As customer attention continues to fragment across platforms, brands are finding themselves at a crossroads where consistency, speed, and personalization must all converge. New insights reveal just how much pressure is building: the majority of marketing professionals anticipate a fivefold surge, or more, in content requirements by 2027.
In a study, conducted by Adobe, that gathered feedback from over 1,600 marketing professionals, the overwhelming majority acknowledged a sharp rise in demand. Nearly every respondent reported at least double the content workload compared to just two years ago. More than six out of ten indicated that this growth had already surpassed five times their previous volume, and a significant share expects that pace to continue accelerating.
The main driver behind this surge? Audiences are demanding richer, more personalized experiences. Over half of marketers noted that tailored messaging now ranks as the most dominant factor pushing content output higher. At the same time, changing habits, such as the growing importance of short videos and audio-first formats, are forcing teams to rethink how they communicate. Hybrid touchpoints, blending digital with in-person channels, also require more content delivered more frequently, in more styles.
In fact, staying visible in this environment means showing up constantly. A large portion of marketers reported that their audiences now expect updated material at least weekly, often multiple times per week, placing more pressure on already stretched teams.
Among all content categories, social media leads the way in growth. The speed and virality of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and others have shifted the goalposts. More than half of marketers believe that demand for social-first and short-form video content is growing faster than any other type. Yet understanding what resonates across diverse platforms remains elusive. Many teams find themselves producing vast amounts of content without clear feedback loops, which makes optimization difficult.
Across both organic and paid social channels, time remains a persistent bottleneck. Marketers cite challenges in producing enough brand-consistent and timely content. In paid campaigns, teams also struggle to generate enough variety to keep messages fresh or to reach distinct audience segments effectively.
Even when strategy is aligned and messaging is clear, internal roadblocks often slow execution. For many marketing departments, a single piece of content may pass through dozens, or even hundreds, of hands before it’s published. Roughly half of surveyed marketers said the typical review and approval process involved between 50 and 200 individuals. In some cases, that number was even higher.
Volume has followed complexity. About seven in ten marketers now generate at least 1,000 content assets annually, while some organizations report output in the hundreds of thousands. Still, many say that managing this level of production is unsustainable without significant changes.
Among the top challenges: limited time for ideation and creation, disconnected workflows, and prolonged manual approval stages. The result? More than half of marketers say they spend the majority of their time navigating internal reviews rather than developing impactful campaigns.
To address these pressures, many teams are integrating generative AI into their workflows, not as a novelty, but as a core tool. Marketers are applying AI in various areas: optimizing content for better performance, adapting assets for global audiences, and creating new multimedia elements. More than half already use generative AI at multiple stages of production, and a large majority intend to increase that usage within the coming year.
As expectations for speed and relevance continue to rise, marketers are focused on scaling smarter, not just faster. Through redesigned workflows and deeper integration of automation and AI, teams are working to balance high output with brand integrity. The goal isn’t simply to meet content quotas, but to deliver messages that connect, perform, and evolve with audience behavior.
In this climate, operational agility and creative adaptability aren’t just nice to have, they’re now fundamental to staying competitive.
Read next: Personalized Shopping Isn’t Always a Deal, It Might Push Prices Higher
In a study, conducted by Adobe, that gathered feedback from over 1,600 marketing professionals, the overwhelming majority acknowledged a sharp rise in demand. Nearly every respondent reported at least double the content workload compared to just two years ago. More than six out of ten indicated that this growth had already surpassed five times their previous volume, and a significant share expects that pace to continue accelerating.
The main driver behind this surge? Audiences are demanding richer, more personalized experiences. Over half of marketers noted that tailored messaging now ranks as the most dominant factor pushing content output higher. At the same time, changing habits, such as the growing importance of short videos and audio-first formats, are forcing teams to rethink how they communicate. Hybrid touchpoints, blending digital with in-person channels, also require more content delivered more frequently, in more styles.
In fact, staying visible in this environment means showing up constantly. A large portion of marketers reported that their audiences now expect updated material at least weekly, often multiple times per week, placing more pressure on already stretched teams.
Among all content categories, social media leads the way in growth. The speed and virality of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and others have shifted the goalposts. More than half of marketers believe that demand for social-first and short-form video content is growing faster than any other type. Yet understanding what resonates across diverse platforms remains elusive. Many teams find themselves producing vast amounts of content without clear feedback loops, which makes optimization difficult.
Across both organic and paid social channels, time remains a persistent bottleneck. Marketers cite challenges in producing enough brand-consistent and timely content. In paid campaigns, teams also struggle to generate enough variety to keep messages fresh or to reach distinct audience segments effectively.
Even when strategy is aligned and messaging is clear, internal roadblocks often slow execution. For many marketing departments, a single piece of content may pass through dozens, or even hundreds, of hands before it’s published. Roughly half of surveyed marketers said the typical review and approval process involved between 50 and 200 individuals. In some cases, that number was even higher.
Volume has followed complexity. About seven in ten marketers now generate at least 1,000 content assets annually, while some organizations report output in the hundreds of thousands. Still, many say that managing this level of production is unsustainable without significant changes.
Among the top challenges: limited time for ideation and creation, disconnected workflows, and prolonged manual approval stages. The result? More than half of marketers say they spend the majority of their time navigating internal reviews rather than developing impactful campaigns.
To address these pressures, many teams are integrating generative AI into their workflows, not as a novelty, but as a core tool. Marketers are applying AI in various areas: optimizing content for better performance, adapting assets for global audiences, and creating new multimedia elements. More than half already use generative AI at multiple stages of production, and a large majority intend to increase that usage within the coming year.
As expectations for speed and relevance continue to rise, marketers are focused on scaling smarter, not just faster. Through redesigned workflows and deeper integration of automation and AI, teams are working to balance high output with brand integrity. The goal isn’t simply to meet content quotas, but to deliver messages that connect, perform, and evolve with audience behavior.
In this climate, operational agility and creative adaptability aren’t just nice to have, they’re now fundamental to staying competitive.
Read next: Personalized Shopping Isn’t Always a Deal, It Might Push Prices Higher
