Today's post is an excerpt from the MFS 2026 State of AI and B2B Marketing Report.
One of the key aims of our research into the use of AI in B2B marketing was to get into the specifics of exactly how marketing teams are incorporating AI into their workflows. To get a clearer picture, we surveyed 277 B2B marketing leaders in the UK and Ireland.
The Impact of AI on B2B Marketing
We set out to understand AI usage in the B2B marketing context by asking respondents how AI is impacting marketing at their organization today. Unsurprisingly 63% answered that AI’s impact was either transformational or significant. The low number of respondents who stated AI’s impact on marketing to be minimal or unchanged is a further indication of the significant impact AI is having on B2B marketing.
Marketing Activities and AI Usage
To try to get a clearer picture of AI’s role in B2B marketing, we asked respondents what tasks AI was used for in their organization. Again, it is unsurprising to see AI playing such a prominent role in content creation. Used correctly, AI can help produce content at scale and personalize it for target accounts. The worry here however is that AI overuse or misapplication can quickly turn content output into low quality AI slop.
AI Benefits for B2B Marketing
We know of a lot of potential benefits of AI for B2B marketing, but we wanted to get into some specifics on the benefits of AI being realized by marketing teams today. As expected, efficiency, execution, and cost reduction are some of the main benefits. One interesting finding here is that only 12% of respondents list competitive advantage as an AI benefit which may open up questions around marketing homogeneity or sameness as one of the unintended consequences of increased AI usage in B2B marketing.
Leading AI Tools for B2B Marketing Teams
The most popular Ai tools for B2B marketing teams are - for the most part - those most widely used outside of a work scenario. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini lead the way here. The one purpose built B2B AI solution that is leading the way is Salesforce Einstein with 14% of B2B marketing leaders listing it as the most important AI tool at their company.
AI and B2B Marketing Budgets
In terms of AI investment, 71% of companies surveyed will be increasing their investment in AI for marketing over the next 12 months - which is relatively unsurprising considering the ubiquitous focus on AI in business today.
If you would like to read the report in full you can access it here. If you have a marketing challenge you are looking for support with, feel free to reach out today - we’d love to talk with you about what you’re trying to achieve with your B2B marketing and how we might be able to help.