Key stat: 53% of marketers in North America cite data analysis and insights as the top bottleneck slowing down marketing cycles, according to an April GrowthLoop and Ascend2 survey.

Beyond the chart:

• Senior agency professionals worldwide say inefficient processes are the biggest challenge agencies face (56.1%), according to a March Basis Technologies survey.
• 40% of US marketers say their company uses AI for analyzing data or creating reports, per a May survey from Fractl, Search Engine Land, and MFour.

Use this chart: Marketers can use this chart to boost their productivity by prioritizing tools that streamline data analysis, which is the top challenge slowing them down.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• A Marketer’s Guide to AI Agents 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• The First-Party Data Opportunity (EMARKETER subscription required)

Note: Respondents were asked, “Which areas cause the most delays/bottlenecks in your marketing cycle?”

Methodology: Data is from the June 2025 GrowthLoop and Ascend2 report titled "The 2025 AI and Marketing Performance Index." 309 marketing professionals in North America with titles of manager or strategist and above were surveyed online in April 2025. Respondents were based in the US (65%) and Canada (35%), and all represented companies with at least $100 million in annual revenue. By industry, respondents worked in finance and professional services (18%), technology and telecommunications (17%), retail, ecommerce and consumer goods (16%), manufacturing and industrial (13%), media, entertainment and hospitality (7%), healthcare and life sciences (5%), government, education and nonprofits (4%), real estate and construction (4%), logistics and transportation (4%), energy and utilities (3%), and other sectors (9%). By job level, respondents included executive/owner/C-level (23%), vice president/director/senior leadership (23%), and management or strategist roles (53%). Download Chart Title Top Bottlenecks Slowing Down Marketing Cycles According to Marketers in North America, April 2025 (% of respondents) Publication Date June 18, 2025 Sources Ascend2 GrowthLoop Topics Marketing TacticsNorth America