1、The 2025 pulse of marketing report|1Available10%85%for 20 daysVideo Storyboard+Proof Review RequestJust now by Smartsheet AutomationTHE 2025 PULSE OF MARKETING REPORTBridging the gap between marketing work and business impactInsights from 1200+marketing professionalsThe 2025 pulse of marketing repor

2、t|2ContentsExecutive summary Pressures on:The growing need for measurable value The hard truth:The challenges of quantifying the results of your work Tech-driven innovation:The key to proving your impact From chaos to clarity:Overcoming the barriers of connecting work to impact Methodology About 346

3、10151618The 2025 pulse of marketing report|3Executive summaryMarketing and creative professionals are key players in any modern business.They bring brands to life through compelling content that engages audiences and drives action,while adapting quickly to meet shifting campaign goals in a fast-pace

4、d market.However,theyre often also expected to demonstrate how their work is driving business impact,which adds pressure to prove their strategic value within an organization.To better understand the challenges marketing and creative professionals are facing when demonstrating their value as strateg

5、ic partners,Smartsheet commissioned a survey of 1,242 marketing and creative professionals.The findings highlighted that despite growing pressure,many still face significant challenges when proving their strategic value.The research also revealed some key insights that will better equip marketing an

6、d creative professionals to demonstrate business impact and be seen as strategic partners in 2025.Proving the impact of marketing and creative work has always been a challenge,but in todays fast-paced business environment where strategies are constantly evolving to keep up with disruption its become

7、 even more difficult.In this report,we explore how to bridge the gap between marketing initiatives and measurable business outcomes,offering insights into how teams can better demonstrate their value in an ever-changing landscape.What challenges do marketers and creatives face when they need to show

8、 the impact of their work?Do marketers and creatives have access to the technology they need to do their job effectively?What tools do marketers and creatives need to do their job more efficiently?In the report,well uncover answers to questions,such as:Key TakeawaysThe 2025 pulse of marketing report

9、|3Recognition as strategic partners is lacking for many:Only 51%report that their marketing team is viewed as a strategic partner by the organization.Pressure is rising:83%of professionals feel pressure to demonstrate the business impact of their work,with 60%noting the pressure has increased in the

10、 past year.Shifts in strategy are making it more difficult to prove impact:95%attribute their difficulties in demonstrating impact to changes in company strategy.Standardized processes and visibility are crucial:Improved processes and visibility into project and campaign data are key to enabling bet

11、ter decision-making and demonstrating impact.Proving impact is hard,and technology can help:87%believe better tools would help them work more efficiently,with project management tools and AI being top priorities.The 2025 pulse of marketing report|4Pressures on:The growing need for measurable valueMa

12、rketers and creatives feel a lot of pressure to demonstrate a positive business impactWork can be hard!The pressure that marketing and creative professionals feel at work can come from various places.Not only do they have to do their work,they have to ensure that their management and peers understan

13、d their contributions.Employees who feel pressure at work are not alone.The research shows that this is normal 83%of marketing and creative professionals report they feel pressure to demonstrate that their work supports a positive business impact.Notably,this includes 63%who characterize the pressur

14、e they feel as“constantly”(24%)or“frequently”(38%).Pressure to demonstrate a positive business impact is on the riseWith the new reality of being asked to“do more with less,”marketing and creative stakeholders feel an increase in the pressure to demonstrate their contribution to business outcomes,wi

15、th more than twice as many saying they have felt more pressure in the past year than those who said they felt less pressure in the past year.Intensifying that pressure,marketing and creative professionals often feel theyre being evaluated unfairly against other teams.More than three-quarters(78%)fee

16、l they have to prove that they add value to their organizations more than other departments or roles do.INSIGHT#1OccasionallyRarelyNeverConstantly FrequentlySameLessMoreHow often do you feel pressure to demonstrate that your work supports positive business impact?How has that pressure to demonstrate

17、 that your work supports positive business impact changed in the past year?15%24%38%20%2%n=1242(All)n=1218(“Never”feel pressure not asked)60%17%23%The 2025 pulse of marketing report|5Only half of marketing teams are perceived as strategic partners in their organization There are many different varia

18、bles that affect how marketing employees are able to demonstrate their business impact,including how their team is perceived within the organization.Only half(51%)of marketing and creative stakeholders feel their organization views the marketing team as strategic partners.INSIGHT#1:PRESSURES ON Mark

