Report

CMO Outlook for 2025

How marketing leaders should be thinking about AI and data-driven decisioning in the year ahead

Report

CMO Outlook for 2025

How marketing leaders should be thinking about AI and data-driven decisioning in the year ahead


  • NIQ’s annual CMO Outlook survey offers crucial insights for senior marketers, spotlighting the dynamic challenges they face and emphasizing the importance of continuously gauging CMO perspectives globally to help shape future strategies.
  • Heading into 2025, CMOs will need to maximize marketing’s impact and understand what drives sales. They also must balance AI’s immense potential with the need for responsible, consumer-centric adoption.

The connected team is an efficient team

NIQ’s 2024 CMO Outlook survey revealed both consistency and change in what CMOs are prioritizing in their marketing strategies.

Established practices continue to remain relevant, but the fast-evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) landscape is driving the need for tighter collaboration across marketing, IT, and data science teams. 

This report not only highlights the findings of the survey; it also explores AI’s potential in the years to come, offering senior marketing leaders in retail and manufacturing critical analysis to guide their 2025 planning

Survey findings of note

78%

of marketers remain confident that they will be in a stronger position three years from now (no change since 2023 survey)   

31%

of senior marketers say connecting data from different sources remains a key challenge (a slight improvement from 33% in 2023) 

21%

of marketing leaders say they receive actionable insights in real time (down from 26% in 2023) 

AI in marketing: What’s next?

Senior marketers are increasingly deploying AI tools across a range of areas. Beyond content creation, Generative AI (GenAI) is playing an expanding role in enhancing customer experience and service, indicating that its impact will continue to grow across various marketing functions.

T

Senior marketers

As AI becomes increasingly integral to marketing strategies, it will be essential to invest in sophisticated tools that can deliver high-quality data—an investment that will ultimately inform and yield better long-term decision-making.

Data-driven insights will be a key differentiator for businesses seeking a competitive edge in 2025 and beyond. Getting a clear, Full View™ of what’s happening, where it’s happening—in-store, online, and worldwide—makes this possible.  

The bottom line: AI is far more than a tool for efficiency. It offers the potential to enhance data maturity and measurement standards, but AI’s full impact will only be realized when it’s fully integrated into a company’s overall marketing strategy

Download our full report to discover how senior marketing leaders are approaching strategic planning in 2025—and where AI fits in.

What’s inside:

  1. New year, new opportunities for marketers
  2. Market overview
  3. Data utilization trends: Moving toward prescriptive outcomes
  4. AI’s marketing impact: On the verge of transformation
  5. AI-driven marketing accountability
  6. AI-driven collaboration
  7. The importance of long-term strategic investments
  8. Making intelligent use of data-powered AI