Bigger targets, smaller budgets: 73% of marketers struggle to meet 2025 goals with fewer resources despite reliance on AI

Krakow, Poland, 3rd April, 2025: New research from SALESmanago, one of Europe’s leading Customer Engagement Platforms with over 3,000 customers, has found that European marketers are being asked to achieve more with less, as 73% report feeling stretched due to increasing 2025 targets and shrinking budgets.

The research, conducted with over 150 eCommerce marketing leaders in the UK, Poland and Italy, found that AI is no longer optional, with 71% of marketers reporting that they now couldn’t hit their goals without the automation and intelligence delivered by AI.

However, the rise of AI is also creating new challenges, with 55% admitting their tech stack has become more complex and difficult to manage. Additionally, the advent of AI has also created other pressures with 63% of eCommerce marketers being asked to downsize teams due to automation-driven expectations. The UK is facing the most constraints, with 92% of marketers feeling pressure to shrink teams, followed by 60% in Italy and just 36% in Poland. 

“This research highlights the intense pressure on eCommerce marketers as they navigate economic uncertainty while being asked to deliver more with less,” commented Brian Plackis-Cheng, CEO at SALESmanago. “AI is now an essential tool for success, with the majority of marketers embracing it as their new sidekick, but it’s also reshaping the industry as a whole, driving both opportunity and new challenges. While automation enables efficiency, marketers are also facing increasing complexity and rising expectations from within their organisations. At SALESmanago, we believe that AI should empower, not overwhelm, and our mission is to ensure that marketers can harness its full potential without adding unnecessary complexity.”

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