TH SALESFORCE STATE OF MARKETING, 9 EDITION 6 Executive Summary Introduction: Priorities and Challenges for a New Marketing Era Marketers are evolving their practices in a highly competitive landscape. They’re looking to AI — both generative and predictive — to help personalize at scale and boost efficiency. Marketers rank AI adoption as both their number one priority and challenge. 01 Marketers Shore Up Their Data Foundations Businesses have long struggled to connect disparate data points to create consistent, personalized experiences across customer journeys. Yet as third-party cookies are depreciated and AI proliferates, that quest is only becoming more critical — and challenging. Only 31% of marketers are fully satisfied with their ability to unify customer data sources. 02 Marketers Embrace AI With an Eye on Trust Marketers are intent on successfully applying AI in their operations with the right data, but are concerned about security and customer trust as adoption ramps up. Thirty-two percent of marketing organizations have fully implemented AI in their workflows, and an additional 43% are experimenting with it. 03 Full Personalization Remains a Work in Progress What constitutes a “personalized experience” continues to mature, and there’s a stark difference between how the highest- and lowest-performing marketing teams adapt. On average, high performers fully personalize across six channels, compared with underperformers who fully personalize across three. 04 Marketers Seek Unified Analytics There is no shortage of data sources, but putting that data to work is a challenge. Only 48% of marketers track customer lifetime value (CLV). 05 Deeper Relationships Emerge With ABM and Loyalty Programs Companies are increasingly turning to strategies like account-based marketing (ABM) and loyalty programs for better customer acquisition and retention. Yet many of these program's information sources remain disjointed, and so is the resulting customer experience. Thirty-nine percent of marketers say loyalty program functionalities are accessible across all touchpoints.