Read full reportThis white paper explores how marketing leaders in Australia and New Zealand are moving from data-rich to decision-ready by embedding GenAI, advanced analytics, and first-party data strategies at the core of their operations. Based on insights from the 2025 ANZ CMO Factor survey of 208 marketing leaders, it examines how CMOs are evolving their martech stacks for greater interoperability, prioritising technologies that drive activation (not just adoption), and striking the balance between automation and human oversight. From shifting executive expectations to rising efficiency pressures, this paper offers a practical roadmap for CMOs to modernise marketing, operationalise AI, and build trust-centred, high-impact customer experiences in a competitive B2B landscape.
Key Findings:
- Marketing’s Revenue Mandate is Here
CMOs across Australia and New Zealand are no longer measured by campaign reach alone. With 76% of leaders prioritising revenue impact through lead generation and ABM, marketing is becoming a core growth engine, requiring closer alignment with sales and clearer attribution of outcomes.
- AI Personalisation Moves from Hype to Reality
Personalisation at scale is emerging as a clear path to growth, with nearly 64% of ANZ marketers prioritising it for the year ahead. Yet while many are experimenting with AI for personalisation, disconnected data and limited AI readiness remain challenges that must be addressed to unlock true relevance across customer journeys.
- Data-Driven Marketing Needs Activation, Not Just Access
ANZ marketers are rich in data but still struggle to activate it effectively, with only 9% actively using AI and ML today despite 67% prioritising digital transformation with AI and automation. Leaders are focusing on turning data into timely decisions, moving from insight to action while maintaining trust and ethical oversight.
- The Martech Stack is Shifting to Insight-Rich, Interoperable Platforms
While marketing automation and analytics tools are widely used, ANZ CMOs are prioritising cost-effectiveness (22%), ease of integration (21%), and scalability (19%) when investing in new technologies. This reflects a shift towards martech stacks that are not just collections of tools but integrated ecosystems that drive measurable business outcomes.
- Building Future-Ready, AI-Augmented Teams
Technology alone won’t drive success. ANZ marketing leaders are investing in upskilling teams in prompt engineering, data storytelling, and AI ethics to fully realise the benefits of AI-powered marketing. The future belongs to marketers who combine human creativity with intelligent technology to design functions around agility, relevance, and customer impact.
For more information please click "Read full Report".
Exclusive membership organisation, Factor, has launched a new Research and Advisory arm, aimed at helping both C-Suite leaders and providers in the enterprise and public sectors.
It comes after Factor rebranded at the beginning of the 24/25 financial year, with the new identity representing an expanded vision and commitment to offering top-tier thought leadership and networking opportunities to senior executives across ANZ, Singapore and a number of other countries and regions. Now, the new arm of Factor is being spearheaded by VP and Head of Research Craig Baty and VP of Advisory Partnerships Shayne Arundell.
Factor
With over 30 years of C-level experience in ICT, HR, marketing, sales, operations, market research, and international business, Craig brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Factor.
“I’m pleased to be part of Factor’s expansion into Research & Advisory services, and I’m looking forward to sharing actionable insights with our members and providers to guide them on best practices in the market,” says Craig.
Craig has held a number of C-level roles including his own start-up, Global VP Global Marketing and VP Digital Services in Fujitsu Tokyo HQ and CTO & Head of Marketing for APAC. He also served as Distinguished Lead Analyst for ISG and established the Provider Lens research arm in AP. As Group VP and Head of Research for Gartner AP/J and CEO of Gartner Japan he earned the first AP/J Gartner Thought Leadership award, established what is now Gartner for Marketing, and pioneered the Gartner SWOT analysis methodology.
Factor
While, Shayne Arundell, a seasoned leader with a proven track record of success in the APAC region. Bringing over 15 years of Partnerships experience to Factor from FMCG, Fintech and Research and Advisory industries.
Shayne is also a Gartner alumni, previously serving as Director of Enterprise Sales, and as APAC Vice President for Intelligence Cloud at Korn Ferry, both being leading global consulting firms.
“Factor is the newest leader in advisory, backed by fiercely local insights, from an extensive market research database you won’t see anywhere else,” Shayne explains.
Within our expertise Factor will cover a range of topics, including, but not limited to:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
- Cyber Security
- 5G Landscape
- Hybrid Cloud
- Technology Profitability
- AU Fintech
- Digital Transformation and Enablement
- CX, EX, UX
Both Craig and Shayne are supported by Factor’s team of experts and analysts, including Director of Insights and Value, Darren Adams, who is a highly regarded professional in the APAC data and analytics space, drawing on his experience in communications, client relations, B2B marketing, data and strategy in the technology sector.
“People are at the heart of everything we do at Factor, and data is our key in transforming their interactions into understandings. I'm excited to share cutting-edge insights and understanding with our community, to help foster deeper, lasting and beneficial connections,” Darren says.
While Factor’s Editor-In-Chief, Madeline Palmer, an expert media professional, oversees a broad range of strategic, editorial, and managerial tasks to ensure the production and dissemination off high-quality research content.
“Our new membership app will be one-stop shop for all technology leaders to connect and learn through events, advisory and multi-media content, and I am looking forward to being part of that journey,” says Madeline.
The Directions™ portal on Factor’s new membership app is a cutting-edge platform, allowing users explore a repository of reports and other content, as well as create their own research visualisations with Factor’s existing database.
Factor’s CEO and founder, Josh Heid, says this new phase for the company is something he’s been working towards for quite some time.
“After six incredible years of empowering and enabling leaders, our rebrand as Factor, coupled with the launch of our Research and Advisory arm, is about offering our members and providers with the best services and products the market can offer,” Josh explains. “I’m very proud of the team at Factor and what we have built.”
For more information about Factor’s new Research and Advisory offerings click below.
