Key findings from our survey of 400+ US marketers.

• 72% of marketers say the top benefit of data-driven strategies is improved marketing efficiency. Yet one in four admit they don’t use data monthly to drive that improvement.
• One in seven marketers experienced financial losses due to poor data quality in the past year — averaging a loss of $91,000.
• Nearly one in ten marketers don’t know how to ensure good data hygiene.
• Almost 50% of marketers struggle to ensure their data accurately represents their target audience.

What is data-driven marketing?

Data-driven marketing is the practice of using customer data to guide your strategy — not guesswork.

Every click, search, purchase and unsubscribe tells a story. When marketers listen to that story, they can deliver campaigns that resonate. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for results, data-driven teams use real insights to make precise, personalised decisions.

For example:

• A first-time visitor clicks a product page but doesn’t buy.
• A returning customer opens three emails in a row, each about a different feature.
• A shopper adds items to their basket but bounces after delivering costs are shown.

Each action creates a data point. When aggregated, these data points reveal patterns — preferences, hesitations and behaviours — that can be used to optimise messaging, timing and channel strategy.

How data-driven marketing compares with traditional marketing.

Traditional marketing relies on broad targeting and assumptions. Think: billboards, general TV spots, one-size-fits-all email blasts. You might generate some reach, but it’s hard to know what worked — or why.

Data-driven marketing flips that approach. It replaces hunches with facts and treats customers as individuals, not segments.

For instance:

• Instead of hoping the right person sees your ad, you can target based on real-time behaviour and preferences.
• Instead of launching generic promotions, you can customise offers to specific buyer journeys.
• And instead of analysing results weeks later, you can optimise campaigns on the fly using AI and predictive analytics.

When used consistently, this method delivers stronger performance — with some marketers seeing up to a 5:1 return on investment.

Why data matters — and why most marketers still don’t use it enough.

When used well, data can transform marketing from a cost centre into a revenue engine.

From our survey of over 400 marketers:

• 72% say the biggest benefit of data-driven marketing is improved efficiency.
• 62% say it gives them greater clarity on their target audience.
• Nearly half say it increases customer loyalty.
• And, 35% use it to fuel new product development.

But here’s the disconnect:

Even though 97% of marketers say they use data to improve efficiency, only 75% review it monthly. And 15% admit they check it just a few times a year.

That’s not just a missed opportunity — it’s a competitive disadvantage. Using outdated or incomplete data slows response time, weakens personalisation and leads to wasted spending. Many teams are collecting valuable insights — they’re just not acting on them often enough to see real ROI.

Understanding and reaching your audience.

To connect with your audience, you have to see them clearly — not just demographically, but behaviorally. That’s why 96% of marketers say they use data to understand their audience. And two-thirds do this at least monthly. The more accurate and current the data, the more relevant the message.

A strong customer view includes:

• Personal data — name, age, address, location
• Engagement data — website visits, mobile app usage, email opens
• Transactional data — purchase history, basket abandonment
• Attitudinal data — preferences, feedback, satisfaction scores

Together, this data paints a full picture. It helps you to understand what your customers want, when they want it — and how best to reach them.

Find the right channels.

Data doesn’t just help you to understand who your audience is. It tells you where they are.

• Younger audiences might engage more on TikTok or Instagram.
• B2B decision-makers may respond better to email or LinkedIn.
• Regional data might reveal preferences tied to weather, local events or store proximity.

Smart marketers use this insight to refine their channel mix — from social media to SMS to in-store signage.

Speak to the individual, not the segment.

95% of marketers say they use data to deliver personalised content — but 17% do so only a few times a year. That’s a huge gap between intent and execution.

Poorly targeted messaging doesn’t just underperform — it annoys people.

In fact, 74% of consumers say they’re frustrated by irrelevant content.

