The first quarter of 2025 is in the books, and Ascend2, in collaboration with our research partners, has released several impactful studies across industries, from revenue operations and SMB growth to content, compliance, and marketing automation. Below are 10 powerful research findings to help you recalibrate your strategies for the rest of the year. Each finding includes a link to the report to discover additional data findings.
- Revenue Leaders Still Struggle to Capture Full Value
Although 100% of revenue leaders agree on the importance of visibility across the entire revenue lifecycle, only 54% are highly confident in capturing all available revenue opportunities, signaling a persistent execution gap in Revenue Lifecycle Management (Conga). - Frequent Data Refresh Powers Customer Acquisition
Home improvement companies with the strongest customer acquisition results are over 4x more likely to refresh their customer data weekly (52% vs 12%), highlighting the growing value of up-to-date insights (Porch). - AI Confidence Among Small Businesses Is Rising
New SMBs most confident in business growth in 2025 are significantly more likely to adopt AI, as 41% plan to use it for data analysis and 39% for personalizing customer experiences (Constant Contact SMB Now Report). - Franchisee Control Drives Satisfaction
Franchisees with complete control over their local marketing are 3x more likely to report being very satisfied (61%) compared to those with limited or no control (20%), suggesting that empowering local teams pays off (Constant Contact Franchis Report). - Marketing Automation Budgets Are Booming
Three in four (75%) B2B marketers plan to increase their marketing automation budgets in 2025, a sign that automation remains a top investment priority amid rising expectations for performance (Act-On). - AI Is Key to Modern Influencer Marketing
Nearly half of B2B marketers (48%) already use AI to support influencer content creation, and many see AI-driven audience segmentation as the next frontier in scaling influencer marketing success (TopRank). - Content Teams Under Pressure to Do More With Less
While 77% of content teams expect to increase production in 2025, only 25% feel they have the right tools in place, pointing to a growing technology gap that could hamper performance (Canto). - Executives Unshaken by Political Uncertainty in ESG Reporting
85% of executives intend to move forward with climate-related disclosures in 2025, regardless of political shifts, signaling a strong commitment to sustainability as a business imperative (Workiva). - Cyber Compliance Is a Growing Burden
90% of risk and compliance professionals say their workload will be impacted by new EU regulations like DORA and the AI Act, with many organizations still missing critical controls despite claiming compliance (AuditBoard). - Intent Data Powers High-ROI Acquisition
Companies with the highest customer acquisition ROI are significantly more likely to use a mix of intent signals, such as online search and email engagement, to target prospects better. (Porch)
Looking Ahead
These findings underscore a unifying theme across industries: agility, automation, and accountability are no longer optional. Whether it’s AI in small businesses, integrated compliance, or advanced content strategies, the first quarter of 2025 has made one thing clear: data-driven innovation is driving growth.
As you look ahead to Q2 and beyond, which of these trends will shape your strategy?