$24,870HighLifetime$24,870HighEngagementScore:Insightsandtrendsfrom6,000marketersEngagementScore:2trillionoutboundmarketingcommunicationsWehavebeenthroughsomuchthesepastfewyears,adaptingourstrategiesandpracticestonavigatearapidlychangingandchallengingenvironment.CompanieseverywherearelookingtotheirCMOandmarketingteamstomeetcustomers’digital-firstexpectations,domorewithlessinthefaceofeconomicheadwinds,andaccommodateevolvingdataprivacylawstoprepareforacookielessfuture.It’sanewdayformarketers,atimeoftremendoustransformationthatrequiresustoreimaginehowweconnectwithcustomersandpersonalizeeveryinteraction;achieveourbudgetandbusinessgoalsinanuncertaineconomicenvironment;andleadwithourvaluestohelpshapeabetter,moreequitableandsustainablefuture.Salesforcecollectedinsightsfrommarketingleadersworldwidetounderstandhowthey’reprioritizingtheireffortsinthisnewday.Whatdidwediscoverinthisyear’s“StateofMarketing”report?Marketersandbusinessesareleadingwithvalues,whileembracinginnovation.They’reprioritizingdrivingasmuchvalueaspossiblefromexistingtoolsandtechnologies,whilefocusingnewinvestmentsinkeyareaslikeautomationandproductivity.Ihopeyoufindthisyear’s“StateofMarketing”reportahelpfulguidetonavigatingtheever-changingmarketinglandscapeanddeliveringexceptionalcustomerexperiencesthatbuildlastingrelationships.President&CMOSalesforce6,000marketingleaderssurveyedworldwide6,000marketingleaderssurveyedworldwideWhatYou’llFindinThisReportFortheeightheditionofour“StateofMarketing”report,SalesforceResearchsurveyed6,000marketingleadersworldwidetodiscoverhowmarketersare:?Evolvinginthefaceofuncertainty?Preparingfortheretirementofthird-partycookies?Removingsilostoenhancethecustomerexperience?InnovatingtomeetchangingcustomerneedsThisreportisbasedonathird-party,double-blindsurveyconductedfromJune30toAugust8,2022,thatgenerated6,000responsesfrommarketingmanagers,directors,VPs,andCMOsacross35countries.Seepage29forfurthersurveydemographics.Platformdatareferencedinthisreportcomesfromaggregateddatafromtheactivityofover2trillionmessagessentusingtheSalesforcePlatformbetween2020toQ22022.Additionaldatahygienefactorsareappliedtoensureconsistentmetriccalculation.TheSalesforceShoppingIndexandrelateddatasetsarenotindicativeoftheoperationalperformanceofSalesforceoritsreportedfinancialmetricsincludinggrossmerchandisevalue(GMV)growthandcomparablecustomerGMVgrowth.Duetorounding,notallpercentagetotalsinthisreportequal100%.Allcomparisoncalculationsaremadefromtotalnumbers(notroundednumbers).SalesforceResearchprovidesdata-driveninsightstohelpbusinessestransformhowtheydrivecustomersuccess.Browsemorereportsat/research.WhatYou’llFindinThisReportHighperformersHighperformersCompletelysatisfiedwiththeiroverallmarketingperformanceandtheoutcomesoftheirmarketinginvestmentsPerformanceLevelsThroughoutthisreport,weclassifysurveyrespondentsacrossthefollowingtiersofmarketingperformance.UnderperformersModeratelyorlesssatisfiedwiththeiroverallmarketingperformanceModerateperformersAllothermarketersExecutiveSummary 05Chapter1|MarketersFocusonDrivingValueAmidstChange 07Chapter2|InnovativeChannelsandTacticsRedefineCustomerEngagement 10Spotlight:MarketersExploreNewFrontiers 14Chapter3|MarketersWalkthe"Personalizationvs.Privacy"Tightrope 15Chapter4|KPIsShiftasMarketersAdoptReal-TimeIntelligence 18ChannelExperienceswithABM Chapter5|DistributedTeamsUnitewithCollaborationTechnology 