1. Campaign volume is up, but performance is struggling
Marketing teams are running more campaigns than ever. According to Gartner, campaign volume jumped 31% year-over-year. You’d think that more campaigns would mean more success, but that’s not what’s happening. Nearly 90% of senior marketing executives say they’ve run into serious performance issues in the past year. Even worse, 45% have had to consider shutting campaigns down early because they weren’t delivering results.
The problem is execution. More campaigns mean more complexity, more data silos, and more fragmentation across digital channels. If marketers don’t have clear visibility into performance, they’re flying blind. And in an era where budgets are scrutinized more than ever, running ineffective campaigns is expensive.
Gartner’s research highlights what’s at stake. If marketing leaders want to break out of this cycle, they need better systems, not just more campaigns. Performance tracking has to be seamless, and insights need to be actionable in real-time. Otherwise, teams are launching more campaigns into the void and hoping for the best.
2. Measuring ROI is a persistent challenge
Marketing is packed with data, yet proving ROI remains a major challenge. According to Gartner, 70% of marketing leaders say measuring campaign return on investment is difficult, while 66% struggle to communicate campaign impact to stakeholders. That’s a problem, because if you can’t prove success, securing future investment becomes an uphill battle.
Greg Carlucci, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, explains the core issue: “The benefit of reporting is the ability to get extremely granular on outcomes or actions that customers are taking. However, translating different metric types into singular business outcomes can be more difficult.” In other words, there’s no lack of data—there’s a lack of clarity.
Executives don’t want a flood of disconnected metrics. They want clear answers: Is this campaign driving growth? Is it increasing market share? Too often, marketing reports are a mix of different engagement metrics that don’t tell a cohesive story. The solution isn’t collecting more data—it’s structuring it in a way that aligns with business objectives. Marketing leaders who crack this will have an undeniable advantage.
3. Budget pressures are limiting execution
Marketers are battling performance issues with limited resources. Right now, only 45% of the typical marketing budget goes to campaigns. The other 55%? It’s being spent on technology and transformation. This might make sense in the long run, but in the short term, it leaves marketers without enough funding to execute effectively.
Gartner’s research shows that 68% of marketers say they struggle to find the budget to manage campaign resources properly. That’s not surprising. When budgets are split between execution and tech investment, something has to give. Right now, execution is losing.
For business leaders, the key takeaway is simple: If you want marketing to drive real impact, it needs the funding to do so. This isn’t about throwing money at the problem. It’s about making sure budgets are aligned with objectives. If 55% of spend goes to transformation but marketers lack the resources to execute well, then priorities need adjusting. Cutting campaign budgets to fund tech investments is like upgrading a car’s engine but not putting gas in the tank.
4. Channel fragmentation and data silos are holding marketers back
The digital landscape is complex, and marketing teams are feeling the strain. Campaigns today span multiple platforms, each with its own data streams, performance metrics, and customer behaviors. The result? Fragmentation. Data is scattered across tools, making it difficult to get a clear picture of what’s working.
Greg Carlucci at Gartner calls this out: “Issues are caused by a combination of the volume of campaigns, as well as the amount of channel fragmentation and data silos that just exist as a natural byproduct of the digital world that marketers are operating in. Combining those into singular stories can be challenging.”
For executives, this signals an urgent need for integration. If marketing teams can’t consolidate their data, they can’t optimize their campaigns. Leaders should push for solutions that unify data streams and simplify reporting. AI and automation can play a big role here, helping marketers process complex datasets and identify meaningful insights faster. The goal is simple: Marketing decisions should be based on real-time intelligence, not guesswork.
5. High-performing marketers are using strategy and AI to win
While most marketers are struggling, some are thriving. Gartner’s research found that 19% of marketing teams—classified as “high performers”—consistently meet campaign goals and drive strong engagement. What’s their edge? A clear strategy, strong cross-department collaboration, and smart adoption of AI.
Greg Carlucci breaks it down: “The biggest differences between the high performers and the rest were centered around channel strategy and objectives, as well as governance around what the roles are for the channels.” They know exactly what each channel is responsible for, and they align everything with business objectives.
Another key difference is their approach to AI. High performers use AI for automation and for strategic decision-making. AI helps them analyze customer behavior, optimize campaigns in real time, and predict which strategies will work best.
“For executives, the message is clear: Winning in marketing today requires smarter spending more. The best teams refine every aspect of their approach with data, strategy, and AI. That’s where the future of marketing is headed, and those who adapt will lead.”
Key executive takeaways
- More campaigns, more problems: Marketing teams are launching 31% more campaigns year-over-year, but 87% report performance issues. Leaders should focus on quality over quantity by improving execution and measurement rather than simply increasing volume.
- Proving ROI is a major challenge: With 70% of marketers struggling to measure ROI and 66% unable to demonstrate impact, decision-makers must push for unified measurement frameworks that connect marketing efforts directly to business outcomes.
- Budget allocation is misaligned: Only 45% of marketing budgets go to campaigns, while 55% is spent on technology and transformation. Executives should reassess budget priorities to ensure campaign execution is not underfunded.
- Fragmented channels and data silos block insights: Marketing teams are drowning in disconnected data, making it hard to track performance. Leaders should prioritize AI-driven integration tools that unify insights and improve real-time decision-making.
- High performers win with strategy and AI: The top 19% of marketers succeed by aligning channel strategy with business goals, fostering C-suite collaboration, and leveraging AI. Organizations that adopt these best practices will see stronger engagement and results.
