Smarter Data, Stronger Marketing: Data Management In The Age Of AI

More than three-quarters of B2C marketers are managing customer data in some capacity with AI, and even as a new Porch Group Media report found that 53% rate their data strategy as very effective at improving performance (up from 46% last year), there are still persistent issues and room for further improvement.

“Despite an uptick in data strategy effectiveness … only about one quarter have successfully centralized and streamlined most of their data sources, while 69% report data unification as a complex pain point,” says The 2026 B2C Marketing Audience Building Report.

More than half (57%) said the greatest challenge in building effective customer audiences was having accurate data to personalize their communications, while combining data types (47%) and having correct contact info for cross-channel reach (46%) also ranked as top challenges.

Data diversification from sources that help give “real-time, actionable insights” is seen as one way to overcome these hurdles. Of course, AI tools are quickly growing as a go-to resource to help manage data as well. 38% are already using AI tools to manage or improve customer data “to a great extent,” while 40% are using them in a limited or experimental fashion.

(Source: Porch Group Media)

“AI adoption for data management and hygiene is no longer reserved for enterprise giants,” the report says. “While larger B2C companies ($100M+ in revenue) are only slightly ahead (44%) of smaller firms (40%) in extensive use, the narrow gap signals that AI has become accessible across the board, even for organizations with tighter budgets and leaner teams.”

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