10Fold, a leading B2B Deep Tech integrated PR and digital communications agency, has released its latest report, 2025 U.S. Marketing Budgets Update: The CMO Wake-Up Call. This comprehensive study, based on a survey of 125 U.S.-based B2B marketing executives, uncovers critical insights into how AI and automation are influencing marketing budgets, staffing decisions, and overall performance goals.

As AI-driven transformation accelerates across industries, CMOs are reevaluating their strategies—balancing the pressure to grow with the reality of adopting new technologies. The study highlights a shift away from blanket growth towards a more performance-based, disciplined approach, with AI playing a central role in these changes. The findings also reveal the challenges B2B marketers face as they align their budgets with ROI-driven activities.

Bigger Budgets, Lower Expectations

Despite 56% of companies reporting an increase in their marketing budgets for 2025, the growth was typically modest, often under 20%. However, this boost in budget was not accompanied by a corresponding rise in KPI expectations. In fact, only 47% of marketers raised their KPI goals, while a majority (52%) either kept expectations flat or reduced them.

The trend points to a cautious and disciplined approach in marketing, with CMOs focusing on more targeted, measurable investments, particularly in AI and automation.

“The 2025 findings reveal a more cautious, disciplined approach to growth,” said Susan Thomas, CEO of 10Fold. “Organizations are investing in AI, but there’s a clear understanding that the systems need time to produce measurable results.”

AI's Dual Role: Growth Enabler vs. Cost Cutter

AI continues to disrupt the B2B marketing landscape, but CMOs are divided on how it affects their budgets. According to the report:

• 46% of companies cited AI as a reason for increasing their marketing budgets.

• 30% of companies pointed to AI as a reason for reducing budgets.

The impact of AI on internal staffing and agency relationships is also mixed. Among organizations using AI:

• 42% expanded internal teams due to AI-driven efficiencies.

• 27% reduced staff as a result of automation.

Additionally, 42% of CMOs reported an increase in agency spending due to AI-driven needs, signaling a growing reliance on external expertise to integrate AI solutions.

Notably, enterprise software companies and the cybersecurity sector led the charge in AI investments, with 65% increasing internal teams and 61% raising agency budgets.

Sales Tools: Top Priority but Low ROI

When it comes to sales enablement tools, they were the top investment priority for 77% of marketers. However, despite the high investment:

• Only 7% of respondents reported high ROI from these tools.

This disconnect between budget allocation and tangible business results is evident, leading many marketers to reconsider their strategies.

In contrast, smaller, targeted efforts like website predictive tools, social influencer programs, and content development were seen to offer higher ROI:

• 20% of respondents saw high ROI from predictive website tools.

• 17% found social influencer programs to be highly effective.

• 16% saw strong results from content development for ideal customer profiles (ICPs).

This highlights a shift towards more personalized, ROI-driven initiatives rather than broad sales-enablement programs.

Rebalancing Marketing Spend: Analyst Services Decline, Regional Events Rise

Another significant finding in the report is the decline of traditional brand awareness strategies:

• 46% of marketers reported zero spend on analyst programs.

• 42% cut back on thought leadership programs.

In place of these initiatives, CMOs are doubling down on measurable, ROI-driven activities, such as:

• Regional events (58%).

• Automation tools (56%).

• Organic social media (56%).

This trend suggests a shift away from traditional, awareness-based marketing and towards activities that offer more immediate and measurable engagement.

LinkedIn Dominates and Smaller Companies Take Bigger Risks

In the B2B marketing world, LinkedIn remains the dominant platform, with 83% of respondents naming it as their top platform. In contrast, only 17% favored X (formerly Twitter).

Additionally, smaller companies are increasingly taking bolder marketing risks:

• 59% of businesses with less than $10 million in revenue increased their marketing spend in 2025.

Regional events have gained significant traction, with 58% of respondents prioritizing smaller, targeted events over large-scale trade shows (48%). This signals a trend towards more focused, community-building engagements.

The 2025 U.S. Marketing Budgets Update from 10Fold underscores a pivotal moment for B2B marketers as they navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, automation, and shifting customer expectations. While marketing budgets are increasing for many, the focus is on performance-driven investments that promise more immediate, quantifiable outcomes.

With AI continuing to disrupt operations, marketers are balancing the need for growth with the understanding that new technologies take time to yield results. The report also reveals a shift away from traditional marketing tactics towards data-driven activities, including regional events, social media, and predictive tools—all in pursuit of stronger customer engagement and higher ROI.

As B2B marketers continue to adapt to these changes, embracing a more disciplined and targeted approach will be key to staying competitive in the evolving landscape of 2025.