What's keeping marketers up at night?

These forces are creating seismic changes, leaving marketing leaders grappling with a host of new challenges. Chief among them are concerns about budget allocations, the increasing role of AI, and the age-old tension between marketing and sales. As businesses seek immediate returns, marketers are finding it harder to prove their value and carve out a space for long-term strategic impact. 

Yet, the road ahead isn’t all gloom. Marketers who embrace change, adapt, and leverage new opportunities—like AI—will find that the opportunities far outweigh the obstacles. Success is within reach if they stay the course.

‍Here’s a look at the key issues keeping marketers up at night: 

The budget tug-of-war between sales vs marketing

Marketers today are locked in a constant struggle to justify their budgets—especially when sales teams often get the final say. 

When economic times are tough, the C-suite demands quick results, and the return on investment (ROI) for sales is often more tangible than for marketing​​. This has long led to the perception of marketing as a “colouring-in department,” relegated to a supporting role while sales get credit for delivering hard numbers.

The battle over budget is most evident when marketing initiatives are sidelined in favour of sales-driven events. Time and again, marketers find themselves fighting for their share of the budget, only to see it reallocated for short-term sales activities. 

This constant de-prioritisation of brand-building efforts makes it harder to execute other marketing activities effectively—and risks causing potential long-term damage to the business. Marketers are left struggling to prove that their work—from awareness-building to driving engagement—can be just as valuable as immediate sales figures. 

Is AI a friend or foe for marketers? 

On one hand, AI promises to revolutionise how content is created, data is analysed, and customer experiences are managed. AI is already widely adopted in marketing, with 69.1% of marketers reporting they have integrated AI into their operations.

On the other hand, it raises fears of job displacement. As AI adoption is expected to jump in the coming years​​, marketers are increasingly worried about whether their roles will become obsolete.

AI is automating a host of tasks—like segmentation, personalisation, and analytics—which means that marketers are being forced to upskill quickly, moving beyond traditional creativity and strategy into tech-driven roles. They’re expected to be proficient in everything from AI tools to data interpretation​​​.

This shift is also creating a new dilemma: balancing the efficiency that AI brings with the need to maintain creativity and originality. As more tasks become automated, marketers are concerned that the human touch will be lost, leading to a homogenisation of outputs—a sea of sameness.

The new marketing metrics

As the marketing profession evolves, so do its metrics for success. The days of focusing solely on clicks and impressions are long gone. Today, sophisticated measures like Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) are taking centre stage​. CLV reflects a broader, more holistic view of customer relationships, favouring long-term engagement over short-term gains like lead generation.

This shift also means that marketers are now working more closely with customer experience teams (often led by Chief Customer Officers) and sales to create integrated strategies that prioritise relationship-building​​. With account-based marketing (ABM) evolving into account-based experience (ABX), marketing leaders now need to show that they can influence every step of the customer journey—not just creating awareness but nurturing deeper connections that drive long-term growth.  

Upskilling for survival

In this current climate, upskilling has become an absolute necessity. As AI and automation take over more aspects of the marketing function, professionals are expanding their skill sets to include data analytics, customer experience tools, and more.

Upskilling isn’t just about new tech. Marketers are now expected to be “a bit of everything”—proficient in both technical skills and creative problem-solving​. This broader scope can dilute the depth of expertise, but those who successfully embrace AI and automation can shift their focus to higher-value strategic tasks that make a real impact on the business. 

The challenge lies in striking a balance between technology and creativity. AI can automate mundane tasks and streamline processes, but relying too heavily on it risks compromising the quality and originality of marketing outputs​. It’s human creativity, curiosity, and strategic thinking that will always remain irreplaceable.

Stay the course

Despite the mounting pressures, my advice is simple: stay the course. Yes, there are challenges—tight budgets, AI disruption—but the industry will rebound. Growth is cyclical, and while marketing may not always offer the immediate, tangible returns of sales, its role in driving long-term business success is undeniable.

The key is to adapt, not abandon. Marketers must embrace the opportunities that AI brings without losing sight of the full spectrum of their value—from storytelling and ideation to strategic insights. In doing so, they’ll cement their place as indispensable to business growth.

At the end of the day, what’s keeping marketers up at night isn’t just the fear of losing budgets or jobs to AI. It’s the challenge of proving their worth in an ever-changing landscape—a constant in marketing. Success will depend on their ability to adapt, upskill, and strike the right balance between human creativity and technological innovation.