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Study finds 77% of B2B marketers deem AI scrutiny in vendor RFPs inadequate
77% of marketers say AI questions lack rigor during vendor evaluations. This leaves teams struggling to measure cross-channel performance and avoid hype.
A new study by B2B agency Ledger Bennett and AI platform StackAdapt reveals that 77% of marketers believe AI-related questions are not asked rigorously enough during vendor evaluations. The research, conducted with NewtonX across 426 marketers in the UK, US, and APAC, highlights a critical disconnect between how marketing platforms are selected and how their success is actually measured.
The AI evaluation gap
More than 60% of respondents said their current RFP process cannot distinguish genuinely useful AI capabilities from hype. Just 23% evaluate AI against defined criteria. This knowledge gap stems from mounting pressure to implement new tools to boost efficiencies without established measurement standards.
Marketing professionals face mounting pressure to adopt new technologies, yet a lack of defined criteria leaves many unsure how to evaluate them. To bridge this gap, teams are increasingly looking toward specialized training paths like AI for Marketing Managers to build more rigorous evaluation frameworks.
Measurement and operational friction
The research exposes major challenges in media measurement. While most marketers set clear KPIs, 63% said they cannot effectively measure cross-channel performance. At the same time, 76% manage six or more media platforms, and 59% still manually stitch together reporting data most or all of the time.
No respondent reported having access to a fully unified reporting layer. This fragmentation leaves more than 60% of the buying process invisible to teams. Consequently, upper-funnel tactics such as video and brand-building activity are consistently undervalued because they are harder to attribute. Addressing these blind spots remains a core focus for practitioners advancing their skills in AI for Marketing, where data-driven strategies are essential for optimizing campaign performance.
Strategic misalignment and RFP reform
Poor strategic alignment is directly affecting business performance. Half of marketers said they experienced negative business outcomes when execution was prioritized ahead of strategy, including reduced ROI and missed product launches.
When asked what would improve the modern RFP process, 41% of respondents said structured outcome-definition frameworks would add the most value. Another 40% wanted clearer examples of high-performing briefs.
Andrea Sexton, CEO at Ledger Bennett, said: "B2B marketers need fully integrated partners that see strategy, creative and media as one. They need transparency when it comes to AI's true benefits. And they need to simplify and unify measurement."
Giuseppe La Rocca, VP Enterprise at StackAdapt, added: "The industry has increasingly conflated what's measurable with what's meaningful. This research shows how deeply that mindset now influences RFPs, media planning and performance evaluation."
Why this matters for Marketing professionals
The findings underscore a clear need to change how vendor evaluations are conducted. Marketing teams must demand structured outcome-definition frameworks during the RFP process rather than accepting vague AI promises. Establishing defined criteria for AI capabilities and unified measurement standards will protect budgets from wasted spend on unproven tools.