ANZ brands lead APAC in AI adoption but data gaps hinder personalisation

Australia and New Zealand are outpacing the rest of Asia Pacific in enterprise AI adoption, but major data and governance challenges are preventing marketers from realising the full potential of personalisation, according to Adobe’s 2025 AI and Digital Trends report.

The annual study, based on surveys with 262 senior executives and 945 consumers in ANZ, found that 29% of local brands are now formally deploying generative AI, more than doubling from 14% in 2024. It marks the fastest year-on-year growth in the region.

A further 24% of businesses are currently running AI pilot programs, while 12% report consistent return on investment from active deployments, matching the global average.

Despite the momentum, Adobe’s report paints a clear picture of disconnect between business ambition and customer experience delivery. While 45% of executives said AI has improved customer engagement, only 35% of consumers feel they receive personalised offers, well below the 62% who want them.

The biggest roadblock? Data silos. More than 80% of respondents said fragmented data across online and offline channels is limiting their ability to deliver real-time personalisation. And 59% cited governance and compliance issues as a major challenge to scaling AI — especially among organisations still in the early stages of implementation.

“With two in three brands planning to invest in data integration and real-time insights over the next two years, it’s clear the focus is shifting toward connecting data to deliver consistent, relevant experiences,” Duncan Egan, Adobe’s vice president of enterprise marketing for APAC and Japan, said.

The findings show pressure is mounting on marketing leaders to close the gap between customer expectations and current capabilities. More than half (53%) of executives said they’re under increased pressure to boost engagement and conversion rates.

Despite these challenges, personalisation remains the top business priority for 2025 among ANZ leaders, followed by data unification and AI deployment.

Egan noted that interest is rising in agentic AI – autonomous systems that can operate across data sets and campaigns without requiring constant human input – but stressed that results will depend on strong data foundations and cross-team collaboration.

“AI adoption is accelerating, but success depends on connected data,” he said. “If businesses want to scale personalisation and unlock AI’s full potential, they need to get their data house in order first.”