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AI Report 2026

Trade Secrets

Marketing "AI" in 2026

AI has turned the tables on marketers. Time to turn them back.

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Setting the Stage
Themes of Marketing AI
Standing Apart in 2026
Messaging Worth Testing
Our Survey Methodology

We surveyed marketing leaders representing $12.8B in brands across industries, all of whom are navigating how to talk about AI in real time. 

The findings are more complicated than any LinkedIn thought leader would have you believe.

("AI is the future! It already took your job! It will efficient-ify everything! AHHHHH! 🚀")

0%

already have AI integrated into their product offering

0%

are working in 1-2 person teams

0%

have new or expanded AI products launching in 2026

Read on to find:

  • The 4 unexpected themes of marketing AI

  • Ways to stand out in 2026

  • Your grab bag of messaging ideas worth testing

  • Our survey methodology (we see you, data nerds)

01
Themes of Marketing AI
03
04
05

4 unexpectedthemes of marketing AI

01

Pressure to talk about AI is at odds with what marketers think will work

Pressure to talk about AI is at odds with what marketers think will actually work

Talking about our AI products isn't hard, but higher-ups emphasize copying messaging from bigger brands, which makes it sound generic.

Many respondents (43%) are facing pressure from leadership to talk about AI more in their messaging—although most of them don't feel the same way (83%).

Either way, just about everybody is already mentioning “AI” in their product positioning.

When asked, "How prominently do you feature ‘AI’ language in your marketing?” nearly half answered at least “somewhat prominently,” and only 8% said they use no AI language at all.

How prominently do you feature ‘AI’ language in your marketing?

11%

Prominently

32%

Somewhat prominently

48%

Minimally

8%

Not at all

When we dug into how teams are talking about AI—and whether it's working—the picture got a lot more interesting. Is all that “talk” converting to sales? Or is it just a lot of … hot AI-r.

Those who aren't using AI language at all had different reasons, from a straightforward “‘AI’ adds nothing,” to the more measured, “Any business can use AI. We emphasize human intelligence and career experience in order to stand out.”

Separating the Winners from the Strugglers

To see what makes for the strongest AI marketing, we put respondents into two groups:

The Winners

Those who are reaching their marketing goals more often since going to market with an AI product

40% face significant leadership pressure to use more AI language

53% feature AI prominently or somewhat prominently in their messaging—less than the strugglers

Nearly half use minimal or no AI language (47%)

The Strugglers

Those who are reaching their marketing goals less often since launching an AI product

‍

More than half (56%) face significant leadership pressure to use more AI language

This pressure comes despite the fact that 100% of Strugglers are already using AI language in their marketing

How prominently do you feature “AI” or “artificial intelligence” language in your marketing?

Winners
Strugglers

Prominently
13%

Somewhat
prominently 56%

Minimally
22%

Not at all
0%

The big takeaway

Strugglers are under more pressure from leadership to use “AI speak” in their messaging, even though companies that are not using AI language see better outcomes.

An AI “House of Cards”

Click each card to see how your peers are handling the pressure.

The Ace of Pressure

Ace of Pressure

Leadership is pressuring struggling marketing teams to lean into the “AI” of it all, but they’re already doing that … and it’s not working.

  • 78% of Strugglers already feature AI prominently or somewhat prominently

  • 56% of Strugglers face leadership pressure to add more AI language 

The King of Patience

King of Patience

The marketers who are actually hitting their goals lean away from AI-focused messaging (and face less pressure to include it).

  • 47% of Winners use minimal AI language, and only 13% feature it prominently

  • They operate with far less C-suite pressure to emphasize AI: 53% face no pressure at all (vs. 44% of strugglers)

The Queen of Paradox

Queen of Paradox

Talking about AI is not a proven path to better sales. Also, no one has f***ing tested it. Who’s A/B tested whether talking about AI makes for more successful marketing? Trick question, because:

  • 89% of Strugglers have not

  • 93% of Winners have not

The Jack of Panic

Jack of Panic

“An 'AI' label slapped on a product doesn't make it a better product.” 
‍
Strugglers are 1.5x more likely than Winners to be using AI language at least somewhat prominently in their messaging today—and 3x more likely to want to dial it back.