19、eting sits in the background of our organization.A lot of times people dont even know the names of the people who work in our marketing department because it feels a lot like one of those support services that just magically takes place in the background.”Angie Badgett Global Project Management and

20、Strategic Solutions,CelerionThe perception of the Marketing Team is varied across the organization and I think thats indicative that there isnt really a clear way for us to show what we do across the company in a quick,easy,efficient way.”Sara Cook Director of Brand Management&Content,Homecare Homeb

21、aseThe 2025 pulse of marketing report|5Which of the following statements best describes how the marketing team thinks they are perceived at your organization?n=1242(All)51%30%1%17%A value-add team that goes beyond assigned tasksA group that fulfills requests that are assigned to themA cost center th

22、at is a necessary evilA strategic partner that understands goals and adds strategic valueThe 2025 pulse of marketing report|6The hard truth:The challenges of quantifying the results of your workShifting strategies and competing priorities are some of the top challenges marketing and creative profess

23、ionals face when it comes to demonstrating the business impact of their work.A lack of visibility and access to key data also complicates decision-making,revealing the need for better tools and centralized information to help these teams showcase their value effectively.Marketers and creatives strug

24、gle to demonstrate their personal business impactBeing able to showcase the contribution your work is making to business outcomes isnt always easy.The vast majority(94%)of marketing and creative professionals say they face challenges when they need to demonstrate the business impact of their work.Wh

25、y?Shifts in strategic plans(46%)and limited internal resourcing(42%)top the list.The other top challenges that marketing and creative teams face include disjoined workflows between teams(38%),lack of access to centralized data(37%),management doesnt understand what I do(30%),and unsure of how my wor

26、k connects to business objectives(28%).INSIGHT#220%40%60%0%Shifts in strategic plansLimited internal resourcingDisjoined workflows between teamsNoneManager doesnt understand what I doLack of access to centralized dataWhat challenges do you face when you need to demonstrate the business impact of you

27、r work?46%42%38%37%30%28%6%Unsure how my work connects to business objectivesn=1237(“Not applicable”excluded)The 2025 pulse of marketing report|7Shifts in strategy make it more difficult to prove impactWhat happens when company priorities shift and strategies are constantly changing?For many marketi

28、ng and creative teams,this is a reality and it definitely has an impact.The vast majority(95%)report that changes to priorities and strategy result in their organization not realizing the full business impact of their contributions,with almost a quarter(21%)saying this happens“frequently.”Interestin

29、gly,the research revealed that marketing and creative stakeholders who feel pressure to demonstrate business impact are also the ones who have their priorities changed most frequently(54%).This constant shifting of priorities not only heightens pressure but also disrupts teams ability to consistentl

30、y demonstrate their impact in a meaningful way.Competing priorities lead to increased pressureThere are many types of pressures that any professional must deal with.When pressures are coming from multiple directions,it can be particularly burdensome.In addition to the increase in pressure to demonst

31、rate business impact that we discussed above,marketing and creative professionals also face pressure with changing strategies.Half(50%)say they have felt increased pressure in the past year to deal with competing business priorities.Although they will typically collaborate on projects,marketing and

32、creative professionals have different experiences when it comes to feeling the effects of pressure.Marketers are notably more likely to report feeling pressure to deal with competing business priorities(53%)than their counterparts in creative roles(43%).MarketingCreative20%40%60%0%MoreSameLessN/AHow

33、 has the pressure you feel to deal with competing business priorities changed?By job function in the past year53%21%26%1%3%43%31%22%INSIGHT#2:THE HARD TRUTH RarelyNeverFrequentlySometimesHow often do changes to priorities and strategy result in your organization not realizing the full impact of your

34、 work?How has that pressure you feel to deal with competing business priorities at work changed in the past year?n=1238(“Not applicable”excluded)n=1242(All)n=1242(All)21%48%26%5%LessN/AMoreSame50%25%24%2%The 2025 pulse of marketing report|8Marketers and creatives cite a wide range of challenges when

35、 making decisionsHaving access to the right information to make business decisions is critical for marketing and creative professionals.However,95%say they face challenges when they need to make business decisions.The biggest challenge reported is that information has to be accessed across different

36、 departments or teams(37%).Conflicting data from multiple sources(34%)and the need for multiple platforms and logins(33%)also top the list.Other challenges include having tedious manual processes required to collect data(31%),data resides across multiple systems that are poorly integrated(30%),lack

