Smart Demand Gen Marketing: What Matters in the Age of Lean Budgets and AI

Activate Releases 9th Annual State of Demand Gen Report with Exclusive Insights from Top Performers

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Demand gen teams are settling into a new reality: Budgets are shrinking, but leadership continues to demand more pipeline contribution. The tried-and-true mantra, "Spend more to get more," no longer applies in today's B2B marketing landscape. What, then, truly matters when building pipeline in this age of lean budgets?

Activate's 9th annual State of Demand Generation report uncovers how savvy marketers are rewriting the rules by shifting the focus away from bigger budgets and obsessing over content efficiency, ruthlessly cutting underperforming channels, and deploying AI to automate the heavy lifting, turning budget constraints into competitive advantages.

Based on insights gathered from more than 250 B2B marketers in 2025, the yearly report uncovers key trends shaping the demand gen landscape. MQL targets keep climbing, but budgets don't. Meanwhile, subtle shifts in performance metrics are signaling that current demand gen tactics are losing effectiveness—and most teams aren't catching these red flags until it's too late.

"This year's findings confirm that the strongest demand gen teams aren't waiting for bigger budgets — they're winning through sharper focus and smarter execution," said Chris Rooke, CEO of Activate. "The 2025 data shows a decisive shift: success now comes from precision over volume, from actionable insights over assumptions, and from connecting marketing activity directly to revenue. Marketers who master that balance will be the ones defining what's next in 2026."

Key Takeaways from this year's report include:

• The upstart's advantage: How nimble demand gen beats big budgets through speed and precision
• The pipeline pressure test: Meeting aggressive targets with shrinking resources
• The Content-to-Pipeline Formula: Which content types actually convert to SQLs and closed-won revenue
• AI-Powered Demand Gen: Where AI is showing the most promise

Get Ahead in 2026
For a first look at these findings and actionable insights for your 2026 strategy, find the complete 2025 State of Demand Generation report.

About Activate
Activate Marketing Services ( www.activatems.com ) provides content-powered lead and marketing services for business technology marketers, based on a unique combination of buyer insights and high-performance content. Activate develops detailed buyer personas, creates multi-platform content to engage prospects at every stage of the decision-making process, then nurtures the resulting relationships across live, mobile and digital platforms to convert prospects into customers. Founded by a team of high-tech media executives with deep expertise in editorial, marketing, and technology, Activate's formula for high-performance marketing connects messaging, marketing, and measurement to deliver bottom-line results.

A Next 15 Company

For more information, visit www.activatems.com.

For more information, please contact: 
Alana Fares
VP of Marketing
Activate Marketing Services
[email protected]
(888) 500-9689

SOURCE Activate Marketing Services