Research Highlights: Q2 2025
As many of us take our summer vacation, we look back at Q2 and ahead to H2. Here at Ascend2, we are grateful to our research partners and the opportunity to conduct original research across various industries and audiences, which helps us identify trends, determine what works (and what doesn’t), and explore growth opportunities, among other benefits.
Below are 10 research findings to help you plan for the rest of the year. Each finding includes a link to the report for further data analysis and review.
- AI Acceleration Is a Growth Engine
74% of marketers say AI can accelerate growth by at least 10%, with over a third expecting performance gains of more than 30%. (Growthloop) - CRM Fit Drives Revenue Impact
Teams that are highly satisfied with their CRM are 5x more likely to report improved sales efficiency and 4x more likely to report significant revenue growth. (Insightly) - Compliance Is Becoming a Competitive Edge
88% of data governance professionals say compliance is becoming more challenging due to expanding regulations, but leading organizations now treat it as a strategic differentiator, not a mere checkbox. (Collibra) - Real Estate Agents Are Overwhelmed
47% of real estate agents manage all of their marketing, yet only 17% say their efforts are very effective at growing their business. (Constant Contact) - Marketers Are Embracing Specialization
Specialist B2B marketers are more than twice as likely as generalists to report significant revenue growth, and 60% say they’re confident in their data. (Anteriad) - Brand and Performance Budgets Are Blending
58% of agencies have shifted their budgets toward brand-building in the last five years, but the highest-performing marketers align brand and performance strategies under shared KPIs. (StackAdapt) - Data Confidence Is Business Critical
Marketers who trust their data are 3x more likely to report revenue growth, yet 40% of professionals still lack data confidence due to silos and quality issues. (Collibra) - Top CRM Challenge? Low Adoption
Despite widespread CRM use, only 34% of teams claim to fully embrace and utilize their CRM effectively, suggesting that usability and fit remain significant hurdles. (Insightly) - High-Growth Marketers Prioritize Speed
Companies with significant revenue growth are nearly twice as likely to launch campaigns within 15 days compared to their slower-growing peers. (Anteriad) - AI + Human = Better Results
While AI adoption is on the rise, 86% of marketers believe that human oversight enhances the effectiveness of AI, particularly in areas such as personalization, content creation, and predictive insights. (GrowthLoop)
Also, have you considered conducting an original research study at your organization? Research helps position a brand as a credible source of insight, particularly in B2B sectors where trust and expertise are crucial. Among marketers who publish research, 74% say it enhances their brand’s perception as a thought leader among their audience. (Content Marketing Institute) According to Ascend2’s own benchmarking, companies that use original research in their campaigns report up to 2X higher lead conversion rates than those using standard content.