Nearly three-quarters of B2B marketers say their lead data is inaccurate, outdated or non-compliant – issues that are directly impacting sales productivity and pipeline performance, according to new research from Integrate and Demand Metric.
The State of Marketing Data 2025 report, based on responses from more than 200 senior marketing operations and demand generation professionals, highlights widespread concerns around data governance and the limitations of current tools and processes.
Around 75% of respondents estimate that at least 10% of their lead data suffers from quality or compliance issues. Over 60% say this disrupts lead handoffs and slows down sales engagement, raising concerns not just about inefficiency but about financial risk and brand reputation.
Data issues seen as strategic risk
“Inaccurate lead data isn’t just a technical issue – it’s a revenue roadblock,” said Mehul Nagrani, CEO of Integrate. “This research confirms what many B2B marketers have experienced for years: poor data quality slows down pipeline velocity, erodes trust, and puts organisations at risk.”
Nagrani added that solving the issue requires more than occasional clean-ups. He argued that teams need to embed precision, governance and compliance into the foundations of their data operations.
Manual workflows still the norm
Despite rising awareness of the problem, nearly half of the teams surveyed spend over 10 hours a month on manual data hygiene and lead management. Meanwhile, 55% said their current data tools were inadequate when it came to cleansing and enrichment.
The report also points to compliance as an ongoing concern. Only 31% of marketers expressed complete confidence in their compliance efforts, while 34% said their organisation had already experienced reputational or financial harm due to privacy or governance lapses.
Investment in automated solutions increasing
According to the study, 92% of B2B organisations have either invested in or are actively considering platforms that automate lead data governance. This shift signals growing recognition that scalable, automated infrastructure is now essential for marketing operations.
“Companies are moving beyond manual fixes and embracing scalable data orchestration,” said John Follett, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer at Demand Metric. “It’s a clear signal that marketing ops is no longer a back-office function—it’s becoming a strategic pillar for growth, trust and compliance.”
The report offers guidance for identifying pain points, improving governance and selecting technologies that support a more resilient revenue engine.
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