The report, based on surveys and interviews with hundreds of senior marketing leaders around the world, finds that‘ evidencebased creativity’ is emerging as the defining capability of modern marketers. Whether on skills – 46 % of respondents cited data analysis and interpretation as the top skill needed in the profession today – or on measuring efficacy – 34 % of successful marketers define success according to strong performance metrics or ROI – it’ s clear that data-driven marketing is only accelerating in the age of AI. The ability to combine human creativity with AI-driven insights is becoming essential to producing, testing and scaling ideas with measurable impact.

Beyond creativity, the research highlights a broader evolution of the marketing skillset. A new generation of‘ full-stack marketers’ is taking shape. They are fluent in creating AI-enabled workflows, writing effective prompts, navigating diverse technology stacks and embedding AI tools into daily operations. Nearly half of marketers report using both AI copilots in productivity software( 49 %) and generative tools for content creation( 48 %), underscoring how quickly these tools are becoming part of the day-to-day workflow. Combined with growing expertise in digital experience design, personalisation strategy and governance, these capabilities signal a fundamental shift in what it takes to succeed in marketing today.“ There is a growing fear that AI will erase marketing jobs, but that concern is misplaced. The real risk is failing to use AI strategically,” said Elizabeth Maxson, Chief Marketing Officer, Contentful.“ When marketers invest in the right tools that support their teams’ daily work and prioritise marketing talent that blends creativity with analytics, that’ s when AI stops being hype and starts delivering meaningful results.”

“ Marketing is a deeply creative industry, but there is an urgent need for marketers to start thinking more like engineers in order to keep pace with the rise in AI,” said Alice McKown, Publisher, The Atlantic.“ Tomorrow’ s most valuable marketing leaders won’ t be defined as creative or analytical. They’ ll be both.”

Key findings from the report:

Evidence-based creativity is the new marketing superpower – and organisations are investing to get them there.

• The marketing skills that matter most today are data analysis and interpretation( 46 %) and digital experience design( 40 %), followed by personalisation strategy( 37 %) and writing for AI tools( 37 %)

• Thirty-three percent of marketers rank campaign testing and optimisation as a top skill – reflecting a shift toward datainformed creative instincts

• Forty-five percent of organisations are already offering AI training, a clear marker of organisational maturity. x

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