{"id":10651,"date":"2025-12-17T18:44:45","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T00:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=10651"},"modified":"2025-12-17T18:44:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T00:44:45","slug":"62-of-b2b-cmos-not-ready-to-compete-against-ai-enabled-companies-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/attentionmedia.io\/?p=10651","title":{"rendered":"62% of B2B CMOs not ready to compete against AI-enabled companies: report"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Affiliate<\/div>\n

Two-thirds of CMOs say they lack the skills, budget or resources to compete against faster-moving, AI-enabled challengers, according to new research from the agency 3Thinkrs.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the acceleration of AI-generated search and decision-making is rapidly eroding traditional marketing levers. With brand visibility collapsing across search, websites and social, the race is on to modernize strategies for the new era of AI-first discovery.<\/p>\n

The findings come from \u201cA<\/a> CMO\u2019s Marketing and Communications Playbook for 2026<\/a>,\u201d a survey of 400 B2B tech marketing leaders \u2014 and they paint a picture of a playbook that\u2019s falling apart faster than many teams expected.<\/p>\n

Traditional channels are slipping as AI grows<\/h2>\n

According to the report, B2B tech websites experienced a 34% decline in traffic between 2024 and 2025, despite AI-generated traffic accelerating toward an expected 20% share by the end of 2025. That is a significant erosion of the traditional content ladder that marketers have depended on for decades.<\/p>\n

Dig deeper: 5 capabilities that separate AI-native teams from everyone else<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Search is changing, too. The study projects that by 2027, traditional search will account for just 45% of all search queries, a 42% drop from earlier norms. Social media channels are also feeling the impact. On LinkedIn, the visibility of organic company content has slipped sharply \u2014 from 2.1% to 1.6% of users\u2019 feeds between March and October 2025 \u2014 shrinking the reach of content that once drove awareness and engagement.<\/p>\n

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Source: A<\/a> CMO\u2019s Marketing and Communications Playbook for 2026<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With generative engines replacing traditional search behavior, CMOs are being forced to pivot. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is now the must-have capability for teams trying to stay visible in zero-click environments.<\/p>\n

Sixty-one percent of marketing leaders are already adapting their strategies to improve visibility in AI-generated summaries and answer engines. The shift is moving marketing from keyword placement to \u201cconfidence signaling\u201d \u2014 ensuring that AI models recognize your brand as credible, current and authoritative.<\/p>\n

That means:<\/p>\n