Marketing’s remit has expanded. It is no longer just about building brand awareness or driving leads through the pipeline. It’s about defining how your business grows, competes, and wins in a complex, rapidly changing market. 

Marketing leaders in 2025 are expected to deliver transformational change, juggling the roles of visionary strategist, data-savvy technologist, and customer champion, all while driving forward the business’s goals.

But reading the latest trends reports, the outlook contains more uncertainty than recent years. It suggests a story about being in that messy, challenging, and frankly uncomfortable, space where aspiration hasn’t quite caught up with reality.

We’re facing unprecedented changes in how B2B buyers discover, research, and make decisions. And, while the future promises great things, there’s an implementation gap between marketing’s strategic vision and tactical execution. Marketers know they need to harness the transformative potential of data, AI, martech, personalisation, and multichannel strategies to address the challenges they face. But many are struggling to operationalise these capabilities effectively to deliver tangible results.

To help you to bridge this gap and tackle these challenges head-on, we’ve identified six B2B priorities that will be critical for navigating the road ahead.

A Crisis in Marketing’s Confidence?

As new technologies and buyer preferences disrupt the status quo, many organisations are grappling with how to adapt—and whether they’re achieving meaningful results. These shifts are driving fundamental changes in how marketers approach visibility, discovery, and buyer engagement.

AI chatbots and generative search are predicted to reduce traditional search traffic by 25% by 2026. Zero-click results already make up 60% of all search results, challenging established wisdom around visibility and discovery.

The nature of B2B decision-making has also evolved. Younger buyers now dominate, bringing consumer-grade expectations to B2B purchases. They don't want sales calls - they want seamless digital experiences. More than half of large ($1 million or more) B2B purchases are expected to soon be processed through digital self-service channels - a stark reminder that buyers want to research and evaluate solutions independently.

And they don't trust vendor content alone - they consult their broader network, with many involving 10 or more external influencers in their purchase decisions. Marketing must now engage buyers much earlier in their journey, maintain presence across multiple channels, and build trust through authentic conversations and fragmented networks of influence.

As marketers, we have more tools, data, and capabilities than ever before, but given the scale and pace of the changes we’re facing, it’s perhaps not surprising that the research shows many feel they are struggling to deliver results on their most fundamental activities.

• 71% rate their content strategy as ‘moderately’, ‘not very’, or ‘not at all’ effective, leaving less than a third who believe it is ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ effective. 

• 82% of marketers are finding it ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ challenging to generate response for their lead nurturing programs.

• 29% rate their ability to identify ready-to-buy prospects as “poor”, with another 43% labelling it as merely “okay”. Only 28% rated their ability as ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’.

• 27% report that sales doesn’t trust marketing data or marketing-qualified leads, while 31% say sales takes no action on MQLs.

In fact, according to Gartner, 24% of marketing campaigns often or always fail to justify their investment, with 31% failing sometimes​. And only 14% of CMOs are seen as market shapers who influence market dynamics by identifying and fulfilling unmet customer needs.

This isn’t just about poor results–it’s about eroding credibility. When marketing struggles to prove its effectiveness, it risks losing influence within the organisation—making it even harder to secure the budgets, talent, and technology needed to succeed.

B2B Marketing Leaders’ Priorities for 2025

Set against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and technological disruption that's fundamentally reshaping not just marketing but everything, the outlook might feel overwhelming. 

The gap between marketing's expanding mandate and its current capabilities certainly presents serious challenges. But let’s reframe it. Instead of a story of doom and gloom, can we see the challenges we face as a catalyst for meaningful change?

The forces creating uncertainty also present unprecedented opportunities for marketing to step up and lead. Yes, buyers are harder to reach, but they're also more willing to engage with brands that truly understand their needs. Yes, technology is disrupting traditional channels, but it's also providing tools to deliver more personalised, impactful experiences than ever before.

The key is focusing on the right priorities. As we look ahead to 2025, successful CMOs will need to navigate six critical areas that will determine marketing's ability to drive growth and maintain influence in an increasingly complex business environment.

