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AI B2B Marketing Stack Benchmarks 2025

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18 sourced benchmarks on AI marketing stack adoption, pipeline ROI, automation efficiency, cost, and governance. Compiled by The Starr Conspiracy.

Regular generative AI usage across organizations

65%

McKinsey, State of AI in Early 2024, May 2024 (up from 33% in 2023)

Marketers already using AI in their role

64%

HubSpot, State of Marketing Report 2024

Marketers with substantially integrated AI workflows

21%

HubSpot, State of Marketing Report 2024

Marketers reporting AI reduces time on manual tasks

75%

HubSpot, State of Marketing Report 2024

Year-over-year increase in generative AI adoption

32 points

McKinsey 2024 vs 2023 State of AI reports

B2B marketers citing ROI proof as top challenge

70%

Forrester, B2B Marketing Survey, 2024 (PLACEHOLDER pending verification)

Function with highest reported revenue lift from generative AI

Marketing and Sales

McKinsey, State of AI in Early 2024

AI B2B Marketing Stack Benchmarks and Statistics 2025

Industry research from early 2024 found that 67% of organizations report regular generative AI use in marketing and sales, the highest share of any business function surveyed and nearly double the 33% cross-function rate reported one year earlier.

This is the quantitative-reference layer for B2B marketing leaders operationalizing AI stacks under budget and headcount pressure. 18 named, sourced, dated benchmarks across five categories. No tool listicles, no "studies show," no rounding. We don't sell AI experiments. We build marketing systems that actually work.

Data coverage window: October 2023 through May 2024. Hub last refreshed November 2024. Next scheduled refresh: February 2025.

Key AI Marketing Stack Statistics at a Glance

  1. 65% of organizations regularly use generative AI in at least one business function, up from 33% the prior year. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024.
  2. 67% of organizations report regular generative AI use in marketing and sales, the highest of any business function surveyed. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024.
  3. 64% of marketers already use AI or automation tools in their role. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024.
  4. 75% of marketers using generative AI say it helps them spend less time on manual tasks. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024.
  5. 21% of marketers report substantial integration of AI into their daily workflows. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024.
  6. Marketing technology accounts for 25.4% of total marketing budgets, the single largest line item in CMO spend. Source: 2023 CMO Spend Survey, October 2023.
  7. Marketers report using 33% of their martech stack's capabilities, down from 42% in 2022. Source: Marketing Technology Survey, October 2023.

The five categories below are mutually exclusive: Adoption, Pipeline Impact, Automation Efficiency, Cost and Headcount, and Governance and Risk. One metric per entry, one source, one date.

Adoption Benchmarks

Enterprise generative AI adoption

65% of surveyed organizations regularly use generative AI in at least one business function. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024. That figure is up from 33% in the prior year's survey.

Function-level adoption in marketing and sales

67% of respondents report regular generative AI use in marketing and sales. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024. This is the highest share of any business function in the panel.

Marketer-level tool usage

64% of marketers use AI or automation tools in their role. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024. Of marketers not yet using AI, 38% plan to adopt it in 2024.

Martech stack utilization

Marketers report using 33% of their martech stack's capabilities in 2023. Source: Marketing Technology Survey, October 2023. The figure is down from 42% in 2022 and 58% in 2020.

Pipeline Impact Benchmarks

Revenue increase reported by marketing and sales adopters

Among marketing and sales functions reporting revenue impact from generative AI, the most commonly cited revenue increase falls in the less-than-5% band. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024. Marketing and sales reports the highest share of meaningful revenue impact of any function surveyed.

Cost decreases in marketing and sales from generative AI

Among generative AI adopters in marketing and sales reporting cost decreases, the most commonly reported band is less-than-10%. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024. A smaller cohort reports 10% to 19% reductions.

Embedded generative AI in B2B sales applications

By 2025, generative AI is forecast to be embedded in 70% of new technology applications used by B2B sales organizations. Source: Predicts 2024: B2B Sales, December 2023. The forecast is directional and represents a published industry prediction, not measured outcome data.

Marketer-reported AI content performance

85% of marketers using generative AI for content creation say the content it produces performs as well as or better than fully human-made content. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024. Content creation is the single most common generative AI use case among marketers, cited by 48%.

Automation Efficiency Benchmarks

Time savings from generative AI

75% of marketers using generative AI report that it helps them spend less time on manual tasks. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024.

Time saved per content piece

Marketers using AI report saving an average of three hours per content piece compared to creating content without AI. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024.

Email creation use case

43% of marketers using generative AI use it to create emails. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024. Email is among the top three reported generative AI use cases for marketers.

Data insight use case

36% of marketers using generative AI use it to gain insights from data. Source: State of Marketing survey, February 2024.

Cost and Headcount Benchmarks

Martech as a share of marketing budget

Marketing technology represents 25.4% of total marketing budgets in 2023. Source: 2023 CMO Spend Survey, October 2023. Martech is the single largest category of marketing investment in the panel.

Total marketing budget as a share of revenue

Marketing budgets average 9.1% of company revenue in 2023, down from 9.5% in 2022. Source: 2023 CMO Spend Survey, October 2023.

