Menu

Fewer Than 1 in 7 Marketers Possess Digital Infrastructure Needed to
Develop Hybrid CX

New Study from CMO Council Research and SAS Reveals Shortcomings in Current CX Strategies for Winning and Retaining Customers

Digital infrastructure for CX

Not many companies have succeeded in the digital transformation necessary to achieve successful hybrid CX, and fewer than 1 in 7 marketers say they have a digital infrastructure to deliver mature hybrid models, according to a new study from the CMO Council Research, the global network of marketing executives and brand decision-makers.

The study, titled Cracking Tomorrow’s CX Code and conducted in partnership with analytics firm SAS, also shows that more than half (56%) of consumers say brands are not very good at delivering a seamless experience across both digital and physical channels.

Related Article: New CMO-GfK Report: Marketers Lack Confidence in Their Own Data

Here are other key findings from the study, which deployed two surveys that polled more than 1,000 marketing leaders and 2,000 consumers from around the world:

  • 60% of marketers say the digital customer journey has dramatically changed their CX strategy.
  • 65% of marketers are not very confident about their current CX strategy’s ability to win and retain customers.
  • 67% of marketers say delivering hybrid CX over the next 12 months is either extremely (32%) or very (35%) important.

But despite the clear emphasis by brands on CX for the digital journey, almost half (48%) of consumers feel that brands are not doing a good job at delivering the right experience to win and retain their business. And at least 66% of consumers do not feel in control over what brands do with user data and privacy.  

The study also touches on many other current CX issues, including customer loyalty drivers, brands and the maturity curve of CX capabilities, consumer concerns on privacy, delivering on hybrid CX, adopting AI or machine learning (ML) to serve up rewarding experiences, and more.

“Chances are your CX strategy is crying out for a modern makeover,” says Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council. “The challenge is to orchestrate a great customer experience that hits all the right notes—from digital self-service to meaningful personalization, to privacy and trust, and to seamless omnichannel, including a ‘hybrid’ blend of physical and digital experiences.”

Author Information

Alex is responsible for writing about trends and changes that are impacting the customer experience market. He had served as Principal Editor at Village Intelligence, a Los Angeles-based consultancy on technology impacting healthcare and healthcare-related industries. Alex was also Associate Director for Content Management at Omdia and Informa Tech, where he produced white papers, executive summaries, market insights, blogs, and other key content assets. His areas of coverage spanned the sectors grouped under the technology vertical, including semiconductors, smart technologies, enterprise & IT, media, displays, mobile, power, healthcare, China research, industrial and IoT, automotive, and transformative technologies.

At IHS Markit, he was Managing Editor of the company’s flagship IHS Quarterly, covering aerospace & defense, economics & country risk, chemicals, oil & gas, and other IHS verticals. He was Principal Editor of analyst output at iSuppli Corp. and Managing Editor of Market Watch, a fortnightly newsletter highlighting significant analyst report findings for pitching to the media. He started his career in writing as an Editor-Reporter for The Associated Press.

Latest Insights:
ASUSTeK Q4 FY 2025 Results Highlight Server Mix Shift and AI-Led Portfolio Expansion
March 17, 2026
Article
Article

ASUSTeK Q4 FY 2025 Results Highlight Server Mix Shift and AI-Led Portfolio Expansion

Olivier Blanchard, Research Director, Intelligent Devices at Futurum, reviews ASUSTeK’s Q4 2025 earnings, focusing on AI server momentum, portfolio shifts across PCs, and 2026 guidance implies for execution in a higher-cost environment....
AWS Rises to the Agentic AI Moment With Cerebras Integration for Fast Inference
March 17, 2026
Article
Article

AWS Rises to the Agentic AI Moment With Cerebras Integration for Fast Inference

Brendan Burke, Research Director at Futurum, examines how the AWS-Cerebras partnership deploys disaggregated inference architecture through Amazon Bedrock, pairing Trainium prefill with Cerebras decode to target industry-leading speed....
NVIDIA Agent Toolkit
March 16, 2026
Article
Article

At GTC 2026, NVIDIA Stakes Its Claim on Autonomous Agent Infrastructure

Nick Patience and Mitch Ashley, analysts at Futurum, examine NVIDIA's Agent Toolkit announcements at GTC 2026, covering NemoClaw, AI-Q, the Nemotron Coalition, and what they mean for enterprise agentic AI adoption....
Could The Qualcomm-Neura Collaboration Accelerate Standardization and Codevelopment in Robotics
March 16, 2026
Article
Article

Could The Qualcomm-Neura Collaboration Accelerate Standardization and Codevelopment in Robotics?

Olivier Blanchard, Research Director & Practice Lead, Intelligent Devices at Futurum, examines Qualcomm and NEURA’s collaboration to build physical AI reference architectures for cognitive robotics, focusing on standardization....
Latest Research:
How Google Is Constructing the Path for AI-Generation Developers
March 13, 2026
Research
Research

How Google Is Constructing the Path for AI-Generation Developers

In this market brief by Futurum Research, in partnership with Google Cloud, we explore how Google’s approach to AI development aims to accelerate innovation, reduce friction for developers, and help...
SiTime's Titan Platform and the Importance of MEMS Resonators
March 4, 2026
Research
Research

SiTime’s Titan Platform and the Importance of MEMS Resonators

In our latest market report, SiTime’s Titan Platform and the Importance of MEMS Resonators, completed in partnership with SiTime, Futurum Research examines how Titan’s miniaturization, integration, and resilience advantages could...
Nokia’s Global Data Center Network Migration: From Legacy Complexity to Automated, Reliable Operations
March 3, 2026
Research
Research

Nokia’s Global Data Center Network Migration: From Legacy Complexity to Automated, Reliable Operations

In our latest report, Nokia’s Global Data Center Network Migration: From Legacy Complexity to Automated, Reliable Operations, completed in partnership with Nokia, Futurum Research details Nokia IT’s automation-first data center...

Book a Demo

Newsletter Sign-up Form

Get important insights straight to your inbox, receive first looks at eBooks, exclusive event invitations, custom content, and more. We promise not to spam you or sell your name to anyone. You can always unsubscribe at any time.

All fields are required






Thank you, we received your request, a member of our team will be in contact with you.