Be Agile and Ready to Adapt

Marketing budgets have been slowing since 2023 with minimal increases anticipated for 2025. While 82% of marketing leaders expect to see an increase, 47% are expecting between 1% and 4%. 

When adjusted for inflation, marketing budgets are stagnant and many teams will feel like they’re having to do a lot more with a lot less. In addition, 75% of marketing leaders feel that their budgets are more vulnerable to cuts than other departments​.

So how do you deliver transformational change with limited resources?

• Adopt adaptive planning and budgeting: Shift to flexible, scenario-based planning that allows your team to adjust quickly to changing market conditions, customer behaviour, or new opportunities.

• Foster cross-functional partnerships: Build alliances across departments to stretch budgets further and align strategic goals.

• Focus on ROI metrics: Use metrics like customer lifetime value (CLV) and customer acquisition costs (CAC) to demonstrate how marketing directly contributes to revenue and profit.

• Balance short- and long-term investments: Allocate resources to initiatives with clear, short-term ROI, while defending investments in long-term brand-building and strategic activities to secure sustainable growth.

• Experiment and innovate: Prioritise small, iterative experiments to address shifting expectations and leverage emerging technologies, ensuring your team remains competitive and relevant.

• Leverage outsourcing for flexibility: Partner with external agencies or freelancers to fill skill gaps and provide flexible, on-demand resources. This can help your team stay agile while avoiding the overhead of permanent hires.

By focusing on these strategies, marketing leaders can remain agile and deliver impactful results, even in the face of constrained budgets.

Become The Strategic Partner Your Organisation Needs

While 40% of CMOs strongly agree that the value of marketing is understood by key decision-makers in their company, this is a sharp decline from 54% in 2023. To address this, 78% of CMOs say that making their function a more strategic business partner is a priority, with 86% wanting to improve collaboration across departments. 

To regain confidence and position marketing as a strategic leader, CMOs should focus on the following actions:

• Align marketing with broader business strategy: Embed marketing initiatives into the company’s overarching goals, demonstrating how marketing directly supports profitability, revenue growth, and competitive differentiation.

• Foster cross-functional collaboration: Build closer relationships with CEOs, CFOs, and other department leaders to align on shared goals. Allocate resources to joint initiatives that streamline revenue processes, enhance insights, and optimise content capabilities. Forrester suggests setting aside at least 20% of program budgets for these efforts.

• Showcase marketing’s business impact: Develop dashboards that provide real-time visibility into campaign performance and its contribution to key business metrics. Share these insights consistently with the C-suite to reinforce marketing’s strategic value.

• Strengthen sales alignment: Work with sales teams to establish shared goals, bridge gaps in the revenue process, and ensure marketing efforts directly support lead generation and conversion.

• Leverage data and analytics to tell a compelling story: Use robust analytics to highlight marketing’s role in driving profitability and growth, focusing on metrics that resonate with decision-makers.

By taking these steps, marketing leaders can rebuild credibility, deepen their influence across the organisation, and solidify their position as indispensable strategic partners.

Deliver The Personalised Customer Experiences Your Buyers Want

CMOs know they need to deliver Netflix-level personalisation. Yet 87% say they lack the resources needed to drive it, and only 24% are confident in their ability to deliver. That perception stacks up against customer sentiment, with 58% feeling brands don’t understand their needs and preferences.

Marketers have a mandate for personalisation, with 58% of B2B buyers stating a preference for personalised outreach. It is also a proven driver of growth. Leaders in personalisation are 48% more likely to exceed revenue goals and experience a 50% reduction in acquisition costs.

That’s why 51% CMOs are increasing investment in customer experience, with 83% stating that personalisation is a priority. Deloitte concurs, with 70% of marketing leaders setting aside budget for personalisation and 56% actively investing.

To turn personalisation from aspiration into action, CMOs should:

• Leverage first-party and intent data: Use customer data collected through owned channels (e.g., website, email, CRM) alongside intent data to build a more comprehensive view of buyer behaviour and preferences.

• Invest in AI-driven tools: Deploy AI-powered platforms to analyse data, automate recommendations, and deliver hyper-relevant customer experiences across channels.