21Chapter6|MarketersLeadwithValues 22 Althoughmacroeconomicinstabilitieshaveteamsexaminingtheirbudgetsandfine-tuningtheirtechstack,marketersremaindeterminedinthefaceofchange.Eighty-sevenpercentofmarketerssaytheirworkprovidesgreatervaluenowthanitdidayearago.ovativeChannelsandTacticsRedefineCustomerEngagementBrandsareinvestinginacombinationofchannelsandtechnologiestoreachtheiraudiencesandbuildlastingcustomerrelationships.Eighty-threepercentofmarketerssaytheirmarketingorganizationsengagecustomersinrealtimeacrossoneormoremarketingchannels.TightropeMarketersareadaptingtochangesinprivacyregulationsandcallsfordatatransparency.Withtheendofthird-partycookiesonthehorizon,68%ofmarketershaveafullydefinedstrategytoshifttowardfirst-partydata.sShiftasMarketersAdoptRealTimeIntelligenceAcrosseverystageofthefunnel,marketersaretrackingmoremetricsyearoveryearthaneverbefore.Speedtoinsightremainsacompetitiveadvantage,with72%ofhigh-performingmarketersabletoanalyzemarketingperformanceinrealtime.DistributedTeamsUnitewithCollaborationTechnologyRecognizingthatremoteanddistributedworkisheretostay,leadersaremakinginvestmentsinhowmarketingteamscollaborate.Marketershaveadoptedanaverageoffourcollaborationtechnologies,and70%expecttheseinvestmentstobepermanent.MarketersLeadwithValuesToday’scustomerswanttheirvaluesreflectedinthebrandstheybuyfrom,andmarketersareresponding.Eighty-fivepercentofmarketerssaytheirexternalmessagingreflectscorporatevalues.MarketersWhoFeelTheirWorkMarketersWhoFeelTheirWorkProvidesaYearAgo87%77%23%20212022INTRODUCTIONToday’smarketershavemoretools,technology,anddatathaneverbefore,withsophisticatedstrategiesinplacetobuildlastingcustomerrelationships.Butmacroeconomicuncertaintyhasbroughtaboutroadblocks,withinsufficienthumanresources,strainedglobalsupplychains,andbudgetaryconstraintscreatingchallengesforbusinessesandcustomersalike.Amidallofthischange,marketersarestillmoredeterminedthanever,with87%ofmarketerssayingtheirworkprovidesgreatervaluenowthanitdidayearago—a10percentagepointjumpfromlastyear.Ascustomerscontinuetonavigateachangingworld,newtrendshaveemergedaroundthevalueoftrust.Eighty-eightpercentofcustomersbelievethattrustbecomesmoreimportantintimesofchange.1CMOsarespecificallyfocusedonthis,with“buildingtrust”intheirtopthreeprioritiesthisyear.2TodayToday’smarketingleadershaveahugechallengeaheadofthemwhenitcomestostrikingabalancebetweencustomerdata,personalization,andtrust.Butthere’salsoanopportunity:thebrandswhodothiswellhaveachancetogrowrelationshipsandwincustomersforlife.There’sneverbeenamoreexcitingtimetobeamarketer.”CMO,NI1“StateoftheConnectedCustomer,”Salesforce,May20222Seep.26ofappendixMarketersareprioritizinggettingthemostoutoftheirinvestments.Technologyisfrontandcenterinthiseffort—withsubparuseoftoolsandtechnologiesthesubjectofmarketers'topchallengeandpriority.AlargeshareofmarketersalsosaymarketingROIandattributionisatopchallenge,complicatingtheirabilitiestodemonstratecostefficiencyduringmarketturbulence.Withchangingconsumerpreferences,shiftingbuyingbehaviors,andrisingcustomerexpectations,marketersremainfuture-focusedandcite“experimentingwithnewmarketingstrategies”astheir#2priority.Thisdriveforinnovationcomesfromthetop:91%ofCMOssaytheymustcontinuallyinnovatetoremaincompetitive.Againstabackdropofprivacyconcernsandinstitutionaldistrust,buildingandretainingcustomertrustremainsaperennialpriorityandchallenge.MarketersFocusonToolsandInnovationtoMeettheMomentMarketers’TopPriorities112233445566ImprovinguseoftoolsandtechnologiesExperimentingwithnewmarketingstrategiesandtacticsModernizingtoolsandtechnologiesBuilding/retainingtrustwithcustomersImprovingcollaborationBalancingpersonalizationwithcustomercomfortlevelsMarketers’TopChallenges 