Marketers are swiping right on AI faster than they can say “data-driven,” but when it comes to actual commitment… let’s just say it’s complicated.
Let’s start with the truth:
AI is everywhere. On your LinkedIn feed. In your boss’s new 3-slide strategy deck titled “Reimagine. Rethink. Re-ChatGPT.” And of course, in every other cold email you get:
“Boost your marketing with our AI-powered, sentiment-aware, pixel-perfect platform!” (Yes, beta. Sure.)
But here’s the twist: While everyone is busy talking about AI, very few are actually using it — at least not without hesitation, fear, and a small existential crisis involving their job description.
So what’s stopping marketers from going full throttle with AI? Gather around — let’s decode the drama.
1. Our Data Is a Hot Mess (and We Know It)
AI thrives on clean, well-organised data.
Indian marketing data, on the other hand? It’s basically a recipe for kichdi:
- 32 variations of the same customer name
- A WhatsApp number labelled as “primary contact”
- A field called “Remarks” that just says “VIP – handle with care” 🙃
We love buzzwords like “predictive modeling” — but can’t even get our CRM to filter Delhi from Noida without a minor glitch and a major prayer.
2. It Lacks the ‘Jadoo ki Jhappi’ Factor
Let’s admit it: Indian marketing is emotional.
You’re not just selling a product — you’re selling feelings.
That’s why every ad has:
- A grandmother
- A kid with a kite
- A slow-motion tear rolling down someone’s cheek
Now try asking your AI to write that. It’ll say, “Insert emotional keyword here.”
Bless its heart, but AI doesn’t know the difference between “maa ke haath ka khana” and a microwaveable curry bowl.
3. Our Customers Are Skeptical (Rightfully So)
Try telling your Indian customers:
“This content was written by artificial intelligence.”
Their first reaction: “Kya? Robot ne likha?”
Second reaction: “Toh fir aap kya karte ho?”
Let’s not even get into rural markets or traditional buyers — where the only ‘AI’ they trust is “Aapki Imaandari.”
4. Ethics? Bias? Brand Risk? Yes, We Worry (Silently, in Meetings)
Everyone wants AI to generate content at scale.
But when it confidently outputs a Diwali banner with fireworks in April — without asking for brand guidelines — the panic sets in.
Also, whose fault is it when your AI misgenders a customer, pulls a biased quote from Reddit, or mistakes Biryani for Dhokla in a regional campaign?
Trust me, no one wants to end up on a Twitter thread titled: “Why this brand’s AI needs cultural sensitivity training.”
5. Integration? We’re Still Figuring Out Our Google Analytics Login
Let’s not lie. Our teams are still recovering from last year’s CRM migration.
Now we’re supposed to plug in an LLM?
Map it to our CMS, CDP, social scheduler, and analytics dashboard?
And then monitor it while also posting Instagram Reels?
Bhai, give us a moment to breathe.
6. We Want to Sound Smart, Not Jobless
AI in marketing is like hiring an overenthusiastic intern — it’s fast, confident, and absolutely needs supervision.
You know why marketers love talking about AI more than using it?
Because it makes them sound futuristic.
But not redundant.
The real fear? What if AI actually works… too well?
Suddenly, that beautiful brand manifesto you spent three weeks crafting gets replaced by a 60-second GPT draft — and your manager claps for “how efficient tech has become.”
Ouch.
TL;DR — Why Marketers Are Still Side-Eyeing AI 👀
- We want control. AI tools are cool, but they feel like enthusiastic interns — fast, loud, and dangerously unsupervised.
- We want empathy. Not just “personalised subject lines,” but actual human tone that understands what kaam se kaam rakhna means.
- We want accountability. Because “the model hallucinated” won’t fly when the brand gets cancelled on a Thursday.
- We want ROI, not PTSD.
Final Word: AI Is Powerful, But So Is Your Gut
AI will optimise, scale, and maybe even write your next carousel caption. But it won’t know your brand’s soul. It won’t sense the difference between “meh” and “magic.”
So go ahead, use it — wisely.
But don’t outsource the thinking, the nuance, or the very human art of knowing when to say:
“Yeh line kuch feel nahi de rahi hai, yaar.”
Sources (a.k.a. Legit Backup for Your Rants)
- Clarke, Cameron. “These Are the Biggest Concerns Holding Back Marketers’ Adoption of AI.”
The Drum, April 14, 2025
https://www.thedrum.com - Robitaille, Gabrielle. Insights from WFA, via The Drum AI Series
- HBR, “Why Marketers Are Slow to Trust AI”, 2024
- Wikipedia Contributors, Artificial Intelligence in Marketing, 2025