• Start small with high-value segments: Pilot personalised campaigns for high-value customer segments or priority accounts. Demonstrating clear ROI from these efforts will help secure organisational buy-in and additional resources for broader initiatives.

• Integrate personalisation into the buyer journey: Ensure personalisation efforts span every stage of the journey, from awareness to post-purchase, by tailoring messaging, content, and outreach to individual needs and behaviours.

• Focus on scalability: As pilots succeed, develop frameworks and processes to scale personalisation efforts while maintaining quality and relevance.

• Measure and optimise continuously: Use metrics like engagement rates, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction to assess the impact of personalisation initiatives, and refine your approach over time.

By implementing these strategies, marketing teams can meet buyer expectations, build stronger relationships, and drive measurable business growth through personalisation.

Adopt Privacy-First, Data-Driven Strategies

Since most of the buying process occurs before prospects make direct contact, and buyers engage only with a pre-selected list of suppliers, consolidating and actioning customer and intent data is essential. Without actionable data, marketers cannot reach active buyers and support their journey with valuable insights and educational resources.

However, tightening privacy regulations and advancements in tracking-blocking technology are reshaping how data can be collected and used. Privacy is no longer just a compliance issue—it’s a trust issue. 48% of CMOs rate trust-building through privacy and transparency as high priority. 

To meet these challenges, marketing needs to:

• Develop a privacy-first framework: Create transparent policies that clearly explain how customer data is collected, stored, and used. This builds trust and ensures compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and other emerging frameworks.

• Strengthen first-party data strategies: Prioritise collecting data through owned channels, such as websites, apps, and email campaigns. Use this data to develop a deep understanding of customer preferences while reducing reliance on third-party sources.

• Invest in privacy-focused tools: 49% of CMOs are prioritising investments in privacy focused marketing solutions. Leverage technologies that securely collect, manage, and consolidate customer data. Solutions like consent management platforms and privacy-compliant analytics tools can support these efforts.

• Collaborate with legal and IT teams: Ensure compliance and security by working closely with these teams to implement best practices and address evolving regulations.

• Enhance data capabilities: Address skills gaps within your team by investing in training or hiring talent with expertise in data analysis, privacy, and martech. Despite the majority of CMOs believing they have access to the data needed to meet customer needs, only 38% of CMOs say they can use it effectively—closing this gap is crucial.

• Deliver value-driven, privacy-conscious personalisation: Use consolidated data to create personalised and relevant content while respecting customer privacy. Focus on adding value at every stage of the buyer journey, ensuring your approach aligns with customer expectations and regulatory requirements.

By adopting these strategies, CMOs can navigate the complex intersection of privacy and personalisation, building trust with customers while maintaining the data-driven insights needed to drive growth.

Navigate the AI Transformation

AI offers the potential for hyper-personalisation, automation, and unprecedented efficiency, and adoption is accelerating rapidly. Yet for many, the roadmap to successfully integrating AI into marketing workflows remains unclear.

According to Forrester, 42% of leading AI adopters already have genAI in production, compared to only 11% for other respondents.

Meanwhile, PwC found that 58% of CMOs plan to invest in generative AI and 78% agree that they’ll use it to make changes to their business model. Yet 45% admit they don’t fully understand AI’s implications for marketing. 

Adopting AI comes with challenges. Decision-makers often cite trust in AI systems (29% ), governance and risk concerns (25%), and data privacy (25%) as concerns..

Impatience for ROI further complicates adoption. Forrester predicts that some organisations may prematurely scale back investments, a move that could create long-term disadvantages. With 49% expecting AI ROI within one to three years and 44% within three to five years, setting realistic expectations is critical. 

To navigate these challenges and harness AI’s potential, CMOs should:

• Start with high-impact use cases: Focus on areas where AI can deliver measurable results quickly, such as content optimisation, campaign personalisation, lead scoring, and performance analytics. Demonstrating early wins will help build confidence among stakeholders.

• Address trust and governance concerns: Build transparent AI governance frameworks that ensure ethical use, mitigate risks, and address data privacy concerns. Work with legal and IT teams to establish policies that instil confidence in AI systems.

