25–50% of their budgets to digital, the data reveals lingering skepticism around measurement and value. The authors argue it’s time to stop viewing digital as a low-cost solution—and start embracing it as a catalyst for transformation and customer experience optimisation.
Special thanks to Andrew Birmingham for his thought-provoking article, which formed the basis for this post.
