Optimizely, a digital experience platform (DXP) provider, has released new research, The Passion-Pressure Paradox, examining how AI pressure and complexity are impacting marketing teams’ work. Based on a survey of more than 200 marketers, the findings point to a growing disconnect between the work marketers are passionate about and the work that fills their day-to-day.
While marketers remain motivated by creativity, strategy and impact, their day-to-day reality tells a different story. Instead of creating, they’re coordinating, with many spending increasing amounts of time navigating tools, teams and workflows that pull them away from the work they value most. According to the research, 41.8 per cent of marketers say their role is only “50/50 creative on a good day,” while 37.9 per cent report their work is primarily focused on coordination rather than creative or strategic output.
AI is also becoming a bigger part of marketing workflows, but its benefits are not always translating into higher-value work. While 61 per cent of respondents say AI saves them time and 55 per cent say it makes certain tasks easier, only 36 per cent say it meaningfully frees up space for strategy. This suggests that while efficiency gains are real, how AI is applied plays a critical role in whether those gains translate into more time spent on the work marketers value most.
“The issue isn’t that marketers have lost their passion; they’ve simply lost the space to act on it,” said Tara Corey, SVP of Marketing at Optimizely. “It isn’t due to a lack of effort; it’s due to complexity. More tools, more channels and more stakeholders are fragmenting the work. By connecting workflows, cutting down coordination and giving marketers more space for strategy and creativity, AI has the potential to bring more structure to how work gets done. But, if teams are only using AI to increase their output, they’re just accelerating the chaos.”
The data also highlights how the day-to-day experience of marketing is evolving. As responsibilities expand, marketers are managing a growing mix of systems, inputs and priorities, making it more difficult to stay focused on high-impact work. This shift is also shaping how marketers view AI. While many recognise its ability to improve speed and efficiency, sentiment becomes more mixed when it raises expectations or adds another layer of complexity. For example, 28 per cent of marketers say AI is increasing output expectations, and 13 per cent say it is making workflows more complicated.
At the same time, marketers are fairly clear on what would help. More focused time, clearer priorities and fewer reactive demands came up consistently as ways to improve effectiveness. And despite the pressure, most are not looking to leave the field – but they are questioning whether the current pace and structure of the work is sustainable.
Taken together, the findings point to a shift in where marketing performance is won or lost. Growing operational demands can eat into the time and focus needed for strategic thinking, creative development and meaningful business impact. For marketing leaders, that means improving outcomes isn’t just about adding new tools. It’s about rethinking how work gets done, how priorities are set and how technologies like AI are used to support – not complicate – the work itself.
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