We’ve just released The 2025 B2B Marketing Edge report with Ascend2, and the results are both energising and familiar to anyone working in B2B marketing here in the UK. Marketers across the region are doing more than ever — and somehow, doing it better.
According to our research, 79% of B2B marketers have taken on new responsibilities in the past year, and yet optimism is sky-high. Nearly every marketer we spoke to described their outlook as positive, with more than half saying they feel extremely confident about their success going into 2026.
It’s a clear signal that UK marketers aren’t just adapting, they’re leading the charge.
One of the most striking findings from our report is the performance gap between specialists and generalists. Specialists were 2.4 times more likely to achieve significant revenue growth than their generalist peers.
That absolutely reflects what we’re seeing across our UK client base. The most successful marketing teams aren’t trying to do it all — they’re sharpening focus. Whether that’s deepening expertise in data strategy, demand generation, or customer growth, they’re investing where it truly drives revenue and partnering for everything else.
The era of trying to juggle every channel and task internally is ending. For 2026, focus and precision will define the leaders.
Across EMEA, we found that marketers who trust their data are three times more likely to report revenue growth. It’s no surprise that UK marketers are doubling down on data quality and governance. Clean, reliable data is now the difference between moving fast and second-guessing every decision.
Our “Data Heroes” — the marketers who are truly confident in their data — now make up 44% of the total, up from just 27% two years ago. These marketers move with precision, not hesitation, and that mindset is fast becoming a hallmark of success here.
We also found that our high-growth marketers, we call them “Growth Gurus”, are three times more likely to launch campaigns in under 15 days. That’s extraordinary when you think about the usual approval chains and creative reviews most teams contend with.
Among our UK clients, we’re seeing the same trend: streamlined sign-offs, smaller agile teams, and more testing in market. “Done” really is better than “perfect” when speed means you can learn and optimise faster than the competition.
With third-party cookies on the way out, it’s no shock that 70% of Growth Gurus are increasing their use of first-party data. Marketers here are getting serious about earning audience trust and collecting data directly through meaningful interactions — not borrowed signals.
That’s a particularly strong trend across the UK and wider EMEA region, where data privacy expectations are high and transparency builds real brand value.
AI continues to be the year’s buzzword, but our data shows it’s delivering real value — when it’s powered by strong data foundations. Nearly three-quarters of Growth Gurus told us AI saves them time and makes their work more efficient, compared with just 41% of their peers.
Here in the UK, we’re seeing clients use AI for personalisation, performance analysis, and campaign orchestration. It’s not replacing creativity — it’s freeing it up.
If there’s one clear message from our report, it’s this: the marketers who thrive next year will be those who balance agility with focus.
In the UK and across EMEA, the winning formula is already taking shape:
B2B marketing is changing quickly, but as our report shows, so are the marketers behind it. And from where we sit in the UK, the future looks anything but flat.
Read the full report: The 2025 B2B Marketing Edge: EMEA Edition
See how data-confident marketers across the UK and EMEA are accelerating growth — and what you can steal for your 2026 plan.