37、of access to real-time data(28%),data is unreliable(28%),and unsure of where or how to find the information needed(20%)were also reported.Visibility into data would enable better and more informed decision-makingIt is imperative that marketing and creative stakeholders have visibility into the right

38、 information related to campaigns and projects to make business decisions,yet over half(53%)say they lack this.INSIGHT#2:THE HARD TRUTH 20%40%0%Information has to be accessed across different teamsData is unreliable(incomplete or not kept up to date)Conflicting data from multiple sourcesUnsure of wh

39、ere or how to find the information neededMultiple platforms and logins are requiredNo challengesData resides across multiple poorly integrated systemsTedious manual processes required to collect dataWhat challenges do you face when you need to make business decisions?37%34%33%31%30%28%28%28%20%5%Lac

40、k of access to real-time dataLack of process,systems,or trackingHow often do you feel you have visibility into the right information when you are making business decisions?n=1241(“Not applicable”excluded)n=1242(All)SometimesRarelyNeverAlways47%45%8%.2%The 2025 pulse of marketing report|9Larger compa

41、nies(more than 10,000 employees)report having less visibility and say they feel more pressure to demonstrate business impact“frequently”or“constantly.”The pressure to demonstrate business impact increases with company size.While over half(58%)of marketing and creative stakeholders working at compani

42、es with 200-2,000 employees say they feel the pressure to justify their contributions“constantly”or“frequently,”this same number increased among those working for companies with 2,000-10,000 employees(64%)and jumped again among those working for companies with more than 10,000 employees(69%).Would b

43、etter visibility into project or campaign data solve the challenges reported that create barriers to effective decision-making?Marketing and creative professionals think so,with the vast majority(94%)saying having better visibility would enable them to make better business decisions.The desire to ha

44、ve better visibility into information to make better business decisions is consistently high among companies of different sizes and is particularly high at smaller companies.Almost all(98%)companies with 200-2,000 employees say better visibility would enable them to make better business decisions,fa

45、r higher than their counterparts at companies with more than 10,000 employees(86%).This research indicates that having access to high-quality data significantly enhances team reputation.There is a strong correlation between employees who say they“always”have visibility into the right information whe

46、n making business decisions and those who say the marketing team is perceived as a strategic partner(57%).INSIGHT#2:THE HARD TRUTH 200-2,000 employees(n=426)2,000-10,000 employees(n=539)10,000 employees(n=276)20%40%60%0%AlwaysSometimesRarelyNeverHow often do you feel you have visibility into the rig

47、ht information you need when you are making business decisions?By company size51%41%8%5%48%46%6%12%47%0%41%4%200-2,000 employees(n=379)2,000-10,000 employees(n=557)10,000 employees(n=289)20%40%80%100%60%0%YesNoWould having better visibility enable you to make better business decisions?By company siz

48、e98%14%2%86%95%5%n=1241(“Not applicable excluded)n=1225(“I dont know”excluded)The 2025 pulse of marketing report|10Tech-driven innovation:The key to proving your impactInadequate tools and fragmented data are some of the main challenges marketing and creative professionals face in proving the busine

49、ss impact.Technology,particularly AI and project management tools,such as Smartsheet,offer a solution by streamlining workflows,improving efficiency,and enabling teams to better demonstrate their strategic value.Marketing and creative stakeholders want access to better toolsTechnology is not only ke

50、y for employees to have visibility into project or campaign information in order to make business decisions,but it also helps them demonstrate their impact.Unfortunately,half(51%)of marketing and creative professionals report that they dont have access to the tools and resources they need to demonst

51、rate their business impact.However,there is room for improvement because 87%of marketing and creative professionals say they could use their time more effectively if they had access to better tools.INSIGHT#3Agree DisagreeYesNo“My team does not have the tools and resources we need to demonstrate the

52、business impact of our marketing work.”If you had access to better tools,could you use your time more effectively?n=1237(“No opinion”excluded)n=1231(“I dont know”excluded)51%49%87%13%The 2025 pulse of marketing report|11Teams are wasting valuable time switching between toolsOrganizations often use a

53、 variety of tools to complete different tasks.This can require employees to have different logins to use multiple platforms to accomplish a single task.This is an imperfect system that leaves room for error when there is conflicting data or requires additional manual work to deliver a project or cam

