B2B Marketers Claim Strategic Power They Don't Actually Wield

Forrester's data shows a 96% confidence gap: nearly all B2B marketing leaders call themselves strategic partners or growth drivers, yet budget distribution, headcount, and executive influence tell a different story. Most marketing teams execute tactics while expected to justify themselves as strategic—a position that breeds resentment and underperformance. Until CMOs restructure how they measure impact and report to boards, this gap will keep marketing trapped between service function and revenue owner.