Half of marketers fearing ‘burnout', finds CIM

More than half of marketers ( 51%) admitted they feared ‘burning out’ in their current role, CIM said, rising to 57% of 25 to 34-year-olds.

The findings are based on three waves of polling with 500 UK adults working in marketing, in-agency and in-house roles, overseen by Opinium, with the first survey was carried out online between 9th and 16th March 2022, a second wave between 2nd and 16th August 2022 and a final wave between 2nd and 9th June 2023.

Marketers also raised concerns about the economy, with 59% worried brands are spending less due to external financial pressures and 49% worried the UK marketing industry could be surpassed by international competitors.

Other concerns raised in the research focus on artificial intelligence (AI) with 52% concerned over AI’s impact on their job and personal development.

In addition, 65% worry AI is being introduced too quickly, although 61% believe they have the skills to adjust to the new technology.

Three quarters ( 74%) of marketers polled believe that their employers now take mental health more seriously than they did before Covid-19, with 57% saying that their company’s mental health initiatives have had a positive impact on their wellbeing.

On hybrid and remote working, 39% of respondents agreed that working from home has negatively affected their team’s creativity, with 70% believing that face-to-face interactions boost their output and 71% feeling that working in-person positively impacts their mental health.

Despite this, 59% of respondents reported that it is now normal to not meet new team members in person at all.

Mark Scott, director of marketing and communications at CIM, said: “As we continue to operate in challenging times it’s great to see the importance being placed on people and the wellbeing of individuals by organisations. The research confirms that this ultimately drives better business outcomes as well as benefiting individuals.

“In a post-pandemic world, life priorities have changed for many and team retention will continue to be a challenge for businesses in 2024. The cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressure will undoubtedly require many of us to tighten our belts, so marketing leaders must continue to prioritise the wellbeing of their teams in order to keep hold of great talent.”