54、paign.Almost three-quarters(72%)of marketing and creative stakeholders report wasting five or more hours a week switching between tools to complete tasks,with an average of 7.3 hours lost per week.In the context of demonstrating value,more than two-thirds(68%)say tedious tasks,like switching between

55、 tools,makes it difficult to prove their impact effectively.INSIGHT#3:TECH-DRIVEN INNOVATION7.3HOURSOn average,more than seven hours are lost per week switching between different tools to complete tasks.Agree Disagree“Tedious tasks like switching tools make it difficult to effectively prove my impac

56、t.”n=1231(“No opinion”excluded”)How often do you feel you have visibility into the right information when you are making business decisions?n=1242(All)4 or less hours5-10 hours11-15 hours 15 hoursNoneN/A68%32%27%5%.2%1%50%16%The 2025 pulse of marketing report|11The 2025 pulse of marketing report|12T

57、ools are used ubiquitously to demonstrate business impactWhat are the tools(reporting,project tracking,etc.)that marketers and creatives use to demonstrate the business impact of their work to management and colleagues?The research shows that tools are used ubiquitously(98.8%)to demonstrate the busi

58、ness impact of work.AI has emerged as the most widely used tool for demonstrating business impact,with half of marketing and creative professionals relying on it to showcase their contributions.Alongside AI,tools like data analytics,project management platforms,and CRM are commonly utilized to provi

59、de evidence of impact.The inability to easily access information about projects or campaigns to make business decisions is an obvious problem.Astonishingly,only 16%of marketing and creative stakeholders say they can easily access information on their own in one place to make business decisions.Havin

60、g to use multiple tools,rely on people in various departments or roles,or use a variety of tools or people to access information is a burden that organizations need to understand.INSIGHT#3:TECH-DRIVEN INNOVATION20%40%60%0%AI(Artificial Intelligence)Digital asset managementData analyticsBasic project

61、 reportsCalenderingProject management platformAutomationNoneSpreadsheets or other manual tracking methodsCustomer Relationship Management(CRM)What types of tools are you currently using to effectively demonstrate the business impact of your work to management and colleagues?50%48%47%46%41%40%38%36%3

62、5%22%28%.2%Collaborative work management softwareReal-time project dashboardsWhich of the following best describes your ability to access project information in order to make business decisions?n=1239(“Not applicable”excluded)n=1241(“I dont know”excluded)19%22%16%44%Easily access project information

63、 on my own in one placeNeed to use multiple tools to find the information I needUse a variety of tools or people to access the information I needRely on people in multiple departments or roles to send me the information I needThe 2025 pulse of marketing report|13AI is broadly used by marketing and c

64、reative stakeholdersUsing AI in the workplace is becoming more and more common as it is integrated into new and existing tools that can be used in a multitude of ways.We saw above that AI is the top tool used to demonstrate business impact.In addition,marketing and creative professionals say they us

65、e AI to support their efforts in many different ways,including using AI for analytics and reporting(61%),automation or process optimization(53%),generating content(50%),content optimizations(50%),as well as strategy and planning(41%).AI is having a huge impact on productivityThere is often a combina

66、tion of fear and excitement associated with using AI,but the benefits are clear for marketing and creative professionals AI is having a positive effect on productivity.This research found that marketers and creatives save an average of more than nine hours per week using AI at work.The majority(84%)

67、report saving approximately five or more hours per week using AI at work,including 30%that save more than 10 hours per week.INSIGHT#3:TECH-DRIVEN INNOVATIONOn average,approximately how many hours per week do you think you save by using AI at work?20%40%60%80%0%Analytics and reportingAutomation or pr

68、ocess optimizationGenerate contentContent optimizationsStrategy and planningI dont use AI in my workWhich of the following tasks do you use AI to support your efforts?61%53%50%50%41%3%n=1239(“I dont know”excluded)n=1205(“I dont use AI in my work”not asked;“I dont know”excluded)4 or less hours5-10 ho

69、urs11-15 hours 15 hoursNone16%54%21%.1%9%9.1HOURSOn average,more than nine hours are saved per week by using AI at work.The 2025 pulse of marketing report|13The 2025 pulse of marketing report|14Standardized processes and project management tools can helpHow can project and campaign efficiency be imp

70、roved?Marketing and creative stakeholders(84%)largely agree that having standardized processes in place can have a positive impact.There is always an opportunity for improvement,and 99.5%of marketing and creative professionals say their organization would benefit from additional technical capabiliti