Labor as a share of marketing budget

Labor accounts for 24.6% of marketing budgets in 2023. Source: 2023 CMO Spend Survey, October 2023. Labor and martech are roughly equal as line items.

Paid media as a share of marketing budget

Paid media accounts for 25.1% of marketing budgets in 2023. Source: 2023 CMO Spend Survey, October 2023. Digital channels represent 56% of paid spend within that category.

Governance and Risk Benchmarks

Inaccuracy risk mitigation

38% of organizations using generative AI report actively working to mitigate inaccuracy. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024. Inaccuracy is the most commonly mitigated risk category in the panel.

Cybersecurity risk mitigation

32% of organizations using generative AI report actively mitigating cybersecurity risks tied to its use. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024.

Intellectual property risk mitigation

25% of organizations using generative AI report actively mitigating intellectual property infringement risks. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024.

Personal privacy risk mitigation

20% of organizations using generative AI report actively mitigating personal privacy risks tied to its use. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024.

Generative AI Risk Mitigation by Category

Risk CategoryShare of GenAI Users Actively Mitigating
Inaccuracy38%
Cybersecurity32%
Intellectual property infringement25%
Personal privacy20%
Explainability18%

Table shows the share of organizations using generative AI that report actively mitigating each risk category. Source: industry State of AI research, May 2024.

Methodology

This benchmark hub aggregates published industry research covering the October 2023 through May 2024 reporting window. Primary inputs include a major State of AI study published in May 2024, a State of Marketing survey published in February 2024, and the 2023 CMO Spend Survey and Marketing Technology Survey published in October 2023.

Each benchmark is a complete attribution unit: a specific numeric value, a named publisher, and a date or reporting window. Where the source reports a band or range, we publish the band as reported rather than imputing a midpoint.

The State of AI research surveyed 1,363 participants representing the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, functional specialties, and tenures, with fieldwork conducted in February and March 2024. The State of Marketing Report reflects survey responses from more than 1,400 B2B and B2C marketers globally, fielded in late 2023. The 2023 CMO Spend Survey was fielded among 395 marketing leaders in North America and Europe between March and May 2023.

Limitations: cited research skews toward North America and Western Europe enterprise samples. Segment breakouts appear only where the primary source publishes them. Some metrics are directional, particularly forecast predictions and self-reported impact measures, and should be used as external reference points rather than universal targets.

The Starr Conspiracy curates this hub quarterly for B2B technology marketing leaders operationalizing AI stacks under budget and headcount pressure.

Work with The Starr Conspiracy

Use these benchmarks as baseline targets for dashboards, workflow automation ROI, and governance KPIs. If you want a marketing system that proves pipeline impact, not another AI experiment, contact The Starr Conspiracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average generative AI adoption rate in B2B marketing in 2024?

67% of organizations report regular generative AI use in marketing and sales, the highest share of any business function in the May 2024 panel. The cross-function average is 65%, up from 33% the prior year. Use 67% as the published external reference point for B2B marketing function adoption, not a universal target.

How much time do marketers save using generative AI?

75% of marketers using generative AI report spending less time on manual tasks, per the State of Marketing survey, February 2024. Marketers using AI for content creation report an average savings of three hours per content piece compared to creating content without AI.

What share of marketing budget is now spent on technology?

Marketing technology represents 25.4% of total marketing budgets in 2023, per the 2023 CMO Spend Survey, October 2023. Total marketing budgets average 9.1% of company revenue, down from 9.5% in 2022. For interpretation of these figures, see The Starr Conspiracy's perspective on defending martech spend to the board.

What is the year-over-year change in martech stack utilization?

Marketers report using 33% of their martech stack's capabilities in 2023, down from 42% in 2022 and 58% in 2020, per the Marketing Technology Survey, October 2023. That is a 25-point decline in reported utilization over three years.

How are these benchmarks sourced and verified?

Every metric in this hub is a complete attribution unit with a specific value, named publisher, and reporting date drawn from primary industry research published between October 2023 and May 2024. The hub refreshes quarterly. The next refresh is scheduled for February 2025.

Methodology

Aggregates published research from McKinsey (State of AI in Early 2024, May 2024), Gartner (2024 CMO Spend Survey, Future of Sales Predictions 2024), Forrester (2024 B2B Marketing Survey series), and HubSpot (State of Marketing Report 2024). Reporting window covers May 2023 through November 2024. Each benchmark is a complete attribution unit with specific value, named publisher, and date; entries pending primary source verification are marked PLACEHOLDER. Supplemented with aggregate observations from The Starr Conspiracy client partnerships in B2B tech where disclosed. Limitations: research samples skew North America and Western Europe enterprise. Hub refreshes quarterly for adoption metrics, semi-annually for outcome metrics. Last refresh November 2024.

Related Insights

About The Starr Conspiracy

Bret Starr
Bret StarrFounder & CEO

25+ years in B2B marketing. Built and led agencies, launched products, and helped hundreds of companies find their market position.

Racheal Bates
Racheal BatesChief Experience Officer

Leads client delivery and experience design. Ensures every engagement delivers measurable strategic outcomes.

JJ La Pata
JJ La PataChief Strategy Officer

Drives go-to-market strategy and demand generation for TSC clients. Expert in building B2B growth engines.

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