In 2026, AI is putting many CMOs under pressure to find marketing efficiencies faster than ever before. This is on top of normal business expectations - Boards want profitable growth, CFOs want predictable returns, and CEOs want a marketing engine that drive more sales.
Benchmarking gives CMOs a way to compare performance against peers, evaluate what good looks like, and identify which investments actually increase revenue. In this guide, we’ll outline how to measure marketing efficiency, which benchmarks matter, and how to turn insights into action.
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Efficiency matters because it allows CMOs to make smarter decisions with the limited resources available (e.g. money and people). When you know which channels convert best, which audiences respond most, and which teams produce the strongest output, you can scale the right activities with confidence.
Efficient teams earn more internal trust, protect their budgets in tough cycles, and invest with a level of precision that competitors struggle to match. In a market where acquisition costs keep rising, being efficient is critical to acquiring as many leads as possible.
Marketing efficiency benchmarks are comparative data points that show how your marketing performance stacks up against similar companies. We think about marketing efficiency in 3 ways:
The most effective benchmarks compare organizations in the same industry, of a similar size (based on revenue or total employees), geography, and customer type. CMOs should avoid broad averages that combine fundamentally different business models. When done correctly, benchmarks highlight not only where you sit but also where the biggest opportunities exist.
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Following the efficiency categories listed above, here are six key metrics to track:
This ratio shows the long term sustainability of your growth. It compares the total sales revenue a customer generates over time to the cost to acquire them. A healthy ratio means you are creating profitable customers rather than overspending to win them.
This metric measures how much revenue your paid channels generate relative to the amount spent. It helps you understand which platforms deliver a better return and which ones drain your marketing budget.
This captures how much marketing spend is incurred to bring in a lead that meets the qualification criteria. It is a direct indicator of targeting quality, channel efficiency, and spend.
CAC reflects the total marketing and sales cost needed to acquire a new customer. It's essential for understanding whether your growth is financially sustainable and whether your go to market engine is efficient.
This productivity metric shows how much revenue each member of the marketing team generates. It helps CMOs to evaluate the size and efficiency of their marketing team.
This metric shows how large the marketing function is compared to the overall company. It is useful for benchmarking team size against peers to determine whether the organization is under resourced or over resourced relative to its scale.
These are widely used because they measure both productivity and effectiveness of the marketing function.
Here are some trends emerging this year:
The evolution of benchmarking mirrors the evolution of marketing itself. Faster, smarter, and more precise.
When reviewing results, CMOs should look for trends rather than isolated data points. A single metric below peers does not warrant immediate action. What matters is how the metrics relate to each other, how far they deviate, and what they reveal about your marketing function.
The context of your organization and marketing strategy are also critical to gaining meaningful insight from benchmarks. Sometimes higher marketing spend compared to benchmarks is due to a strategic investment in acquiring more leads. Sometimes a lower conversion rate reflects a deliberate targeting choice.
While the purpose of benchmarking is to see how you stack up to others, we recommend that you really think through what the benchmark figures are saying, and what things within your business might explain any notable differences.
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There are many different actions that you can take to improve efficiency. Here are a few ways:
Small improvements across these areas often create significant performance gains.
AI enhances nearly every part of the marketing workflow. The exciting part is that we’re only at the beginning of this AI revolution. Here are three examples of what it can already do:
AI is also reducing the operational burden by automating manual reporting and production tasks, giving teams back time to focus on strategy. The important thing to note is that there is a real expectation from all stakeholders to leverage AI. If you’re not, now is the time to start!
Calculate your marketing spend as % of revenue, then benchmark this figure against organizations in the same industry with similar revenue.
Quarterly benchmark refreshes are ideal because market conditions and channel performance shift rapidly. Update benchmarks on an annual basis at a minimum.
Revenue per marketing employee, sourced pipeline ratio, and cost per qualified lead provide the clearest link between effort and commercial outcomes (sales revenue).
Evaluate each channel based on cost per qualified outcome, conversion quality, and long term contribution to pipeline and revenue, not just clicks or impressions.
Team size depends on factors like industry, company size, and channel mix. Revenue per marketing employee is a good benchmark to start with for sizing up your marketing team.
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