The 2025 B2B Marketing Edge

79% of B2B marketers have taken on new responsibilities in the last year. Marketers are quickly adapting and evolving to keep pace with the current marketing landscape and meet buyer expectations.

Even with the rapid growth expected of the modern B2B marketer, our survey respondents are generally positive about the future success of their marketing efforts, with 97% reporting a somewhat or very positive outlook. And of that group, 59% have an extremely positive outlook on the success of their current efforts. Where there’s pressure to stretch their abilities and adapt to constant changes, B2B marketers welcome and rise to the challenge. They have the data they need and know how to use it to drive results. B2B marketers are contributing to organizational success across in many ways. Marketers wear many hats, but we also see specialization. Only two thirds said they are focused on driving revenue growth, while just over half focus on brand awareness and positioning, for example.

Data Heroes are more likely to use a wide variety of data, particularly intent data.

Data Heroes are more likely to identify as specialists and are willing put in the work needed to make the most of their data and continue to improve. They are striving for improvement, citing low data quality as their most critical challenge in leveraging data effectively more than their non-Data Hero counterparts! They are also much more likely to (correctly) note that data privacy and regulatory compliance affects their job responsibilities.

Data Heroes reap the rewards from their focus on data. 64% have significantly exceeded their goals compared to only 19% of other marketers and the vast majority have a very positive outlook on the success of their current marketing efforts. 

Our high performers—Growth Gurus and Data Heroes (two groups that overlap significantly, by 71%)—show significantly higher intent data usage. Both groups are more likely to be using it across most channels. They see intent working in their programs and they trust it will continue to drive growth.

Intent data users aren’t limiting themselves to one or two channels. They’re applying intent data across channels and both groups are most likely to apply intent data on their website and for search marketing. Growth Gurus in particular are much more likely than other marketers to be using intent data to fuel email, website, search, ABM and more.

Marketers use AI to move faster and measure smarter. From personalizing campaigns at scale, to delivering custom nurture emails based on intent, to analyzing large amounts of performance data and suggesting optimizations to improve, the applications for AI in marketing are endless. But, to effectively use AI, marketers need high-quality data. Marketers seeing the biggest gains are those with strong data foundations. Among Growth Gurus, 73% report time savings and efficiency gains from AI, compared to 41% of others—using it to scale, personalize, and test more efficiently.

AI is also helping marketers grow. Over half of enterprise marketers say it improves both efficiency and professional development. Younger marketers feel this most: 55% of Gen Z and Millennials say AI saves time, and 57% say it helps them grow, compared to 44% and 40% of older peers.

Marketers who trust their data—and know how to apply it—are turning AI into a performance multiplier.

74% of B2B marketers launch campaigns within 16-60 days. This is the industry standard: balancing speed with strategic planning.

Growth Gurus have figured out how to get their campaigns to market faster. This group is 3x more likely than others to launch campaigns in less than 15 days. The ability to execute rapidly gives these companies an advantage.

Fast execution is a hallmark of high-growth marketing organizations. B2B marketers who can launch campaigns quickly grow their pipeline, allowing them to generate leads more efficiently and convert prospects before competitors. They’re able to move quickly because they have the right data.

Growth Gurus are much more likely to use a variety of data, including intent data, building strong intent-driven strategies that help them make campaign decisions and target effectively. They know their data strategies are working. They’re 2.4x more likely to say they are using the right data and can prove it in their pipeline. This confidence lets them take the guesswork out of their go-to-market strategy and accelerate their results.

It’s nearly impossible to do everything yourself and do it all well. That’s why almost all B2B marketers use external expertise in at least one channel. Marketers most frequently outsource search engine marketing and social media, while website personalization, email marketing, and programmatic advertising are also outsourced by about one-third of those surveyed.

Growth Gurus are significantly more likely to outsource or partner with a vendor across all areas listed. The most notable gaps include programmatic advertising (1.4x more likely) and ABM campaigns (1.6x more likely).

They’re also 1.6x more likely to use content syndication, recognizing its value in driving reach, scale, and qualified leads. This signals a broader mindset: Growth Gurus don’t just do more—they partner smarter.