1Ineffectiveuseoftoolsandtechnologies 2MeasuringmarketingROI/attribution 3Balancingpersonalizationwithcustomercomfortlevels 4Building/retainingtrustwithcustomers 5Resistancetonewmarketingstrategies/tacticsWithmanycompaniestighteningtheirbeltsinanticipationofmarketheadwinds,marketersaremakingstrategicinvestmentswithfinitebudgetsandresources.Disruptionscausedbyinflationandsupplychainissueshavemadethistaskevenharder.Advertisingtakesupthelargestportionofglobalmarketingbudgetsasteamsstrivetoincreaseawarenessinalandscapewherecustomershavemorechoicesthanever.Marketingorganizationsarealsoinvestingintheirpeopletoattractandretainemployeesamidajobmarketinflux.Seventy-onepercentofmarketerssaythatit’shardertoretainemployeesthanitwasayearago.1B2Bmarketingorganizationsareallocatinganaverageof15%oftheirbudgettoaccount-basedmarketing(ABM),emphasizingthevalueofpersonalizedmessagingandengagementthathasspreadfromB2CtoB2Bstrategies.1Seep.27ofappendix2%3%2%12%16%15%18%16%15%13%15%15%MarketingBudgetAllocations2MarketingBudgetAllocations217%15%Allocations13%16%16%15%16%14%AdvertisingContentAccount-basedmarketingToolsandtechnologyEventsandsponsorshipsAgencysupportPeopleOtherBase:CMOsandVPsofmarketing2Includes:B2BandB2B2CmarketersMarketershavetransformedwhereandhowtheywork,withmanychangesheretostay.Nolongerboundbygeographyortimezone,manymarketersarefindingsuccessbyunlockingnewcustomersegments,investingindigital-firstexperiences,andhostingvirtualandhybridevents.Theshifttodistributedmarketingteamshascoincidedwithaflurryofinvestmentincollaborationtechnology,with70%ofsuchinvestmentsviewedaspermanent.Similarly,70%ofmarketerswhomadeinvestmentsintheirprocess/workflowautomationviewthisasalong-termstrategyshift,underscoringtheimportanceofboostingproductivityandefficiency.MarketersWhoMadetheFollowingStrategyShiftsSincethePandemicTargetednewcustomersegmentsInvestmentincollaborationtechnologiesInvestmentindigital-firstexperiencesInvestmentinvirtualandhybridevents ChangedourbusinessmodelNewproductfulfillmentoptionsExpandedgeographicaltargetsInvestmentsinprocess/workflowautomationExpandedproductofferings338%338%37%37%37%37%37%37%336%3535%3535%3535%%WhoConsiderChangePermanent168%70%69%63%61%68%66%70%66%1Base:Respondentswhoselectedthecorrespondingstrategyshifts%CRM%CRMsystemInnovativeChannelsandTacticsRedefineCustomerEngagementWithdataattheheartoftoday’sdigitalenterprise,actionableinsightshaveevolvedfrombeingasupportingplayertoamission-criticalcomponent.Marketersareinvestingintoolsandtechnologiesthatunifydataefficiently,allowingbrandstocreateuniquecustomerprofiles,executeautomatedcampaigns,andinfusepersonalizationatscale.Whilecustomerrelationshipmanagement(CRM)systemsareparticularlypopular,marketersuseablendoftoolstobuildrelationshipsacrossthecustomerlifecycle.Eighty-ninepercentofB2BandB2B2Cmarketersareusingaccount-basedmarketingplatforms,aidingteamsintheirpursuittoorchestratetargetedcampaignswiththeirsalesandservicecounterparts.Inthefaceofdemandfordata