Supermetrics, a leading marketing intelligence platform, has released its 2026 Marketing Data Report, drawing from a global survey of over 400 marketers at prominent brands and agencies. The findings highlight a significant disconnect between high expectations for AI in marketing and the actual progress achieved by teams.
Quick Intel
The report reveals mounting leadership urgency for AI adoption in marketing, yet practical barriers persist. Marketers feel intense top-down pressure to integrate AI tools, but foundational issues in data management hinder meaningful implementation. With 80% experiencing this push—mostly from executive levels—the gap in execution is stark, as just 6% report full workflow integration.
Data access and quality emerge as core obstacles. Marketing teams often lack direct control, with over half relying on external groups to define strategies and measurements. Delays in support further complicate efforts, leaving most without the timely, clean data essential for effective AI use.
Trust and strategic clarity also lag. Low confidence in AI stems from privacy worries and absent clear direction from leadership. These challenges compound under financial pressures, where teams must deliver results with fewer resources while proving value across fragmented channels.
"AI can accelerate marketing performance, but only if the data behind it is strong," said Anssi Rusi, CEO of Supermetrics. "When marketing teams have clean, structured, and up-to-date data at their fingertips, they can move beyond testing and start making AI-powered decisions with real business impact."
The report emphasizes the critical role of robust data foundations for unlocking AI potential in marketing. Unified data connectivity, clearer ownership, and focus on measurable outcomes are essential before widespread scaling. Platforms that streamline data across systems and enable faster decisions help bridge the divide between ambition and performance.
Trusted by brands including BBC, Heineken, Levi's and L'Oréal, Supermetrics helps marketers strengthen their data foundations, reduce manual reporting, and move from fragmented insights to real-time activation. The 2026 Marketing Data Report underscores the need for unified data, clearer ownership, and measurable outcomes, areas where organizations must invest before scaling AI. By connecting data across systems and enabling faster, more reliable decision-making, Supermetrics equips marketing teams to close the gap between AI ambition and measurable performance.
About Supermetrics
Supermetrics is a marketing intelligence platform that helps organizations move from understanding past performance to driving future action. Trusted by more than 200,000 companies in 120 countries, Supermetrics unifies the marketing intelligence workflow from data connectivity to insight to activation, enabling confident, revenue-focused decisions. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Helsinki, the company employs more than 400 people across offices in Helsinki, Dublin, and Singapore, with teams spanning APAC, Europe, and North America. Processing 15% of global advertising spend, Supermetrics helps brands and agencies navigate marketing with confidence in today's evolving data landscape.
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