New Research Reveals That "Evidence-Based Creativity" Is the Next Must-Have Skill Set for Marketers in the Age of AI

September 16, 2025 at 09:00 AM EDT

Global report from Contentful and Atlantic Insights finds nearly half of marketers rank data analysis and interpretation as a top skill; marketers must now demonstrate breakthrough creativity and validate with data

Contentful, a leading digital experience platform, in collaboration with Atlantic Insights, the marketing research division of The Atlantic, today released a new study, ‘When Machines Make Marketers More Human’ challenging the notion that AI will replace many marketing functions and instead demonstrates how AI can amplify marketers’ effectiveness, creativity, and impact.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250915597344/en/

The marketing skills that matter today

The report, based on surveys and interviews with hundreds of senior marketing leaders around the world, finds that “evidence-based creativity” is emerging as the defining capability of modern marketers. Whether on skills - 46% of respondents cited data analysis and interpretation as the top skill needed in the profession today - or on measuring efficacy - 34% of successful marketers define success according to strong performance metrics or ROI - it's clear that data-driven marketing is only accelerating in the age of AI. The ability to combine human creativity with AI-driven insights is becoming essential to producing, testing, and scaling ideas with measurable impact.

Beyond creativity, the research highlights a broader evolution of the marketing skillset. A new generation of “full-stack marketers” is taking shape. They are fluent in creating AI-enabled workflows, writing effective prompts, navigating diverse technology stacks, and embedding AI tools into daily operations. Nearly half of marketers report using both AI copilots in productivity software (49%) and generative tools for content creation (48%), underscoring how quickly these tools are becoming part of the day-to-day workflow. Combined with growing expertise in digital experience design, personalization strategy, and governance, these capabilities signal a fundamental shift in what it takes to succeed in marketing today.

“There is a growing fear that AI will erase marketing jobs, but that concern is misplaced. The real risk is failing to use AI strategically,” said Elizabeth Maxson, Chief Marketing Officer, Contentful. “When marketers invest in the right tools that support their teams’ daily work and prioritize marketing talent that blends creativity with analytics, that’s when AI stops being hype and starts delivering meaningful results.”

“Marketing is a deeply creative industry, but there is an urgent need for marketers to start thinking more like engineers in order to keep pace with the rise in AI,” said Alice McKown, Publisher, The Atlantic. “Tomorrow’s most valuable marketing leaders won’t be defined as creative or analytical. They’ll be both.”

Key Findings from the Report

Evidence-based creativity is the new marketing superpower — and organizations are investing to get them there.

The marketing skills that matter most today are data analysis and interpretation (46%) and digital experience design (40%), followed by personalization strategy (37%), and writing for AI tools (37%).
33% of marketers rank campaign testing and optimization as a top skill — reflecting a shift toward data-informed creative instincts.
45% of organizations are already offering AI training, a clear marker of organizational maturity.

The “Optimism-Execution Gap” reflects the chasm between AI’s potential and reality; ROI is still a work in progress.

AI investment is a priority for marketers, with 74% investing in the technology and 34% allocating at least $500k toward AI marketing tools or initiatives over the next 12-36 months.
Despite the investment, two-thirds of marketers say their current marketing technology stack isn’t helping them do more with fewer resources (yet).
89% of marketing teams are already using AI tools, but only 18% say it has reduced their reliance on developers or data teams

AI's key opportunities and challenges differ by region, with Europeans prioritizing compliance and Americans focusing on rapid experimentation.

EMEA marketers adopt a methodical, compliance-ready approach, with 58% selectively testing AI tools under a defined plan. Nearly a third (32%) emphasize governance skills such as brand voice, compliance and quality standards.
U.S. marketers emphasize experimentation and rapid testing, with 37% focusing on campaign optimization (vs. 26% in EMEA). U.S. teams measure success by high content quality (45%) and flexibility (39%), while EMEA teams lean toward operational excellence and speed (43%).

To read the full report, visit: https://www.theatlantic.com/sponsored/contentful-2025/making-marketers-more-human/4024/

About the Report

Research from the report was conducted by Contentful in collaboration with Atlantic Insights, and included three primary components:

Quantitative survey - 425 marketing decision-makers across industries, company sizes, and regions, executed by Cint.
Diary studies - Ten-day live user testing with marketing professionals using AI tools in their real workflows, executed by Dscout. Participants completed eight activities, including content creation, campaign optimization, translation/localization, personalization, and A/B testing, while recording their screens and providing commentary.
Subject matter expert (SME) interviews - In-depth interviews with Contentful executives, team leads, and partner organizations to contextualize quantitative findings and capture emerging best practices.

All survey data was collected and analyzed using advanced statistical methods to ensure reliability and significance of findings.

About Contentful

Contentful is a leading digital experience platform that helps modern businesses meet the growing demand for engaging, personalized content at scale. By blending composability with native AI capabilities, Contentful enables dynamic personalization, automated content delivery, and real-time experimentation, powering next-generation digital experiences across brands, regions, and channels for more than 4,200 organizations worldwide. For more information, visit www.contentful.com. Contentful, the Contentful logo, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Contentful Inc., Contentful GmbH and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About Atlantic Insights

Atlantic Insights is the marketing research division of The Atlantic, with custom and co-branded research experience spanning industries and sectors ranging across finance, luxury, technology, healthcare, and small business.