Are Marketing Teams Falling Behind the Curve?

What a simple LinkedIn poll revealed about the biggest capability gaps in today’s marketing teams — and why it matters for the channel.

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I’m seeing and hearing a lot right now about AI in marketing, and not all of it is positive. In face, far from it. The doom-sayers and traditionalists are quick to dismiss it as a lazy shortcut, claiming it dilutes creative effort and undermines strategic thinking. I disagree. Strongly.

AI - like any new tool - sparks fear in those who don’t fully understand its potential. But when used responsibly and intentionally, AI and automation aren’t replacing marketers. They’re enabling us. Enabling us to move faster, analyse more deeply, and spend our time where it counts: on strategy, insight, creativity, and collaboration.

From parsing huge data sets into digestible dashboards, to researching buyer preferences, ideating campaigns, or supporting SEO strategy. AI is already delivering real value. It won’t replace the human marketer. It won’t attend customer meetings, brainstorm with sales, or lead strategy whiteboards. But it can take on the heavy lifting, freeing us to show up in the rooms where we add the most value.

That’s why this conversation matters. And why I recently ran a poll to find out where marketing teams are really feeling the pressure.

The marketing function has never been more business-critical - or more misunderstoodAs GTM strategies grow more complex, and the channel faces increasing pressure to differentiate and deliver ROI, the expectations placed on marketing teams have multiplied. Yet somewhere between the growth of tech stacks and the explosion of data, a worrying trend has emerged: many teams are struggling to keep up with what modern marketing now demands.

I recently posed a simple question to my LinkedIn network:

“What’s the biggest skill gap in marketing teams today?”

Here’s how over 50 industry peers responded:

• Tech & automation knowledge – 50%

• Data/analytics skills – 33%

• Commercial thinking – 17%

• Creative strategy – 0%

These results speak volumes. Not just about the evolving skillset marketers need, but about the operational reality facing many channel organisations.

A Shift in Skill Priorities - and Mindset

Traditionally, channel marketing has been seen as the “creative comms” department - responsible for campaign launches, email blasts, co-branded assets, and partner enablement packs. Creativity still matters, of course. But when zero percent of respondents voted for creative strategy as the biggest gap, it confirmed a broader shift: we’re no longer short on ideas. We’re short on executional depth - especially where tech, data, and revenue alignment are concerned.

This isn’t just a marketing problem. It’s a business problem.

In the channel ecosystem, where indirect routes to market often complicate attribution, insight, and engagement, the ability to connect the dots across platforms, tools, and data streams is more vital than ever. When marketers lack that capability, value leaks - fast.

Why This Matters for the Channel

The channel is undergoing its own transformation. Partner types are evolving. Buyer behaviour is shifting. Vendors expect more than MDF activity reports; they want measurable impact. And partners want marketing support that goes beyond one-pagers and logo slaps.

This evolution means:

• Automation is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s critical for scaling campaigns, managing nurture flows, and capturing leads in real time.

• Data fluency is essential for refining partner programmes, understanding buyer intent, and driving demand across multiple verticals.

• Commercial thinking is what separates busy marketers from impactful ones - those who link every campaign back to pipeline and revenue.

Put simply, the most successful channel marketers of the future won’t just speak in clicks and opens, they’ll speak in ROI and growth.

Why Are These Gaps Emerging?

A few common patterns are driving the gaps I see every day, both in my role and in conversations across the industry:

• Pace of change: The martech landscape now includes over 14,000 tools. Keeping up with automation platforms, CRM logic, integrations, and AI functionality is overwhelming for teams with limited resources or budget.

• Siloed teams: Marketing still often operates in isolation from sales, product, and data teams. This makes it harder to connect strategic goals with marketing tactics.

• Misaligned expectations: Leadership teams sometimes still see marketing as “the colouring-in department” - which means investment in tech and training is low, and marketers aren’t empowered to act as commercial drivers.

• Recruitment gaps: Hiring in marketing often focuses on “safe” skills (content, social, comms) instead of building multi-skilled teams with analytics, automation, or CRO expertise.

What Can Channel Leaders Do About It?

1. Upskill the team - or risk losing ground

   Invest in training around your core tools - especially automation platforms, CRM systems, and analytics dashboards. Encourage cross-training across marketing, sales, and ops to build a shared language and improve collaboration.

2. Treat marketing like a revenue function

   Modern marketing teams should report on pipeline contribution, not just campaign output. Align goals to business KPIs. Build marketing dashboards that track sales influence and MQL-to-SQL conversion.

3. Hire for curiosity, not just credentials

   Look for marketers who are tech-confident, commercially-minded, and eager to experiment. They’ll adapt faster, ask better questions, and drive continuous improvement.

4. Give marketing a seat at the strategic table

   When marketing is part of the go-to-market discussion from day one, it helps shape strategy, not just react to it. That’s how we move from service function to strategic partner.

Final Thought: Let’s Talk About the Skills That Really Matter

The channel needs marketers who are fluent in multiple languages: tech, data, creativity, and commerce. These hybrid professionals are rare - but they’re also the future.

Yet if my poll results are anything to go by, we’re not moving fast enough to build these teams. And that’s a problem we can’t afford to ignore.

So here’s the real challenge for channel leaders, CMOs, and marketing teams alike:

Are we building teams that reflect where marketing is going, or clinging to where it’s been?

Let’s move beyond the buzzwords. Let’s talk honestly about the gaps, the fears, and the opportunities - especially when it comes to technology and automation. The marketers who lean into curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning will be the ones who stay ahead.

If you’re already asking these questions, or if this piece sparked a few more, I’d love to hear your perspective.

👉 What are you seeing in your team, or across the partner landscape? Where are the real friction points - and what’s working?

Let’s start the conversation.