Only a quarter of marketers truly understand audiences, report

Brandwatch, part of Cision, has released The Marketer of 2026 report, revealing a widening gap between data access and actionable insight in modern marketing. Despite the abundance of available data, only 25 percent of marketers say they understand their audiences very well.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 1,000 marketing professionals and analysis of 750,000 industry conversations, pointing to a shift in the marketer’s role from campaign execution to interpreting audience behaviour and informing strategy.

Understanding audiences remains the top challenge

The report identifies audience understanding as the primary obstacle for marketers, with many struggling to move from data collection to meaningful interpretation. Predicting future behaviours, identifying cultural shifts and uncovering the motivations behind decisions rank among the most difficult tasks.

Amy Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, Cision: "The Marketer of 2026 shows a profession shifting from campaign execution to signal interpretation. The real competitive edge won't come from collecting more data, it will come from how marketers translate fragmented signals into insight and action."

A significant proportion of respondents cite challenges such as predicting behaviour (60 percent), understanding changing habits (48 percent) and turning data into actionable insights (46 percent). This reflects a broader issue: brands can track what audiences do, but often lack clarity on why they act and how to respond effectively.

AI adoption grows but requires human oversight

AI and automation continue to play a central role in marketing operations, with 84 percent of respondents identifying them as critical skills and 81 percent calling them essential technologies. At the same time, 79 percent report spending more time managing AI-driven workflows.

While AI supports efficiency and scale, the report highlights the continued importance of human judgement, creativity and cultural awareness in differentiating brand activity.

Amy Jones: "AI won't replace marketers, it will expose the ones who don't lead with strategy. The winners will use AI to accelerate execution and then double down on what humans do best: judgement, creativity, and direction."

Fragmented journeys increase pressure on insight

The report also points to increasingly fragmented customer journeys, with audiences moving across multiple platforms, including social media, search engines and AI-driven discovery tools. This fragmentation makes it harder for marketers to connect data and derive unified insights.

As a result, there is growing demand for platforms that consolidate audience signals and enable teams to move from reactive reporting to proactive decision-making.

Shift away from traditional execution metrics

The research shows a shift in how marketers allocate their time, with less focus on traditional activities such as advertising and email campaigns. Instead, teams are prioritising data analysis and AI workflow management to better understand performance and business impact.

This evolution reflects a broader change in how success is measured, with greater emphasis on linking marketing outputs to tangible outcomes.

Guidance for marketers at different stages

The report outlines practical recommendations based on career stage, encouraging junior marketers to develop audience understanding, mid-level professionals to strengthen interpretation skills, and leaders to prioritise tools and processes that support insight generation.

Amy Jones: "In 2026, the strongest marketers are combining technical fluency with cultural and customer awareness. The teams that succeed will be the ones who can connect fragmented signals, surface real audience insight, and act on it with confidence."

The full report can be accessed here

www.cision.com

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