• Upskill your teams: Invest in training to help marketing teams understand and effectively use AI tools. This includes not just technical skills but also the ability to evaluate AI-generated outputs critically.

• Align AI investments with business goals: Partner with IT leaders to ensure technology investments support broader marketing and organisational objectives. AI should enhance, not complicate, existing workflows.

• Experiment and iterate: Pilot AI initiatives on a smaller scale to test their effectiveness. Use these learnings to refine your approach and develop a scalable strategy for broader adoption.

• Set realistic ROI expectations: Communicate that AI’s value may take time to materialise fully. Focus on long-term growth and efficiency gains rather than immediate returns.

By approaching AI with a strategic, measured plan, CMOs can avoid common pitfalls, address decision-makers' concerns, and unlock the transformative potential of AI for their organisations.

Futureproof Your Team’s Capabilities

With 70% of CMOs reporting that their companies lag behind competitors in adopting new technologies, skill gaps are a significant factor exacerbating marketing inefficiencies. Forrester found that only 12% of marketing leaders believe their teams’ current organisational design will meet revenue targets, and just 7% feel their teams possess the right mix of skills and competencies needed for success.

Upskilling is a theme that’s surfaced multiple times throughout this article—and for good reason. To close performance gaps and position marketing teams for the future, CMOs must focus on building adaptable, highly skilled teams. 57% of CMOs say they’re increasing investments in marketing talent, recruitment and training to do just that.

Here’s how to futureproof your team:

• Assess and prioritise key competencies: Start by evaluating your team’s current skill set against your organisation’s strategic goals. Focus on critical areas such as data analytics, martech, AI integration, and customer experience.

• Recruit strategically: Collaborate with HR to identify and recruit talent with the specialised skills your team lacks. Look for candidates with experience in emerging technologies and the ability to adapt to fast-evolving market trends.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning: While structured upskilling programs are valuable, empower teams to pursue ongoing professional development by offering access to certifications, workshops, and relevant industry events.

• Encourage cross-functional collaboration: Break down silos by improving alignment between marketing, sales, and IT teams. Shared objectives and open communication can enhance efficiency and innovation.

• Redesign team structures for agility: Consider revisiting your team’s organisational design to ensure it supports modern marketing strategies. Flexible, cross-functional teams can better address evolving priorities and opportunities.

• Invest in leadership development: Equip your managers and team leaders with the tools to guide their teams effectively, particularly in areas requiring rapid technological adoption or strategic shifts.

By focusing on these actions, CMOs can build teams that are not only equipped to meet today’s challenges but also capable of driving long-term growth and innovation.

Turning Uncertainty into Action

Marketing’s challenges are a call to action. Despite the uncertainty and ambiguity, we're in a moment of immense opportunity. With the right mix of technology, talent, and trust, marketing can be a driving force for business growth and strategic innovation.

However, to do so marketers need to use tightening budgets creatively, move beyond tactical fixes, and invest carefully in solutions capable of delivering transformative customer experiences while building long-term brand equity.

The "how" of realising that requires bold leadership, experimentation, and the courage to break old moulds. It's a time for marketing leaders to step up, think strategically, act collaboratively, and focus on building the infrastructure that will support the next era of B2B marketing.

As the saying goes, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” For marketers willing to embrace the challenge, 2025 won’t just be another difficult year. It can be the year marketing truly transforms business.

Throughout 2025, we'll be diving in depth into the challenges marketing faces and exploring specific strategies for:

• Measuring and optimising the impact of thought leadership on influence and relationship development.

• Using AI to support, not replace, your subject matter experts.

• Using data and marketing automation to enhance personal connections.

• Creating digital experiences that feel as premium as your in-person services.

We’d love for you to come along on the journey with us. 

Ready to tackle your marketing challenges head-on? At 1827 Marketing, we don’t just acknowledge the challenges facing B2B marketers—we help you navigate them with clarity, confidence, and measurable results. Whether it’s closing the implementation gap, building trust through personalised customer experiences, or leveraging AI and data to deliver ROI, we’re here to help.