Cutting edge tech? Bah. Most marketers follow not lead

It has long been claimed that most people choose a career in marketing because it offers a unique blend of creativity and analytical problem-solving at the cutting edge of technology; but it seems the latter is proving more than a challenge to most.

According to a new study by human insights company GWI, one in 10 marketers identify as “laggards” when it comes to adopting new tools, only adopting technologies once they have become mainstream, while more than a third (35%) say they are “late adopters”.

It is perhaps no surprise them that a quarter (25%) say keeping up with marketing trends is their biggest professional challenge, particularly in areas such as AI.

In fact, fewer than one in five marketers (19%) describe themselves as innovators in adopting new tools, revealing a widening gap between martech advancement and marketers’ confidence in adopting new tools.

A lack of trust in new AI tools is also rife, with data security and privacy concerns (27%) being their biggest barrier to AI adoption. This is followed by fears of technology dependency (24%) and gaps in AI knowledge or prompt-engineering skills (21%).

However, marketers who are already using AI are seeing clear benefits. Almost a third (30%) say it has improved time efficiency, a quarter (25%) report it has increased productivity, and 21% say it has saved them money.

Optimism about AI’s place in marketing is also growing. More than half of marketers (55%) believe AI will have a positive impact on the marketing sector, while 52% expect it to improve their day-to-day work.

Together, the findings show an industry caught between opportunity and uncertainty, as marketers are made aware of AI’s potential, but remain cautious about using it responsibly and effectively.

As AI becomes more embedded within marketing workflows, confidence in new tools is essential to keep pace — but their usefulness depends on the quality of the data behind them.

GWI chief marketing officer Birthe Emmerich said: “What strikes me about these findings is that the confidence gap is as much a data problem as it is a technology problem.

“Marketers can’t move fast with tools they don’t trust, and they can’t trust tools built on data that doesn’t reflect how people actually think and behave. AI amplifies whatever insight sits beneath it — so if that foundation is shallow or stale, speed becomes a liability.

“Getting it right isn’t about adopting fastest, it’s about combining technology with a genuinely human understanding of your audience.”