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With insights from 835 marketing leaders across eleven countries, Serviceplan Group, in partnership with the University of St. Gallen, reveals the top strategies CMOs are counting on to navigate the future. 

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.

This year respondents came from Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.  

For CMOs, the challenges of 2024 were anything but routine. With consumers uneasy due to economic instability and crises, and companies recalibrating strategies, it’s clear that marketing success now requires agility. With AI’s promise of automation and predictive capabilities, CMOs anticipate new paths to efficiency in 2025. However, the study reveals divergent outlooks globally, reflecting unique market pressures and opportunities. “The findings are striking: CMOs are under tremendous pressure to deliver stronger results with leaner budgets. AI-driven solutions are a natural outcome of this drive for efficiency,” says Florian Haller, CEO of Serviceplan Group. “It’s essential that we maximize AI’s potential beyond efficiency alone and explore its role as a creative and inspirational tool.”

What CMOs Expect for 2025: Budget Shifts and an AI-Driven Agenda 

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. 

Lorena Mercedes, Senior Marketing Director at Salesforce Iberia, notes that “Hyper-personalization, enabled by AI, will be a game-changer in both B2C and B2B sectors.” Rik Strubel, CMO at Westwing Group, echoes this focus on AI, emphasizing that “Efficiency is critical as profit margins tighten and consumer spending stabilizes.”

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. Susann Schramm, CMO of Motel One, highlights the “three essential superpowers” for CMOs in 2025: “First, analytical skills for interpreting customer data. Second, creative leadership to stay agile amid rapid changes. And third, empathy for understanding both data and emotional cues in consumer behavior.”

Helen Cutmore, Marketing Director UK & Ireland at De’Longhi, adds, “Tomorrow’s CMO needs vision and must communicate across all levels without marketing jargon to build acceptance for marketing. On an operational level, it’s essential to manage the big picture alongside a strong team of experts.”

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. Felix Bartels, CMO at Serviceplan Group, explains, “Agencies must act as proactive leaders, using new technology to drive innovation and creativity. In today’s intense market, CMOs need that level of creative support more than ever.”