February 17, 2026

Half of Marketing Teams Will Be Rewriting Their AI Messaging in 12 Months

I’m calling it now. In 12 months, half the marketing teams shouting about AI will be rewriting their messaging.

The storyarb team just proved it with data from 84 marketing leaders managing $12.8B.

The Disconnect

The disconnect is MASSIVE:

  • Teams know buyers want outcomes, not process

  • They keep selling how the AI works instead of what it delivers

  • 89% haven’t tested whether AI language converts

  • Leadership keeps pushing for more when it’s not working

It’s like watching people make million-dollar bets on a coin flip. Too many marketers are caught up in AI’s hype without measuring what actually works.

Required Reading

The storyarb team just packaged all of this into Trade Secrets: Marketing “AI” in 2026, and it’s the most important marketing research I’ve seen this year.

If you’re a marketing leader tired of making strategy decisions based on what your competitors are posting on LinkedIn, this is required reading. Understanding high ROI AI use cases matters more than following trends.

Key Takeaways

Marketing teams are betting big on AI messaging without the data to back it up. The research shows that buyers want outcomes, but teams keep selling process. Nearly 9 out of 10 haven’t even tested whether their AI language converts.

The gap between what buyers want and what marketing teams are delivering is only going to widen for those who don’t adapt.

Check out the full Trade Secrets report to make sure you’re not one of the teams rewriting everything in 12 months.