As we reach the midpoint of 2025, the expectations of European marketing leaders have sharpened around data-driven transformation, performance accountability, and strategic agility. Drawing from the Nielsen 2025 Annual Marketing Report and the latest CMO Survey, this article decodes what marketing leaders across Europe intend to deliver—and how.
Marketing in a Cost-Conscious Era
Despite economic headwinds and reduced optimism, marketers are not cutting back blindly. Instead, they are reallocating budgets to focus on what delivers measurable value:
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Marketing budgets are stabilising at ~11.4% of company budgets in Europe, aligning with the reported 13.8% in the USThe_CMO_Survey-Highligh….
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Digital marketing spend is forecasted to grow by 11.9% over the next 12 months, even as traditional advertising declines by -0.3%The_CMO_Survey-Highligh….
Insight: European CMOs are shifting spend from broad brand campaigns to precision-targeted efforts supported by AI-powered insights. Learn more in our guide to AI Overviews for Conversational Commerce.
Performance Pressure and Strategic Realignment
According to the CMO Survey, over 64% of marketing leaders cite “demonstrating the impact of marketing on financial outcomes” as their top challenge.
Key focus areas for CMOs:
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Driving revenue growth while proving marketing ROI.
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Building trust with CFOs and boards—over 63% report pressure to justify spend
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Elevating the role of marketing as a growth engine.
AI Tip: Use tools like OpenAI’s marketing copilots to bridge the gap between predictive analytics and executive dashboards.
Customer Priorities Are Evolving
European consumers continue to prioritise:
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Superior product quality (35.5%)
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Low price (19.4%)
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Innovation and customer trust
Marketing strategies are increasingly shaped by customer data, with leading marketers integrating channel partnerships, first-party data platforms, and real-time experience personalisation into their customer journeys.
✅ Discover our framework: Strategy Starts with the Customer, Not the Channel
AI-Driven Transformation
The adoption of AI in marketing has doubled since 2022. In 2025, it accounts for 17.2% of marketing activities, with projections reaching 44.2% by 2028
Top AI use cases:
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Content creation using Generative AI
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Predictive customer behaviour modelling
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Automated campaign optimisation
CMOs are expected to address bias, security, and transparency when implementing these tools—a challenge that the most progressive marketers are solving through AI governance frameworks and cross-functional innovation squads.
Talent Strategy & Leadership Redefined
The marketing team is evolving into a hybrid hub of strategists, technologists, and data translators. However, hiring and retaining top talent remain critical challenges:
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41.2% struggle to hire top people
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33.3% cite limited career growth as a retention issue
We’re also seeing the rise of new titles such as Chief Customer Officer and Chief Growth Officer, reflecting marketing’s central role in business transformation.
Conclusion: European CMOs Must Embrace Intelligent Integration
To meet their ambitions for 2025 and beyond, European marketing leaders must:
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Optimise spend by shifting from intuition to insight.
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Prove impact with clear, C-suite-level KPIs.
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Empower teams to scale innovation through AI and automation.
Digital Outcomes helps CMOs translate strategic objectives into measurable outcomes through data-driven marketing execution. Whether you’re planning your next campaign or rethinking your martech stack, we deliver the intelligence you need to lead.