Walker Sands Study: 95% of B2B Leaders Say Marketing Needs Evolution
Walker Sands research finds 95% of B2B leaders believe their marketing approach must evolve despite understanding modern practices, citing GTM misalignment and measurement gaps.
New research from Walker Sands released Aug. 25 finds that while nearly all B2B leaders say their organization clearly understands what modern B2B marketing looks like, 95% still say their current marketing approach needs significant evolution to compete with the most advanced B2B and B2C brands.
The 2026 B2B Growth Maturity Assessment is based on a survey of 200 U.S.-based senior marketing, sales, growth and business leaders at B2B organizations generating more than $100 million in annual revenue. according to Demand Gen Report.
Barriers to Growth
The report identifies limited ability to orchestrate marketing and sales efforts across the full buyer journey at 29% and difficulty aligning marketing, sales and business teams at 28% as the two most common internal challenges.
Disconnected systems, measurement gaps and limited cross-functional alignment between marketing, sales and business leadership are listed as key barriers to linking marketing activity to pipeline and revenue.
Short-Term Pressures
92% of B2B leaders agree they face increased pressure to deliver short-term revenue. 89% say misalignment between marketing, sales and business leadership makes it harder to balance those short-term demands with long-term growth priorities.
When asked where they expect to increase investment most over the next year, B2B leaders ranked artificial intelligence-enabled marketing operations and automation first, and measurement frameworks that connect marketing activity to pipeline and revenue second.
Maturity and Accountability Gaps
48% of B2B leaders rate their organization’s level of growth maturity as high performing. 53% strongly agree their marketing organization has reached a level of maturity that allows it to operate effectively at scale. 56% are very confident their organization’s marketing approach is keeping pace with modern B2B buyer expectations. 51% strongly agree their organization’s marketing measurement accurately reflects revenue impact.
Nearly nine out of 10 B2B leaders say marketing is expected to drive revenue outcomes without having full control over the levers that influence them. 45% say executive leadership views marketing as a core driver of the company’s growth strategy. 67% of marketing leaders struggle to understand which business outcomes their C-suite expect marketing to influence. 79% struggle to demonstrate the impact of their marketing activities on business success.
The report points to GTM misalignment, disconnected systems and weak measurement as key barriers according to Demand Gen Report.