71、es.What do marketing and creative professionals want?Project management tools(64%)are at the top of the list.Consistent with other findings,AI tools(60%)are also reported as a capability that would benefit organizations.Automated workflows(58%)and standardized processes(54%)were also selected by mor

72、e than half of the participants.INSIGHT#3:TECH-DRIVEN INNOVATION20%40%60%80%0%Project management toolsAI toolsAutomated workflowsStandardized processesNoneIn your opinion,which of the following capabilities would benefit your organization?64%58%60%54%.5%n=1239(“No opinion”excluded)2/3of marketing an

73、d creative professionals believe their organizations would benefit from project management tools.Agree Disagree“Standardized processes have a positive impact on project and campaign efficiency.”n=1229(“No opinion”excluded)84%16%The 2025 pulse of marketing report|14The 2025 pulse of marketing report|

74、15This research underscores the growing pressure marketing and creative professionals face to demonstrate the business impact of their work.As organizations increasingly expect marketing teams to prove their value to broader business outcomes,the struggle to be viewed by the rest of the organization

75、 as a strategic partner only increases.Many professionals are facing obstacles like shifting priorities,limited resources,and disjointed workflows that prevent them from effectively demonstrating their impact.Nearly all respondents agreed that greater visibility into project and campaign data would

76、enhance their decision-making and help bridge the gap between work and impact.Unfortunately,the lack of visibility into critical information and the need to use multiple tools are common barriers that complicate their ability to report on their business contributions.Technology is clearly a crucial

77、enabler in overcoming these challenges.AI tools,in particular,have proven to be a game-changer,saving marketing and creative professionals significant time each week,allowing them to focus on strategic tasks and proving the impact of their hard work.As organizations continue to demand more from thei

78、r marketing and creative teams,investing in the right technology and streamlining workflows will be key to empowering these professionals to demonstrate their value and succeed in a fast-paced,high-pressure environment.Ready to take the first step toward overcoming these challenges?Lets get started.

79、From chaos to clarity:Overcoming the barriers of connecting work to impactLearn more about how you can manage your marketing and creative work within a single platform.Watch a demoShow me howThe 2025 pulse of marketing report|16Marketing and creative professionals were invited to participate in an o

80、nline survey.A total of 1,242 qualified individuals with job responsibilities for marketing,creative,or creative operations at companies with more than 200 employees in the United States completed the survey.Participants included a mix of ages,job levels,job functions,company sizes,and industries.Th

81、e survey was fielded in September 2024.Due to rounding,certain graph options may not add up to exactly 100%.Survey methodology and participant demographics“Business impact”For this survey,“business impact”is defined as the direct support of business objectives.Think of this as value or return on wor

82、k initiatives(what can be measured in financial terms,amount of effort required,number of projects or tasks successfully executed,etc.)Gen X Baby boomerGen ZMillennialIndividual contributorExecutiveDirectorPeople managerGenerationJob leveln=1242(All)n=1242(All)50%26%14%10%40%20%20%20%The 2025 pulse

83、of marketing report|17Survey methodology and participant demographics“Marketing and creative professionals”For this survey,”marketers”are defined as professionals who develop or execute strategies or messaging to promote products,services,and/or their organizations brand through marketing initiative

84、s.“Creatives”are defined as professionals who develop creative concepts or content through visual and written communications to support marketing initiatives or those who manage and optimize creative operations,including the processes,systems,and resources necessary for creative work.The 2025 pulse

85、of marketing report|17 10,000 employees200-2,000 employees2,000-10,000 employeesCompany sizeJob functionCreativesMarketersn=1242(All)n=1242(All)30%70%34%43%22%The 2025 pulse of marketing report|18About Dimensional ResearchAbout SmartsheetDimensional Research provides practical market research to hel

86、p technology companies make their customers more successful.Our researchers are experts in the people,processes,and technology of corporate IT.We understand how technology organizations operate to meet the needs of their business stakeholders.We partner with our clients to deliver actionable informa

87、tion that reduces risks,increases customer satisfaction,and grows the business.For more information,visit .Smartsheet is the modern enterprise work management platform trusted by millions of people at companies across the globe,including approximately 85%of the 2024 Fortune 500 companies.As a pioneer and market leader in this category,Smartsheet delivers powerful solutions fueling performance and driving the next wave of innovation.Visit to learn more.2024.All Rights Reserved.Smartsheet Inc.