Reflections inspired by the Gartner CMO Journal (Q1 2025) and HubSpot's 2025 State of Marketing Report
By the Cat Media Team
We recently took time to reflect on the Gartner CMO Journal for Q1 2025 and the HubSpot 2025 State of Marketing Report — two comprehensive resources outlining the evolving landscape of marketing leadership. The themes resonated deeply with our ongoing conversations and practices within our team.
Both reports highlight pressing challenges: increased accountability for growth, constrained resources, the imperative for differentiation, and the complex nature of the customer journey. They also underscore the growing divide between organisations building for resilience and those struggling to adapt.
This article offers our reflections on these insights and how we're actively responding.
Strategic Vision Must Translate Into Operational Precision
According to Gartner, "61% of CMOs face increased pressure from their CEOs to demonstrate short-term growth" (Gartner CMO Journal, Q1 2025). HubSpot's report reinforces this, stating that "increasing revenue and sales" is the top priority for 22% of marketers in 2025 (HubSpot, p. 6).
At Cat Media, strategy and implementation are fully integrated. From the initial vision to execution, the same minds remain involved. Utilising HubSpot as our operational core enables us to monitor activity, surface performance insights, and connect the dots between people, processes, and data. By making execution visible, we ensure strategy remains accountable.
Differentiation Emerges Through Quality and Focus
Gartner warns that "differentiation is elusive and becoming harder to sustain" (Gartner CMO Journal, Q1 2025). HubSpot adds that 21% of marketers plan to create more value-driven branded content in 2025 to strengthen brand affinity (HubSpot, p. 9).
We focus on helping our clients clarify their brand identity and express it consistently and intelligently, grounded in data. AI plays a significant role in this process, accelerating research and streamlining production. However, the core message and structure of any campaign stem from genuine insight, not automation.
The Customer Journey Has Become a System of Interactions
Gartner states that "CMOs must take control of the full customer journey to deliver outcomes" (Gartner CMO Journal, Q1 2025). HubSpot's report shows that customers now discover brands primarily through social channels — social media is now the top discovery channel for 24% of global consumers, outpacing search (HubSpot, p. 13).
We view the customer journey as a dynamic system rather than a linear funnel. HubSpot provides a shared foundation across marketing, sales, and service, allowing us to build workflows and touchpoints that are both customer-friendly and operationally sustainable. This ensures context is preserved, signals are acted upon, and customers feel recognised at every stage.
Data Infrastructure is a Competitive Advantage
Gartner highlights that "data quality continues to hinder marketing performance" (Gartner CMO Journal, Q1 2025). HubSpot reports that more than one in four marketers (27%) now use AI tools for reporting and attribution (HubSpot, p. 20) — suggesting a growing desire to make sense of campaign data more effectively.
To address this, we developed furball, our internal AI-powered data suite. It automates tasks like deduplication, formatting, and property standardisation. While these processes may be invisible to the end-user, they are crucial for maintaining the integrity of customer journeys, ensuring accurate reporting, and delivering timely, relevant messaging. Join the waitlist.
Strong infrastructure quietly enables exceptional marketing.
Final Reflection
The insights from both the Gartner CMO Journal and HubSpot's State of Marketing Report converge on a central theme: the importance of clarity, cohesion, and alignment in marketing. As a team deeply embedded in the day-to-day operations of growing businesses, we've observed this shift firsthand.
Success in 2025 hinges on intentionality. It's about staying close to the data, building systems that support your team, and crafting messages that resonate and drive momentum.
For those interested in delving deeper, we recommend accessing the full Gartner CMO Journal and HubSpot 2025 State of Marketing Report. For everyone else navigating these challenges: remain focused, adaptable, and invest in capabilities that yield long-term benefits.
We'll continue sharing our reflections throughout the year. Until then, we'll be in the engine room.
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