02

We’re positioning from the wrong POV

We’re positioning from the wrong POV

The hardest part about talking about our AI offering is answering the question ‘Why should anyone care?’

There’s a gap between how marketers talk about AI and what we know—in our hearts and brains—buyers actually want.

The majority of your peers position AI as a lever for "efficiency/atomation" and "business intelligence”—even though they believe that buyers really want “proven results” and “ROI.”

The data shows most of us are busy selling workflow improvements while secretly believing buyers really want proof points.

how marketers are positioning AI

49%

AI for efficiency / automation

27%

AI for business intelligence

24%

AI as a competitive advantage

19%

AI for personalization

What AI messaging do you believe resonates most with your buyers?

59%

Proven results / customer case studies

39%

ROI focus

34%

Simplicity / flexibility

24%

Efficiency

Once upon a time, AI could be a differentiator in and of itself. That’s not true anymore. Today’s buyers won’t settle for anything less than real business impact. 
‍
This gap is becoming clearer—meaning your teams know something’s off, but feel stuck.

In this more skeptical era, success will stem from showing what AI has done for customers now that it's been around for a minute—and how your product outshines other offerings out there.

In your brand messaging, that means a shift from “look how smart we are” to “here’s how we solve your problem.” 

It’s all about us.

Click to flip the script →

“We’re innovative.”
“We’re AI-powered.”
“We’re competitive.”

It’s all about the customer.

Click to flip the script →

“You’ll save hours every day.”
“You’ll spend less.”
“Your data is safe.”

A triangle of disconnect

Marketers: Get ready for the next level…

Focus on outcomes

“It works, and I've got the results to prove it.”

When asked what resonates with buyers, outcomes topped the list (52%), with respondents stressing ROI, proven results, and competitive edge as top priorities. 

But when describing how they actually position their products, outcome-focused messaging lagged at just 23%. 

The gap: Marketers know buyers want proof of business impact, yet they under-invest in outcome messaging.

Focus on process

“Our product works, and we’ve got the results to prove it.”

When asked what resonates with buyers, process improvements—meaning efficiency, simplicity, and ease of use—was the second most popular response (40%).

Marketers know there’s a better option. And yet, when they actually get to work, focusing on process is the most popular approach (57%).

The gap: Marketers can’t stop talking about how their products work, even though they know for buyers … it’s just not that deep.

 Focus on yourself

“Look at our shiny, cutting-edge AI."

Only 9% of respondents think buyers care about technical capabilities and innovation. 
And yet, 20% are focusing on these things in their messaging.

The gap: Marketers talk about themselves more than twice as often as they think they should.

Real talk: Marketers, we gotta stop doubting ourselves. We have strong convictions about what buyers want. Maybe we can just run with that, instead of trying … anything else.

03

Everyone is marketing in the dark

Everyone is marketing in the dark

We are focused on our product but don't have a comprehensive strategy, because we are not free to try new things—we’re always told to do what our competitors are doing but “better.”

Across industries, a lot of us are putting our trust in the promise of AI … without a lot of proof that it converts buyers.

In response to the question, “Have you A/B tested mentioning ‘AI’ in your marketing against not mentioning ‘AI’ in your marketing?” the answer was a resounding no way, José.

89%

have NOT tested
their AI messaging

Why are we all just pulling on the “AI hot takes” lever and waiting for money to come out? This is strategy, not slots.

You wouldn’t throw money into an events program that doesn’t support sales. You wouldn't beg for budget for ad campaigns that don’t drive leads. So why are we giving AI messaging a pass?

The disconnect

Confidence without evidence?

Our data found most marketers feel pretty good about sharing their product’s value without using the word “AI.” And they think their sales team can do the same.

On a scale of 1–10, rate your confidence in the following…

I can articulate the value proposition of our AI product(s) without using the term “AI.”

7.7/10

Our sales team can articulate the value proposition of our AI product(s) without using the term “AI.”

7.3/10

Is this real confidence, though? Dig a little deeper and we see that only a sliver of folks (15%) feel great about their 2026 messaging. 

Are you confident in your 2026 marketing messaging?

