Marketingtrends 2025

In 2025, artificial intelligence will dominate the marketing landscape as CMOs increasingly lean on AI to drive efficiency and navigate economic turbulence. Facing mixed economic forecasts and tightening budgets, CMOs are seeing AI as a critical tool for process optimization. The annual CMO Barometer 2025, by Serviceplan Group in partnership with the University of St. Gallen (HSG) in Switzerland, provides insight into how marketing leaders from around the globe are preparing for this pivotal year. The study surveyed 835 marketing decision-makers across 11 countries, capturing exclusive insights into their strategies for the upcoming year.

Key findings:

• Stable Economic Sentiment but Pessimistic Trends: A majority of CMOs (51%) expect the economy to stay roughly the same in 2025, but fewer predict budget increases, a dip from last year’s optimism.
• AI as the Top Priority: Nearly half (48%) of CMOs rank AI and marketing automation as their most critical focus for 2025, underscoring the push for automated processes and deeper customer insights.
• Diverse Regional Outlooks on Budgets: CMOs in the Netherlands and Middle East are among the most optimistic about budget growth, while Austria and Germany lean towards potential cuts, reflecting varied market pressures.
• Leadership Skills Still Essential for Success: Despite the surge in AI adoption, CMOs underscore the need for foundational leadership and vision to succeed. Leadership and team-building abilities were cited as top priorities by 38% of respondents.
• The Role of Agency Partners in 2025: Creativity is a Must: Looking to agency partners, CMOs are clear: creative, proactive solutions are top of mind. A substantial 71% expect agencies to bring fresh, “out-of-the-box” ideas.