Findings from 300 global B2B marketers highlight the shift from adoption to activation as pipeline pressure intensifies.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Energize Marketing®, a leading full-funnel demand generation provider and digital media network, today released its 2026 State of Demand Generation Report, a global research study examining how B2B marketing teams are evolving to meet rising expectations for pipeline and revenue accountability.
Based on a survey of 300 senior B2B marketing, demand generation, and revenue operations leaders worldwide, the report finds that 2026 marks a decisive shift from activity-based marketing to verifiable business impact. As buying committees grow more complex and executive scrutiny increases, marketers are being measured less on volume and more on their ability to generate qualified pipeline and influence revenue.
The report frames this shift as “The Year of the Pipeline Mandate,” highlighting a market that is well-equipped with technology and data, yet still challenged by execution gaps between insight and action. While adoption of intent data, automation, and AI is nearly universal, most organizations have not yet reached the level of maturity required to translate those investments into consistent pipeline performance.
Key findings from the 2026 State of Demand Generation Report include:
Pipeline dominates priorities: 52% of marketers rank driving qualified pipeline as their top priority, and more than 90% include pipeline, ABM, or lead quality among their top three goals.
Maturity remains uneven: Nearly seven in ten organizations describe their demand generation programs as “somewhat mature,” but only about one in three consider themselves truly mature or advanced.
Activation lags adoption: Although nearly all respondents use third-party intent data, only a small fraction rate it as highly effective, revealing a persistent data-to-activation gap.
Alignment strains persist: Despite high reported satisfaction with marketing-to-sales handoffs, inconsistent sales follow-up remains the most cited barrier to converting qualified leads into pipeline.
Credibility drives performance: Research reports and executive-level insights continue to outperform lighter content formats in generating qualified pipeline.
“The data shows that demand generation has entered a new phase,” said David Steifman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Energize Marketing. “Teams have access to more tools and data than ever before, but the differentiator in 2026 is maturity. High-performing organizations are the ones that connect data, process, and people into systems that consistently deliver pipeline.”
The report introduces Energize Marketing’s Demand Generation Maturity Matrix, a global framework designed to identify the characteristics of high-performing demand organizations. Teams in the highest maturity tier demonstrate stronger data confidence, clearer qualification frameworks, tighter alignment with sales, and greater optimism around budget growth and performance outcomes.
“The pressure to prove impact is real, but it’s also productive,” said Michael Greenhut, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Energize Marketing. “This research shows that organizations willing to move from adoption to disciplined activation are not only meeting pipeline goals, but redefining what modern B2B marketing leadership looks like.”
The 2026 State of Demand Generation Report is now available and can be accessed here:
https://www.energize-marketing.com/globalstateofdemandgen2026insights
About the Research
The 2026 State of Demand Generation Report is based on quantitative and qualitative research conducted in October 2025 by TechStudio™, an Energize Marketing® company. The study surveyed 300 B2B marketing leaders across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC, representing demand generation, revenue operations, marketing operations, field marketing, and growth roles, with seniority ranging from senior manager to C-level.
About Energize Marketing
Energize Marketing® connects brands with a global B2B IT audience, delivering turnkey demand generation programs that drive measurable results. Through its trusted media network—TechChannels™, TechResources™, TechTalks™, TechStudio™, and TechEvents™—and its audience solution, energizeDB®, the company helps the world’s leading technology brands engage high-value decision makers across cybersecurity, IT, fintech, and other industries.
Energize Marketing powers pipeline growth for the world’s leading technology brands.
David Steifman
Energize Marketing
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