The future is now. Three marketing reports, all in one place. Are you ready?
- Lou Peck
- Sep 24
- 5 min read
Are you feeling the pressure? If you’re in marketing, you’re not alone.
The landscape is shifting at breakneck speed, and the expectations on your shoulders have never been higher (well, I am not sure if that ever lets up!). The latest research from Deloitte, Salesforce, and HubSpot makes it clear that the old playbook is obsolete. It’s time to rethink, retool, and reimagine what marketing can be.
Let’s get real about what’s happening, why it matters, and how you can get ahead.
Personalization is no longer optional, it’s the price of entry
Remember when personalization was a buzzword? Now, it’s the baseline. Customers expect brands to know them, remember them, and deliver content that feels tailor-made. And the payoff is huge:
96% of marketers say personalized experiences have increased sales, with 44% reporting significant increases.
But here’s the catch, delivering hyper-personalized content at scale is tough. Marketers are battling fragmented audiences, rising expectations, and the need to connect across more channels than ever before.
56% of marketing leaders are actively investing in personalization, and those who get it right are consistently exceeding their revenue goals.
We're seeing this across the board with our clients and networks, working towards better data, more automation, and improved marketing impact. Let’s talk about the elephant in the marketing room: martech.
Martech investment: the silent engine behind modern marketing
It’s not just a line item on your budget anymore; it’s integral to everything you do. And the numbers don’t lie, martech is commanding a bigger slice of the pie than ever before.
On average, technology now eats up:
18% of B2C marketing budgets and 21% of B2B marketing budgets.
That’s right, martech is right up there with, or even ahead of, your spend on advertising and people. For many marketing leaders, it’s the single largest area of investment, and it’s only going up.
Why? Because the pressure is on to deliver seamless, personalized, data-driven experiences at scale. Martech is what makes that possible. It’s the engine that powers your personalization, your automation, your analytics, and your ability to prove ROI.
And here’s the kicker:
83% of CMOs are planning to increase their martech spend by an average of 11% this year.
That’s not just keeping up, that’s a race to outpace. Martech now accounts for as much as 30% of total marketing budgets in some organizations.
So, if you’re still treating martech as an afterthought, it’s time to rethink your strategy. The brands that are winning are those that invest in the right tools, integrate their tech stacks, and empower their teams to utilise technology to its full potential. Martech isn’t just a cost, it’s your competitive advantage. Are you investing enough to keep up?
AI is your new marketing muscle, but the learning curve is real
84% of marketers are now using AI, up from just 29% a few years ago.
And it’s not just about automating tasks, AI is helping marketers create content, analyze data, and even brainstorm new ideas.
1 in 4 marketers plan to use AI to turn text into multi-modal campaigns, think video, audio, and social content, all from a single idea
AI-powered marketing can drive a 99% increase in inbound leads in six months, and a 143% increase in web traffic after a year
But remember, in a world where authenticity and trust are essential, embedded AI search tools are changing their preferences for how they regard the authority of a web page and you need at least one mention of the organization name in your web page.
But let’s not ignore the consequences of change:
54% of marketers feel overwhelmed by the prospect of implementing AI. And only 47% have a clear understanding of how to use AI strategically or measure its impact. The tools are here, but so is the skills gap.
Data is both your superpower and your Achilles’ heel
We’re living in a data-driven world:
78% of marketers describe their customer engagement as data-driven.
However, with great data comes great responsibility, and a lot of headaches.
Data quality and integration are persistent pain points. The average enterprise uses 900 different applications, but only 28% are integrated
First-party data is now gold. As third-party cookies disappear and privacy regulations become tighter, brands must build trust and gather data directly from their customers
The solution? Invest in privacy-first strategies, transparent communication, and robust data security. Brands that get this right will win both trust and market share.
Content: faster, smarter, and more human
The content treadmill is only speeding up. Marketers are expected to deliver more content across more channels to increasingly fragmented audiences.
Repurposing content and investing in templating tools is a top priority for marketers aiming to reduce inefficiencies.
Short-form video is the top-performing content format for both B2B and B2C brands
91% of marketers plan to maintain or increase investments in podcasts and audio content
Influencer marketing is thriving, especially with micro-influencers (10K,100K followers), delivering the highest ROI
But content bottlenecks are a problem. Without the right tools and workflows, it’s nearly impossible to keep up. The most successful brands are focusing on value-driven, authentic content that resonates and builds real connections.
Collaboration and alignment: still a work in progress
Marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
81% of marketers share goals and metrics with sales, and 63% use the same CRM system as sales and service.
Yet, cross-functional misalignment remains a stubborn pain point. Siloed systems and unclear objectives slow down launches and dilute impact.
It’s not just about leads and sales anymore. Marketers are shifting focus to customer satisfaction, digital engagement, and lifetime value. However, measuring and attributing value across complex, multi-touch journeys presents a significant challenge.
So, what does all this mean for you?
Personalization, AI, and data privacy aren’t just trends; they’re the new foundation. If you’re not investing here, you’re already behind
Content must be smarter, faster, and more authentic. AI can help, but only if you use it strategically
Collaboration and alignment are non-negotiable. Break down silos, share data, and align on goals
Measure what matters. Move beyond vanity metrics to focus on real business impact
The future belongs to those who embrace change, invest in new skills, and put the customer at the centre of everything. Get ready to step up and meet the expectations of this new era.
Let’s keep the conversation going. What’s your biggest marketing pain point right now? How are you tackling it? Book a meeting with Hannah and me to talk through how we can help support your needs: https://calendly.com/louisepeck/
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