-driven,personalized,andscalablecustomerexperiences,morethanhalfofmarketerssaythey’veinvestedinthepowerofartificialintelligence(AI).MarketersLeanonToolstoCaptureandUnifyDataMarketingOrganizationsThatUsetheFollowingTechnologiesABMplatform1Artificialintelligence(AI)1Base:B2BandB2B2CmarketersInnovativeChannelsandTacticsRedefineCustomerEngagementVideoandStreamingToptheChartsChannelswiththeBiggestGrowthinMarketingOrganizationAdoptionYoYGrowthRate2TV/OTTDigitalContentVideoLivestreamvideoTV/OTTDigitalContentVideoLivestreamvideoInteractivecontentInfluencermarketing+9%+8%TopMarketingTacticsCurrentlyinUsePre-producedvideo 89%Pre-producedvideo89%89%7373%8383%61%61%772%66%66%User-generatedcontenUser-generatedcontent 60%2021–2022GrowthRate2+10%+21%+37%+8%+14%20222021Wherecustomerslead,marketersfollow,andmarketersareincreasinglyexperimentingwithnewdigitalchannelstoreachthem.CMOscitecustomerpreferencesandexpectationsasthe#1influenceondigitalstrategy.Marketersaretestingthewatersasstreamingservicesnowoffertheabilitytoreachaudienceswithhyper-targetedads,anodtostreaming'sincreasinglydominantpositioninthemedialandscape.1TVandover-the-top(OTT)streamingplatformssawthelargestgrowthratesamongchannelsusedtoreachprospectsandcustomers.Videocontinuestoplayanimportantroleasbothachannelandatactic,withpre-producedvideoandlivestreamvideobothrisingtothetopofthemarketingmix.Withcustomerslookingformorewaystoengageonline,marketersareincreasinglytappingintoawidevarietyofinteractiveanduser-generatedcontenttomeetdemand.1“StreamingClaimsLargestPieceofTVViewingPieinJuly,”August20222Growthrate=(2022–2021)/2021.Calculationsaremadefromtotalnumbers.InnovativeChannelsandTacticsRedefineCustomerEngagementInnovativeChannelsandTacticsRedefineCustomerEngagementIntheirpursuitofmultichannelengagement,marketersareincorporatingmorepushandmobilemessagingalongsideemailcampaigns.ShareofMessageSendsbyType13%97%2020Q12020Q22020Q32020Q42021Q12021Q22021Q32021Q42022Q12022Q296%4%6%94%However,emailmarketingstillreignssupreme.AccordingtoSalesforceShareofMessageSendsbyType13%97%2020Q12020Q22020Q32020Q42021Q12021Q22021Q32021Q42022Q12022Q296%4%6%94%7%93%11%12%89%88%Whenitcomestosheervolumeofsends,emailremainsaneffectivedigitalchannel.Infact,customerssaythatemailisamongtheirpreferredchannelstointeractwithbrands,secondonlyto7%93%11%12%89%88%11%89%11%88%12%Shiftsincustomerexpectationscontinuetokeepmarketersontheir88%12%85%15%Seventy-onepercentofmarketerssaythatmeetingcustomerexpectationsismoredifficultthanayear85%15%16%84%16%Push&SMSEmail1“TheShoppingIndex,”Salesforce,July20222“StateoftheConnectedCustomer,”Salesforce,May202286%86%83%78%Ourorgengagescustomersinrealtimeacrossoneormorechannels.InnovativeChannelsandTacticsRedefineCustomerEngagementFormarketers,personalizationisnotjustabouttargetedmessaging,buthyperpersonalunderstanding.Accordingtorecentresearch,73%ofcustomersexpectcompaniestounderstandtheiruniqueneedsandexpectations.1Inresponse,83%ofmarketersareusingdynamiccustomerinsightstoadapttheirstrategiesandoptimizetheimpactofeachinteraction.Regardlessofhowtheyapproachtheirmultichannelstrategy,marketersaregoingthedistancetodeliverexceptionalcustomerexperiences–withhigh-performingmarketersparticularlytakingthistoheart.Eighty-twopercentofhigh-performingmarketerssaycustomerexperienceisakeycompetitivedifferentiator,andfeelconfidentthatthey’regettingclosertocrackingthecode.Eighty-sixpercentofhigh-performingmarketerssaytheyengagecustomersinrealtime,atestamenttotheirabilitytounlockactionabledata.1“StateoftheConnectedCustomer,”Salesforce,May2022TheTimeforReal-TimePersonalizationIsNowMarketersWhoAgreewiththeFollowingStatements82%82%81%73%CXisthekeycompetitivedifferentiator.HighperformersModerateperformersUnderperformers886%84%79%Ourorgadaptsitsstrategyandtacticsbasedoncustomerinteractions.MarketersExploreNewFrontiersDigitaltransformationisnowinmarketers’DNA,andWeb3—adecentralizedonlineecosystembasedonablockchain—introducesanewchapterinmarketing’sevolution.Marketersrank“experimentingwithnewmarketingstrategiesandtactics”astheirsecondhighestpriority.Asdecentralized,blockchain-basedwebtrendstakeoff,marketersareturningtocreativeapproachesandthenewestindigitaltacticstomaintainrelevance.Fifty-onepercentofmarketerssaytheyhaveastrategyforWeb3,withvirtualproductsandVRand/orARusecasesbeingthemostcommon.Forthe46%ofmarketerswhodon’tyethaveaWeb3strategy,uniquedigitalassetslikecryptocurrency,themetaverse,andnon-fungibletokens(NFTs)couldpresentnewopportunitiesforbrandstocollectfirst-partydataastheendofthecookienears.MarketersTestVirtualWatersMarketingOrganizationsWhoDescribeTheirWeb3StrategyasFollows1%Don1%Don'tknowplantostrategyNo,plantostrategyhaveaWeb351%46%46%Web3strategyNo,wedon'tcurrentlyhaveNo,wedon'tcurrentlyhaveaWeb3strategy,butweplantointhefuture112233VirtualproductsVRand/orARCryptocurrency1Base:MarketingorganizationswithaWeb3strategy83%83%82%77%77%75%75%69%58%83%83%82%77%77%75%75%69%58%Marketersknowthattransformative,customer-centricengagementreliesondata—andlotsofit.Brandscontinuetoanticipateanincreaseinthenumberofdatasourcesusedeachyear,projectinganaverageof18datasourcesin2023.Butaccordingtothe2021Gartner?Cross-FunctionalCustomerDataSurvey,just14%oforganizationsachievea360-degreeviewoftheircustomer.Amongthosewhohaveachievedit,44%ofrespondentssaytheir360-degreeviewislocatedinacustomerdataplatform.1Despitedeadlinestophaseoutthird-partycookiesbeingpostponedyetagain,2marketersarepivotingtozero-andfirst-partydata.Still,75%ofmarketerssaytheyrelyatleastinpartonthird-partydata.Whilenotallthird-partydataiscookie-related,marketerswillneedtoreconcilethisstrategywithloomingchangesinprivacyregulations.1“MarketGuideforCustomerDataPlatforms,”Gartner,BenjaminBloom,LizzyFooKune,March2022.GARTNERisaregisteredtrademarkandservicemarkofGartner,Inc.,and/oritsaffiliatesintheU.S.andinternationallyandisusedhereinwithpermission.Allrightsreserved.2“GoogleDelaysCookie-Cuttingto2024,”CNN,July2022yDataSourcesDataSourcesUsedbyMarketingOrganizationsTransactionaldataKnowndigitalidentitiesDeclaredinterests/preferencesSecond-partydataInferredinterest/preferencesThird-partydata(i.e.,devicesandcookiesfromanaggregatorordatabroker)AnonymizeddigitalidentitiesOfflineidentitiesNon-transactionaldataAverageNumberofDataSourcesUsed101015181518Last101015181518CurrentYear(2022)NextYear(2023)Overthepastfewyears,changesindataprivacypoliciesandregulationshavehadasignificanteffectondigitalanalytics.FromtheEuropeanUnion’sGeneralDataProtectionRegulation(GDPR)toApple’sprivacypolicyupdateandeverythinginbetween,understandinghowtomaintaincompliancewhilestillservinguppersonalizationhasprovedtobeanongoingchallenge.Although75%ofmarketersarestillinvestinginthird-partydata,68%saytheyhavemanagedtofullydefinetheirstrategytoshiftawayfromthesesources.Strategiessuchasprovidinginformation-sharingincentivesforcustomerscanhelpbridgethegapbyenrichingcustomerdataprofiles.Whilemarketersunderstandthatproperprivacyandsecuritymeasuresareessentialtobuildingandmaintainingcustomertrust,wemayhavereachedatippingpointintermsofhowfarmarketersarewillingtogo.Only51%ofmarketerssaytheygobeyondregulationsandindustrystandardstoprotectcustomerprivacy,downfrom61%lastyear.pforaCookielessFutureActionsTakentoPrepareforPrivacyChanges56%54%51%52%49%56%54%51%52%Investinginnewtechnologies(e.gInvestinginnewtechnologies(e.g.,acustomerdataplatform)Creatingsecond-partydata-sharingagreementsReducinginternaldatasilosProvidinginformation-partydatastrategysharingincentivesforcustomersWithdatainonehandandinnovationintheother,it’snowondermarketerscontinuetoembracetheuseofAItoimprovecustomerexperiencesandoperatemoreefficiently.Indeed,threeofthetopfourAIusecasesarerelatedtoautomation,highlightingtheimportanceofscalingupspeedandeffectivenesswithexistingresources.Sixty-eightpercentofmarketerssaytheyhaveafullydefinedAIstrategy,upfrom60%in2021and57%in2020.MarketingorganizationsarewellawareofthebenefitsandcontinuetoinvestinAIapplicationsthataugmentthecustomerjourney—likeresolvingcustomeridentitiesanddrivingnext-bestoffersinrealtime.Whilecustomersaremoreonlinenowthaneverbefore,43%stillsaytheyprefernon-digitalchannels.1ThisexplainsaprominentAIusecaseformarketers:bridgingonlineandofflineexperiences.1“StateoftheConnectedCustomer,”Salesforce,May2022AIIsPrimarilyUsedtoScaleEffortsWaysinWhichMarketingOrganizationsUseAI22021–2022GrowthRate3+3%N/A+1%+6%+22%-14%-8%-8%-2%+1%AutomatecustomerinteractionsAutomatedataintegrationPersonalizethecustomerjourneyacrosschannelsProcessautomation(e.g.,reporting)ResolvecustomeridentityBridgeonlineandofflineexperiencesDrivebestoffersinrealtimeProgrammaticadvertisingandmediabuyingPredictingcustomer/prospectbehaviorImprovecustomersegmentation/lookalikeaudiencemodeling 90% 88%89%89% 88% 88% 88% 83% 87% 82% 87% 71% 77% 89% 75% 81% 74% 73% 74% 73%202220212Base:MarketerswhouseAI3Growthrate=(2022–2021)/2021.Calculationsaremadefromtotalnumbers.HighperformersModerateperformersUndHighperformersModerateperformersUnderperformersGTHEDITIONeMarketingwithoutmetricsislikedrivingwithyoureyesclosed.Inordertounderstandiftheireffortsaremovingtheneedle,marketersareinvestinginanalyticscapabilitiestogetanaccurateviewoftheimpactoftheirmessages,campaigns,andmarketingspend.Andthefastertheycanunlocktheseinsights,thequickertheycanrespondtocustomerneedsandmakeinformeddecisionstodrivebusinessgrowth.Comparedto61%ofunderperformingmarketers,nearlythree-quarters(72%)ofhigh-performingmarketersareabletoanalyzemarketingperformanceinrealtime,givingthemanadvantagewhenitcomestorespondingtoandoptimizingcampaignperformance.Unfortunately,33%ofmarketersstillsaytheirmarketingattributionisamanualprocess,aneedlethathasbarelymovedfrom34%in2020.AttributionAcceleratestoRealTime772%69%61%ofmarketerssaytheycananalyzemarketingperformanceinrealtime.12%16%23%17%10%14%12%16%23%17%10%14%3%8%20%Fororganizationshopingtocreateefficienciesandmaximizevalue,identifyingtherightmetricstotrackisabusinessimperative.Asmarketingbudgetsundergostrictscrutiny,analyticsprovideleaderswiththeinsighttheyneedtooptimizespendandloweracquisitioncosts,furtherprovingthe