15%

Yes, very

42%

Yes, somewhat

25%

Neutral

17%

No

The lack of testing could mean there's a massive opportunity for early movers who actually run experiments. So if that’s you … tell us what’s up.

04

Curiosity is trending ...as is exhaustion

Curiosity is trending
‍…as is exhaustion

"I'm less concerned about AI marketing itself than I am about marketers who are relying on AI to think strategically for them. That creative ceiling is very low ... I can see the low ceiling better than I did a year ago."

we asked marketers

How do you feel about marketing in 2026?

They had feelings.

The big takeaway

The fact that most of your peers identify as curious, hopeful, or both (52%) bodes well for the future.

It tells a more encouraging story of our collective feelings: We want these tools to work, both for ourselves and our buyers. We think there’s something to be excited about…

…but we’re not totally convinced. There’s still a fair amount of skepticism (25%), and the fact that many marketing leaders are feeling exhausted (29%) is a worrying
trend. 

Unsurprisingly, the majority of marketing leaders feeling “exhausted” are the ones whose C-suites are pressuring them to talk more about AI (58%).

AI marketers are juggling a lot

The "exhausted" respondents have good reasons for the fatigue. The data shows many of them are stuck managing:

58%

Leadership pressure

The boss says, “Talk about AI more!” 

88%

AI hesitancy

“Talk about AI less” sounds more appealing

65%

Small teams

It’s lonely out there 

They're not anti-AI. They're not struggling with the tech. They're struggling with the mismatch between hype and reality—and the hustle required to hit the mark with tiny teams at record SPM (speed to market).

the journey

It gets better when we grow up, right?

…well, no. When it comes to how we talk about AI, we’re all a bunch of self-conscious teenagers. 

We don’t know if we look right, sound right, or act right. And confidence in our marketing waxes and wanes, even as the AI products we’re selling mature. 

Maturity of your company’s AI product

Planning Phase
70%

confidence

Recently Launched
53%

confidence

Established
77%

confidence

AI-Native
56%

confidence

Your team’s confidence in marketing that product

Those just entering the market (planning to introduce an AI product)

But maybe there’s a silver lining in all this.

First, if you’re not sure what you’re doing, you’re definitely not alone. 

But also, if the strength of your marketing plan doesn’t map 1:1 to how mature your product is, then maybe marketers have a little more agency over their own destiny. It’s not just about the product. 

At the very least, the unknown keeps things interesting.

Standing Apart in 2026

3 ways to stand out in 2026

Okay, so the data tells us what sucks. (Like running experiments you don’t believe in, gobbledygook from your corporate overlords, and not having the data to help you decide … anything.)

Here’s what doesn’t.

An ‘AI’ label slapped on a product doesn’t make it a better product.

A return to marketing fundamentals

3 games for savvy marketers 

D&D:
B2B edition 

All good campaigns start with a character sheet.

Click for the rules →

At the ‘arb, we love to step into character. Rather than go around in circles about boring B2B personas, we ask:


What does your ICP wear to work? How do they take their coffee? What title do they want to get promoted to?

Take your customer empathy a step further by asking better questions about your ICP’s backstory, routines, and feelings. Here are 5 simple ones to start.

YOUR ICP CHARACTER SHEET

  • What is your ICP’s first work-related thought in the morning?

  • What tabs does she have open?

  • What does she have for lunch?

  • What would make her genuinely happy?

  • How could your product deliver even a percentage of that happiness?

your messaging

"We uncover the insights, you have time to do your pre-presentation power poses." (Not "Be impressed by our AI-powered dashboard integration.”)

the takeaway

Jargon, trend-jacking, and all things “AI” are a quick way to take the human out of the equation. When you build a full character with quirks, habits, and a name, you bring your ICP back into flesh-and-blood reality.

← Click to flip back

Taboo:
Don’t say AI

Seriously. Buzzwords get the buzzer. 

Click for the rules →

Open up the latest Doc of branding/marketing copy you were spinning your wheels on.

CTRL+F for “AI” or “artificial intelligence.”

We dare you to delete every single one. (Taboo mode: Read it out loud with your team, and every time you hit the word “AI,” they get to hit the buzzer.)  Is the value of your product still clear?