Personalisation can take many forms:

• Recommended products based on recent activity
• Customised content that aligns with a buyer’s stage in the funnel
• Dynamic landing pages that reflect the user’s profile
• Tailored emails with specific offers or messaging
• Targeted ads that adjust based on browsing or purchase history

The more relevant the message, the more likely your audience is to take action — and build trust with your brand.

Overcoming common data challenges.

Data-driven marketing only works when the data is accurate. But that’s easier said than done.

As per the survey:

• 48% of marketers say their biggest roadblock is ensuring data accuracy about their target audience.
• For small and medium businesses, the issue is representativeness — is this data truly reflective of their customers?
• Enterprise teams struggle most with completeness and consistency.

And even more concerning: Nearly one in ten marketers don’t know how to maintain good data hygiene at all.

What’s at stake?

Bad data leads to bad decisions.

From inaccurate targeting to broken segmentation, the cost of poor data hygiene is more than inefficiency — it’s financial.

One in seven marketers experienced losses in the past year due to low-quality data, with enterprise respondents averaging $232,500 in wasted spend, missed revenue or rework.

How marketers are addressing data hygiene.

Most teams are taking action — here’s how:

• 49% run regular data quality checks
• 45% use standardised formats to reduce inconsistencies
• Others are revisiting how they collect, sync and clean data across systems

But without the right systems in place, it’s difficult to scale this.

That’s where Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) can help.

The role of customer data platforms.

A customer data platform centralises and unifies customer information from across your tech stack.

It supports:

• Built-in data validation and deduplication
• Near real-time profile updates
• Consistent data formatting across all sources
• Activation across multiple channels without data loss

Tools like Adobe Real-Time CDP give marketers a reliable foundation for decision-making — even in complex, multi-channel environments.

Managing your marketing data: From collection to integration.

You can’t make smart decisions with bad data.

But even great data is useless if it’s locked in silos or pulled too late to act on.

Here’s how to collect clean, useful data — and make sure it flows across your marketing stack.

1. Start with a clear plan.

Before collecting anything, define what success looks like.

• What insights are you trying to gather?
• Which channels are involved?
• What systems need to connect?

Without a strategy, data becomes noise. Identify your key sources — like CRM, analytics platforms, ecommerce tools and website behaviour trackers — and ensure each one contributes to a unified view of the customer.

2. Collect the right data — and clean it.

Only collect data that adds value. More is not better if it’s messy.

Focus on:

• Accuracy — Is the data up to date?
• Completeness — Are there gaps in key fields?
• Timeliness — When was it last refreshed?
• Relevance — Does this data help drive decisions?

Tip: Define expiry rules for customer data. Obsolete contact info or outdated behaviours can lead to costly missteps.

3. Regularly check your data sources.

Don’t assume your systems are syncing properly — verify it.

• Audit where the data is being pulled from and how often.
• Set baselines for expected behaviour (e.g. bounce rate, basket size) to catch anomalies.
• Track how changes in one system affect others.

Without this, small issues (like duplicate records or untagged events) can snowball into major performance problems.

4. Break down the silos.

Even clean data is dangerous if it’s fragmented.

When customer info is spread across disconnected systems — social platforms, email tools, analytics dashboards — you lose the full picture. You miss opportunities. And you can’t personalise effectively.

Real-time customer data platform, like Adobe Real-Time CDP, solves this by stitching together data from every source — anonymous and known, off-line and online — into real-time, actionable customer profiles.

The result? Unified insights, better campaigns and faster activation across every channel.

Putting data to work: How to build a data-driven marketing strategy.

Collecting data is one thing. Turning it into action is another.

Here’s how to build a marketing strategy that uses your data — not just stores it.

1. Start with a clear campaign objective.

Before you touch the data, define your goal.

• Are you trying to increase leads? Improve retention? Launch a product?
• Who’s your audience — and what’s the desired action?
• What will success look like in numbers?

Use the SMART framework:

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.

Example: Instead of “get more signups,” try “increase B2B demo requests by 15% within 60 days via paid and organic campaigns.”

Your data strategy should be shaped by this goal — not the other way around.

