The world is in a strange place right now.
Tariffs, layoffs and economic uncertainty are casting a lengthy shadow over the global economy. Projected annual global growth of 3.3% at the start of 2025 had fallen to 2.8% by April. That’s well below the 2000-2019 average, and marketing teams are feeling it. Research reveals that nearly two-thirds of global marketers are having to make do with flat (31%) or sinking budgets (32%).
At the same time, not everyone is feeling the heat. High-performing teams have cracked the code— not necessarily because they have more headcount and money to spend, but because they’re using these resources more wisely. With the right data, content and tech strategy, there’s no reason why more can’t follow in their footsteps.
It’s Challenging Out There
Economic headwinds are gaining force. Bond market jitters continue to escalate following the current US administration’s tariff announcements. The IMF has downgraded the country’s annual growth forecast to 1.8% for the year, slightly above that of “advanced economies” (1.4%) but well below the global figure. Major layoffs have been announced at major technology companies .
So it’s perhaps not surprising that nearly half (45%) of global marketing teams surveyed in the 2025 State of B2B Pipeline Growth research cite economic uncertainty as their top challenge— significantly more than any other answer. A third also make note of resource challenges, with three-fifths seeing staff levels flatline or decline over the past year.
This uncertainty is forcing marketers to be more pragmatic. Revenue generated— monitored by 42% of survey respondents— has risen to near the top of tracked KPIs. It’s even more important to high-performing teams, confirming that marketers laser-focused on results have little time for vanity metrics. Everything they do is about increasing ROI.
Starts with Data
The question is how U.S. and global marketing teams can emulate and join those leading the pack. Our research outlines six strategic drivers of success, but let’s tackle the first three here.
Strong marketing efforts begin with data. A company’s ability to collect, analyze and interpret data can have a significant impact on the success of its marketing strategy and its ability to measure that success. Yet over half (54%) of global marketers admit that improvement is needed in this area, with many citing “inconsistent” data collection and a lack of actionable insight. It’s the area featuring the biggest gap between high and low-performing teams. Over three-quarters (79%) of the former claim their data-handling capabilities are “very good” or “excellent,” while just 14% of low performers say the same.
Better data means better decision making, and clearer reporting to drive leadership buy-in. Marketers need to fill any gaps they may have with third-party datasets, prioritizing quality, compliance, and accuracy as they go. They should also focus on data that can help them target buying groups and identify individuals in those groups.
Improving Content for Enhanced Engagement
An optimized data strategy empowers marketers to deliver more relevant content for these individuals and groups, positively impacting all areas of the funnel— particularly lead generation and lead nurturing. Around half of global marketers identify data-driven personalization as the top way to improve lead nurturing. Yet a similar share are dissatisfied with their ability to reach and engage target audiences.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools could be a great way to improve content relevance and engagement—by offering a more effective means to drive customer insights and segmentation, and to scale personalization efforts. Crucially, AI can help marketing teams do both while preserving budget and headcount.
Getting the Tech Right
The elephant in the room here is technology. Do marketers have the tools to make these strategic plans a reality? Unfortunately, most (57%) are dissatisfied with their current tech stacks. They’re frequently branded “overwhelming,” “disorganized” and “limited.” And although US marketers are more satisfied with their tools than their global peers, less than two-fifths describe them as “streamlined and effective.”
The challenge for many teams is tool bloat. The average go-to-market stack now features as many as 23 or more discrete products. They sap resources and productivity, creating friction rather than insight. It’s telling that 72% of high performers have streamlined tech stacks, versus just 12% of low performers.
This is where Demand-as-a-Service (DaaS) comes in. A fully managed and outsourced demand generation service, it acts as an extension of your marketing team, covering everything from strategy development, to content creation and syndication, data targeting, display ads and ongoing optimization. It will free up internal resources to focus on higher value tasks, while delivering a consistent and predictable flow of high-quality leads for the sales pipeline.
Only 27% of global marketers say they plan to allocate significant investments from 2025 budgets to technology and marketing ops. The truth is you don’t need to spend the earth to join the high performers. But it is time to consider whether outsourcing the heavy lifting will help you get there faster.
In part two publishing next week, Matt will detail how improving buyer engagement, better aligning sales and marketing, and enhancing lead nurturing to prosper in today’s market.
Matt Hummel serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at Pipeline360, where he leads the development and execution of strategic marketing initiatives to enhance the customer experience, accelerate growth, foster cultural evolution, and deliver on the company vision. Drawing from his extensive experience as a multi-time customer of Pipeline360, Matt brings a unique perspective and a deep passion for delivering exceptional business and customer value. After starting his career in advertising and public relations, Matt found his passion for B2B marketing, spending more than a decade at leading global financial services organizations including Deloitte. Most recently, Matt led Digital Marketing at Demandbase, and prior to that had senior leadership roles at leading SaaS companies including RealPage, Social Solutions, and Thomson Reuters, where he built and led teams that consistently drove profitable growth. Matt is a graduate from the University of North Texas where he holds a degree in Marketing.
