The findings from our report, The State Of Field Marketing, 2025, are both illuminating and alarming. Field marketing is undergoing a shift but not necessarily in the right direction. Strategic responsibilities are expanding, yet performance metrics remain stubbornly anchored in outdated demand generation models. If field marketing leaders don’t act now, they risk being trapped in a downward spiral of misalignment, inefficiency, and underperformance.
Let’s start with the most glaring disconnect: strategic responsibility versus measurement. A staggering 79% of field marketers say they’re responsible for account-based marketing (ABM) strategy, and 66% for customer marketing. Yet only 6% are evaluated on long-term customer value, and just 11% on retention. Instead, 73% are still measured on pipeline or revenue influenced. This is not just a misalignment; it’s a strategic blind spot. Field marketing leaders must demand a shift in KPIs to reflect lifecycle impact, not just short-term wins.
Centralization is on the rise, but at a cost. In 2025, 14% of field marketing teams operate under a fully centralized model, up from 9% in 2023. While centralization can drive consistency and efficiency, it’s also eroding local relevance. A full 57% of field marketers report doing little or no adaptation of global content. This is especially troubling in regions where brand awareness is weak, yet only 14% are measured on brand metrics, down from 36% two years ago. Leaders must push for localized input and advocate for brand strategy integration at the field level.
Then there’s the generative AI paradox. Adoption is surging; 64% of field marketers now use genAI tools, placing it ahead of event management and ABM platforms. But the promise of efficiency remains elusive. Twenty percent of respondents say genAI implementation will hinder their ability to meet objectives in the next year. The issue isn’t technology; it’s the lack of enablement and process integration. Leaders must focus genAI on high-impact tasks and invest in training to unlock its full potential.
Budget and headcount pressures are compounding the challenge. Two-thirds of field marketers expect headcount to remain flat, and a net 7% expect a decrease. Half expect budgets to stay the same, with a net 9% anticipating cuts. Meanwhile, support from regional and global teams is waning, especially in event marketing and central campaigns. Learning and development remains chronically underfunded despite the growing complexity of field marketing roles.
So what’s the path forward? Here are five key actions field marketing leaders must take:
- Realign KPIs to reflect strategic responsibilities — ABM and customer marketing as well as demand.
- Reclaim local relevance by advocating for local content development or adaptation and brand strategy integration.
- Deploy genAI smartly, focusing on tasks that drive measurable impact, and upskill teams to avoid implementation challenges.
- Build ROI-driven business cases to protect budgets and headcount and access to regional and global marketing teams.
- Expand performance reporting to include customer satisfaction, retention, and advocacy.
Clients can access the full report and request an inquiry by submitting a guidance session request.