2. Gather and assess the data you need.

With goals set, identify the data points that matter:

• Behavioural: Who visited your pricing page but didn’t convert?
• Transactional: What did returning customers buy again?
• Engagement: Which emails triggered the most clicks from leads?

Pull this data from analytics tools, CRMs and ecommerce platforms — and make sure it’s clean.

Pro tip: More data isn’t better. Focus on the right data that connects directly to your objective.

3. Build the right team — and structure.

You don’t need a massive analytics department. But you do need clarity on roles.

Here are three common team models:

• Distributed: Data experts embedded across teams, close to decision-making.
• Centre of Excellence: One central team creates processes, dashboards and standards.
• Hub-and-Spoke: A central team leads strategy, with local teams executing insights.

Choose the model that suits your size and resources — the key is collaboration between marketers, analysts and tech stakeholders.

4. Launch your plan — and stay nimble.

Execution isn’t about flipping a switch. Build clear workflows:

• Assign ownership of key tasks.
• Set timelines with built-in checkpoints.
• Monitor for blockers like data sync failures or messaging mismatches.

Stay agile — if you notice drop-off or channel underperformance, adjust quickly.

Modern platforms like Adobe Real-Time CDP allow for real-time activation, meaning your campaigns can evolve as customer behaviour shifts.

5. Track what works — and close the loop.

Measurement isn’t just for the wrap report. It’s your early-warning system.

Track:

• What’s performing?
• What’s lagging?
• Where are users dropping off?

Use these insights to refine segmentation, update creative or adjust timing.

Great data strategies are iterative — the most successful teams treat every campaign as a learning loop.

Tools that power data-driven marketing.

The right tools don’t just store data — they help you to make sense of it, act on it and personalise the experience at scale.

From our survey:

• 66% of marketers use web analytics platforms.
• 57% use CRM systems.
• 51% use marketing automation platforms.
• 36% use customer data platforms.

Each plays a role — but the magic happens when they work together.

Adobe tools across the data stack.

If you’re building or scaling your data-driven approach, Adobe offers solutions across each layer:

• Adobe Analytics → Deep insights into how users behave across your digital properties
• Adobe Experience Platform → A unified view of your customer journeys and CRM-level engagement
• GenStudio for Performance Marketing → AI-driven content personalisation at scale
• Adobe Real-Time CDP → Real-time profile creation, segmentation and audience activation across channels

These tools don’t just power campaigns — they enable real-time adaptation, personalised content and consistent experiences across touchpoints.

How marketers are using AI in the real world.

AI is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a core driver of modern marketing efficiency. Top uses from our survey include:

• 40% use AI to optimise campaigns with advanced analytics.
• 40% use it to automate content personalisation and product recommendations.
• 37% analyse large datasets to spot patterns and trends.
• 35% improve segmentation and targeting.
• 33% use CDP insights to predict customer behaviour.

Smaller companies tend to focus AI on personalisation. Larger ones lean toward campaign optimisation. Either way, AI helps teams move faster — and more intelligently

Get started with data-driven marketing.

Marketers today aren’t short on data. They’re short on time, alignment and confidence that their data is reliable and actionable. From our survey, the top challenges holding teams back were:

• Ensuring accuracy, completeness and audience relevance
• Fragmented systems
• Inconsistent data hygiene

The good news? You don’t need a data science degree to solve these.

You just need the right strategy, the right tools — and a system that brings your data together.

How Adobe for Business helps.

If you’re struggling with disconnected tools and scattered data, Adobe Real-Time CDP can help you:

• Unify B2B and B2C data into a single, real-time profile
• Normalise and govern data across sources
• Activate audiences instantly across any marketing channel
• Gain insights at speed, with enterprise-grade security and compliance

It’s a marketer-friendly foundation for real-time personalisation — backed by Adobe Experience Platform.

Learn more about Adobe Real-Time CDP features and use cases and schedule a demo to experience its capabilities firsthand.

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