This operator report is written for CMOs, CROs, Heads of Growth and senior Sales, Marketing and CX leaders.
Sixty-eight per cent of UK mid-market GTM leaders describe their AI posture as in momentum or all-in; only 45% can demonstrate measurable ROI. The proof problem is attribution: AI is touching the revenue process, but the measurement layer connecting AI activity to commercial outcomes has not been built.
This report shows where your function sits against 158 peers and what the top quartile do differently.
Want the headline findings first? Read the free summary: How UK sales and marketing teams use AI.
This is a operator benchmark and playbook for in-house function leaders. CMOs, CROs, VPs of Sales, VPs of Marketing, Heads of Growth, and senior commercial function leaders running GTM functions inside UK mid-market organisations. A sell-side companion report “AI in Sales & Marketing for AI Vendors: UK Mid-Market 2026″ maps the same data for AI vendors and is available at aiblmedia.com/downloads/ai-in-sales-and-marketing-uk-2026-vendor/.
CMOs, Chief Revenue Officers, VPs of Sales, VPs of Marketing, Heads of Growth, Marketing Directors, Sales Directors. n=158 in the GTM segment of the wider n=755 UK mid-market base.
Online survey of 755 senior decision-makers at UK mid-market organisations (£50m–£500m revenue), fieldwork January–March 2026. The Marketing / Sales / CX segment (n=158) is the source for all segment-specific findings. Cross-function comparisons use the full UK valid base. Published by aibl Media in partnership with Executive Summary. Part of the State of UK AI Adoption 2026 series.
45% report measurable ROI, 13.2pp behind Tech/IT. The problem is attribution: revenue metrics exist but the measurement layer connecting AI activity to pipeline outcomes has not been built to match.
30% sit at Level 3 and report only 15% measurable ROI, below the 24% with no governance at all. The L3 trap in GTM is a measurement problem, not a policy one.
51% of GTM leaders report shadow AI as common. AI-assisted deals running through unapproved tools are invisible in the attribution model.
They define the revenue metric before deploying any AI workflow. They build attribution infrastructure at the data layer. And they have a number ready when the CFO asks about AI ROI.
CEO/C-suite ownership delivers 50% ROI but 60% shadow AI. A CRO who wants measurable ROI needs an IT or data partner co-accountable for the attribution layer.
Download this report for the full benchmark: deployment rate, measurable ROI, governance level distribution, shadow AI rate, and ownership model comparison. The 90-day playbook maps specific actions to each governance level.
Yes. Use: “aibl Media, State of UK AI Adoption Survey 2026, GTM segment n=158, full base n=755, Jan–Mar 2026.”
aibl Media is an independent insights and events platform that helps UK business leaders implement AI in a practical and effective way. We publish independent research, run the AI Enablement Directory and convene the UK’s leading AI events, including aiblLIVE (October 2026, London).