If no

You’re leaning too much on the promise of the tech-as-a-sales-pitch. How can you rewrite from an outcomes-focused POV?

If YES

Wonderful! You’ve already got some more direct language to play with. Cutting the AI-isms makes every sentence stronger.

watch out

If you end up with a whole lotta “infrastructure,” “disruption,” or “platform” (and not much else) after deleting “AI”, you’re likely leaving your audience with more questions than answers.

← Click to flip back

Clue:
An A/B whodunit

It’s a classic case of deduction through elimination… 

Click for the rules →

Nine in 10 of your peers haven't A/B tested AI messaging. Get the good data first, and you win.

To do so, start small with email subject lines or LinkedIn ads. Run your tests for at least 2 weeks, document results, and share your findings with leadership.

For example, test different language for the same AI feature across different customer segments. What happens if you call AI something else? Or don’t reference it at all?

Segment A

"AI-powered integration" (explicit AI language)

Segment B

"Automated insights engine" (AI-adjacent language)

Segment C

"Reports ready before your first meeting" (outcome-focused language)

WHERE TO TEST:

  1. Email subject lines

  2. Pricing pages

  3. Product feature pages

  4. About/How It Works pages

  5. Ad copy

WAYS TO SEGMENT:

  1. Traffic source

  2. Industry vertical

  3. Company size

  4. Buyer type

← Click to flip back

Bonus Round: How to level-set with leadership

Pressure-test whether more AI speak is actually what your leadership team wants. Use your testing rights as a marketer to make the case for exploration, or use the data to present your proof points.

Sample 
questions:

(Yes, these are leading)

"Is there any reason we shouldn't test our current messaging for 2-3 weeks before repositioning around AI?"

"Would it be a bad idea to see if our sales team can close deals without mentioning AI in the pitch?"

"I can see how more AI language would resonate with the IT team. But I’d like to get the decision makers on board too. Do you disagree with using outcomes-focused language?”

"Would you be against supporting outcomes-focused messaging if our A/B test shows it outperforms AI-heavy language?"

Tee it up to leadership like this:

"Before we invest in repositioning everything around AI, let's answer some questions together. It'll take 10 minutes and could save us from a costly misstep. Plus, I've run a couple quick tests that show some interesting patterns worth discussing."

Messaging Worth Testing

Marketing grab bag:

Match the strategies. Find the pairs.
Test your marketing memory.

Moves
0
found
0/6

unlocked strategies

💡
Match cards to
reveal strategies

Our Survey Methodology

Our methodology

Take a peek at who we talked to, how we conducted our research, and the questions we explored as we were putting this all together. 

Who we talked to:

Seniority level

Manager or above

75%

Individual contributor

20%

Specialist or other

4%

Organization size

1-10
employees

20%

11-50
employees

38%

51-200
employees

24%

200+
employees

18%

Marketing team size

0 people
(no marketing team or other)

7%

1-2 people

49%

3-5 people

7%

6-10 people

16%

more than 10 people

19%

Industries

Marketing/Martech

37%

Data/Tech/AI

16%

Finance/Fintech

13%

Healthcare/ Healthtech

7%

Real Estate/Proptech/CREtech

5%

Media/Entertainment

4%

Other

17%

How we got our data

We collected responses from 84 marketing leaders and practitioners via a Typeform survey from October to November of 2025. The survey contained multiple-choice and open-ended questions spanning demographics, AI product status, positioning, buyer perception, testing, and performance insights. For any questions weighing “AI” marketing effectiveness, we only considered answers from respondents who currently have an AI product offering or are preparing to launch an AI product in 2026 (inclusive of AI-native products, AI incorporated into existing products, and AI enhancements)—this accounted for 85% of respondents. Note that respondent quotes have been edited for length and clarity. 

‍

Setting the Standard

Understanding what marketing leaders are up against is what we do best. This report is just a sliver of what we’ve learned. 

Every week in The Standard, we break down the campaigns that worked, the tools that matter, and the strategic intelligence you need to make better decisions. No corporate BS, and no hard sell. Just a behind-the-scenes look at how marketing leaders today are running their departments with more clarity. Get The Standard delivered weekly ↓

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