45% AI Budgets, 51% Email ROI, and the 2.9% CTR Breakout

Good morning, ! This week we’re tracking how B2B performance is shifting toward what actually scales—from AI sponsors doubling average CTRs to 2.9%, to in-person events (65%) and website/email marketing (55%/51%) steering 2025 budgets toward conversion-rich channels.

We break down why weekly email cadence now drives stronger funnel lift, why AI budget growth is slowing under 68% privacy concerns, and how 45% of 2026 spend is moving into AI-powered marketing tools.

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AUDIENCE DATA DIVE

AI Ads Hold Their Own: Benchmarks, Standouts, and Repeat Winners

AI sponsors are proving to be one of the most consistent performers across our B2B newsletters. While the overall ad CTR sits around 0.9%, AI campaigns frequently match or exceed that bar—hitting as high as 2.9% CTR with Attio, more than double the average. Pairings matter too: weeks featuring AI alongside Finance or SaaS sponsors saw amplified results, with CTR lifts up to 2.5%+. Vertical context shapes outcomes: Sports (1.23%) and Healthcare (0.63%) newsletters set the highest engagement benchmarks, making AI’s 1%+ CTRs especially competitive. Even in weaker contexts, AI ads track with category norms, proving their resilience. The bottom line: repeatable performance, strong pairings, and above-benchmark CTRs position AI sponsors as one of the most reliable and scalable categories in B2B ads. (More)

AD INTEL

Lead Gen Winners Are Shaping 2025 Budgets

If you want to understand where B2B ad dollars are headed, look first at what’s driving results. New data shows in-person events leading all tactics with a commanding 65% effectiveness, reinforcing why event sponsorships and on-site activations continue to see rising investment. Close behind, website marketing (55%) and email marketing (51%) remain powerhouse channels—no surprise as brands double down on owned and performance-driven media.

What’s especially notable is the steady strength of video (48%) and webinars (46%), both formats increasingly tied to paid amplification across LinkedIn, YouTube, and programmatic channels. Meanwhile, SEO (45%) and gated content (43%) prove that intent-rich, lower-funnel plays still earn strong returns.

For advertisers planning 2025 budgets, the signal is clear: invest where conversions consistently happen—and right now, these channels are leading the pack. (More)

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THE FUNNEL REPORT

How Email Cadence Shapes B2B Conversion

New data on email send frequency reveals a clear truth for B2B marketers: cadence is a conversion lever, not a guesswork exercise. According to the chart, nearly 60% of companies send marketing emails either several times per week or weekly, with only 15% emailing daily and even fewer relying on slower monthly or bi-weekly cycles.

For Funnel teams, the message is simple: consistency outperforms sporadic outreach. Companies chasing higher CTRs and stronger nurture performance tend to adopt a weekly or multi-weekly rhythm—enough touches to stay top-of-mind without fatiguing subscribers. This aligns with what we see across high-performing nurture flows: steady sequencing beats volume spikes.

If your current programs rely on once-a-month blasts, there’s likely conversion upside waiting. Test a structured weekly cadence, especially between key lifecycle moments (demo → trial, webinar → follow-up, MQL → SQL).

Your funnel will thank you. (More)

BUDGET SHIFTS

Why AI Budget Growth Is Slower Than Expected in B2B Marketing

A new survey reveals why AI spend isn’t accelerating as quickly as many predicted: 68% of marketers cite data privacy and security as their top barrier, followed closely by concerns about accuracy (62%). These aren’t small objections—they directly shape how teams allocate budgets.

While interest in AI-powered tools continues to rise, many CMOs are proceeding cautiously. Integration challenges (43%) and the cost of implementation (35%) are creating friction, especially for mid-market teams without dedicated AI resources. Even internally, adoption hurdles persist: 24% point to insufficient training, and 22% say corporate directives are slowing experimentation.

The takeaway: AI budgets are growing, but adoption depends less on hype and more on reducing operational risk. Vendors that address security, accuracy, and onboarding stand to win the next wave of spend. (More)

BUYER’S ROOM

Where 2026 Budgets Are Really Heading

If you want a glimpse into how smart B2B teams are planning for 2026, this chart says it all. The biggest surge? AI-powered marketing tools, grabbing a commanding 45% of projected investment. That’s not a trend—it’s a reshaping of the entire marketing stack. Close behind, events and experiential marketing and owned media show that brands still crave connection and control in an increasingly noisy landscape.

What’s especially interesting is the rise of content personalization and tech infrastructure, signaling that buyers expect experiences tailored to them from the first touchpoint to the final decision. And while paid media and social/earned media aren’t disappearing, their slower growth suggests a shift toward more strategic, data-driven assets.

If you’re planning your own 2026 roadmap, this list is a cheat code. Invest where your buyers—and competitors—already are. (More)

CREATIVE THAT CONVERTS

The Creator Formula Behind Today’s Highest-Converting B2B Ads

B2B creative is shifting fast—and the data shows that the messenger now plays a bigger role in performance than the format itself. According to new research, marketers prioritize authenticity and credibility (58%), followed by industry relevance (49%) and subject matter expertise (47%) when choosing creators. In other words, the ads converting best aren’t built around influencers—they’re built around experts, practitioners, and customers who feel real and trustworthy.

Thought leaders and analysts rank as the most effective creator type, while customers (23%) are emerging as powerful mid-funnel storytellers. Independent creators, partners, and employees still add value, but only when their voice fits the message.

For creative teams, the takeaway is simple:

Put credible humans at the center of your content, and performance follows. (More)

CASE STUDY

Spotify’s “Spreadbeats”

Spotify’s “Spreadbeats” campaign is a masterclass in B2B creativity done right. To win over video-obsessed media planners, Spotify reframed its value proposition by showing—rather than telling—what its video ad capabilities can do. The twist? The entire campaign lived inside the format planners use most: an Excel spreadsheet.

The team custom-coded a full music video inside Excel, personalizing each file for every recipient. By reinventing a format everyone considers “boring,” Spotify delivered a message that perfectly matched the medium: formats can surprise you, especially on a platform planners assume is “audio only.”

And the results proved it: 17:1 ROI, +5,650% more email forwards than the B2B average, and 870% higher ad engagement than previous campaigns.

Takeaway: Nothing captures attention like a radical reframe—especially when it starts in a format your audience thinks they already understand. (More)

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