Salesforce released its State of Marketing report this week, featuring insights and trends culled from a survey of 8,200 marketing leaders across the globe. Not surprisingly, digital transformation accelerated by the pandemic factored heavily into the research. But the extent to which the transformation occurred was surprising to the report’s authors.

“Between 45 percent and 50 percent of global marketing leaders, regardless of region and industry, said their marketing completely changed as a result of the pandemic,” according to Chris Jacob, Senior Director, Product Marketing at Salesforce, in terms of priorities, channel tactics, KPIs and more. For instance, when considering measurement tactics, 78 percent of those leaders say they changed or completely reprioritized their KPIs. “That often happens in marketing, but to happen that rapidly and completely change, to completely reprioritize it to that level, and not one industry or one region, is really unprecedented,” Jacob says.

Another key takeaway pertains to the industry’s massive data growth. Global marketing departments expect a 40 percent increase in the number of data sources they use by 2022, the report says. But marketers are less bullish on the quality of that data. “And that speaks to the challenge. We have access to data in a way that we've never had before, growing at such a rapid rate, but our ability to use it is very much restricted by the technology, the workflows and the nature of the data itself,” Jacob says. We review marketers’ greatest challenges, priorities and shifts as defined by the report, from data management to technology tools to the transformation of marketing departments themselves.

Speaking of data, recent earnings calls from major CPG companies revealed how brands are using data to guide their digital engagement strategies during the pandemic era. We look at how Procter & Gamble, Kraft-Heinz and others are increasing marketing budgets, using data to inform decision-making and leaning in to their direct-to-consumer ambitions.

Finally, we’ll leave you with some levity. Check out FX’s surprise-and-delight campaign for its hit series “Dave,” which involved a 50-foot drone, robots and a furry anteater on wheels.

Until next week,

Kaylee Hultgren
Group Content Manager
Chief Marketer

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