Radio has long been a go-to advertising channel for companies trying to reach small business owners. For sales reps pitching radio, the key to growing those clients’ spending may be making them feel more confident in their buying decision. That’s because a new study from the Association of National Advertisers finds that only four in ten B2B marketing leaders say they are “very” or “extremely” confident in measuring their marketing’s financial impact.
The report defines this elite group — dubbed “confident marketers” — as those who move beyond what the ANA calls “the theatre of success” to show clear, provable business results.
The results show the high-performing marketers are nearly four times more likely to be fully aligned with sales and twice as likely to have integrated data systems. They also lead peers in AI readiness, with 35% reporting their tech stacks are prepared for automation — compared to just 8% of less-confident marketers. Roughly two-thirds of confident marketers describe their account-based marketing programs as mature or scaling. Confidence, the study suggests, comes from measurable discipline, not mindset.
“Confidence does not mean the absence of fear. It is about approaching risk with intent and purpose, and that is what confident marketers do. Our research moves past theory into the actual habits of B2B leaders,” said report co-author Daniel Sills, Director of Brand Partnerships at NewtonX. “The blueprint is clear: the most confident leaders build strong partnerships with sales, embrace brand as a long-term investment, and rely on data to prove their impact. This is not just another benchmark; it is the new playbook for growth in B2B.”
The ANA partnered with B2B research firm NewtonX on the survey of 200 senior U.S. B2B marketing leaders. They say the findings underscore how analytics, brand investment, and AI-readiness separate those who can prove value from those who can’t. The research also notes that 61% of confident marketers plan to boost long-term brand strategy investment in the coming year — nearly double the share of other marketers — while 61% employ advanced or intermediate attribution models to prove ROI.
“For years, B2B marketing has fought to prove its value beyond the sales assist. This report is the final word on that debate,” said Bill Zengel, ANA’s Senior VP of B2B Marketing. “It provides a clear, data-backed model for shifting the conversation from marketing as a cost center to marketing as an indispensable engine for business growth.”
