ACAM unveils AI marketing framework, The Iconic signs on

The Australian Centre for AI in Marketing has launched a leadership system it describes as Australia's first end-to-end framework for AI readiness and adoption for marketing teams. Online retailer The Iconic is the first user.

The system, AI-Results Transformation, targets chief marketing officers and senior marketing leaders. It provides an approach to assessing a marketing function's AI maturity, building skills, and establishing governance.

Interest in artificial intelligence is growing among Australian marketing teams, but many organisations still struggle to move from small trials to a repeatable operating model. ACAM linked the launch to findings from its national AI Readiness Benchmarking Report, which identified a widening gap between ambition and execution.

In the benchmarking, 83 percent of CMOs said they expect AI to deliver strong return on investment, while only eight percent of marketing teams operate at an advanced level of AI maturity. The figures suggest marketing leaders see a clear business case, even as capability and controls lag.

First implementation

The Iconic has begun implementing the system across its marketing organisation. The retailer sells fashion and sports products online and operates in a competitive eCommerce market where customer acquisition costs, retention, and service standards affect profitability.

Joanna Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer at The Iconic, outlined the company's priorities for AI across the marketing and customer journey.

"The pace at which AI is reshaping marketing makes it critical that we build capability and governance at the same time as we scale its use. At THE ICONIC, our priority is ensuring our teams can use AI responsibly and intelligently to enhance customer interactions, from discovery through to delivery and service. Implementing the ART system gives us a structured way to equip and enable our people to translate this emerging technology into more relevant, seamless experiences for our customers."

Her remarks reflect a broader shift in marketing leadership discussions, where productivity and personalisation goals now sit alongside scrutiny of brand risk, decision accountability, and responsible use.

System structure

ART is positioned as a phased operating model rather than a single training course or software product. It is designed to be technology- and platform-agnostic, and to scale for organisations of different sizes.

The system has three integrated components, combining governance, risk and ethics with capability building and measurement. The design aims to give marketing leaders visibility across policy, skills, and performance.

At the centre is an AI-ready baseline diagnostic that assesses maturity across seven pillars. ACAM listed leadership, capability, data readiness and measurement among them. The diagnostic produces a board-ready dashboard mapping maturity status, priority risks, and investment sequencing.

A dual-track capability layer sits alongside the diagnostic, intended to align executives and uplift teams. ART also includes an eight-week learning pathway supported by an AI-Ready Hub, designed to embed AI in the marketing lifecycle.

The final component is a transformation architecture focused on delivery. It combines workshops, frameworks and specialist partner support, and links AI initiatives to return on investment, brand protection and measurable commercial outcomes.

Governance focus

ACAM Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Louise Cummins framed the system around the management challenges CMOs face as AI spreads into day-to-day marketing work.

"Over the past 12 months we've seen AI move from curiosity to operational necessity at extraordinary speed. Marketing leaders are being asked to deliver productivity gains, protect brand integrity and demonstrate commercial return simultaneously. The challenge is not enthusiasm, it's structure. Organisations need clarity around decision rights, governance guardrails and investment priorities if AI is to deliver sustainable value," Cummins said.

ART was developed by senior marketing leaders with more than a century of combined C-suite experience. ACAM also pointed to its work with more than 1,000 marketing leaders since launch as an indicator of demand for a structured approach.

Cummins said many companies have yet to turn experimentation into an integrated program with clear measurement and oversight.

"Since we launched ACAM in March 2025 we've worked alongside more than 1,000 marketing leaders and observed a consistent pattern: organisations running isolated AI pilots, with few integrated systems to translate experimentation into a clear pathway to scale or measure value. What CMOs need now is visibility across risk, capability and performance so AI becomes a long-term growth lever rather than a fragmented experiment," she said.

ACAM plans to continue rolling out ART with additional organisations as marketing teams seek clearer frameworks for AI investment decisions, governance and measurement as AI use expands across the function.