By The Malketeer
Marketing has always been a high-wire act—balancing creativity, client demands, deadlines, and shifting technologies.
But a new survey from Storyblok puts numbers behind the strain: one in four senior marketers say they are stressed all or most of the time, while only a third feel they’ve managed to strike a healthy work-life balance.
For an industry that prides itself on trendspotting and agility, the findings should spark deeper reflection about the culture we’ve created and whether it’s sustainable.
The Always-On Reality
The survey reveals that marketers struggle to switch off, even when supposedly “off duty.”
Nearly half admitted to checking emails multiple times a day while on holiday, and a quarter confessed they simply cannot stop thinking about work.
The early starts and late finishes, often outside contracted hours, suggest that “success” in marketing is still measured by visible hustle rather than sustainable productivity.
For HR teams, this points to a bigger issue: unpaid overtime and creeping burnout.
For agencies and in-house teams, it raises a reputational question—are we silently rewarding exhaustion as a badge of honour?
Meetings That Drain, Not Drive
Only 32 percent of respondents said they enjoyed meetings, and fewer than half found them productive.
For a profession built on collaboration, that’s damning.
If marketers are losing precious creative hours to poorly structured check-ins, the cost isn’t just in morale—it’s in missed ideas and sluggish output.
The challenge for leaders isn’t simply cutting meetings but reshaping them.
Purpose-driven agendas, tighter formats, and asynchronous collaboration could restore meetings as a tool rather than a time sink.
A Four-Day Week: Fantasy or Future?
Three-quarters of marketers said they’d be happier and more productive with a four-day week, even if it meant longer daily hours.
With global trials showing strong outcomes for wellbeing and retention, this isn’t a fringe idea anymore—it’s becoming a mainstream expectation.
For marketing leaders, the question is no longer “if” but “when.”
In an industry where creative output is tied to fresh thinking, condensing the workweek could be the competitive edge that keeps talent engaged.
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AI: The First Point of Call
One of the more striking findings is that 26 percent of marketers now turn to AI tools before asking a colleague when solving a problem.
On the surface, this points to efficiency.
But scratch deeper, and it raises cultural alarms: what happens to team cohesion, mentorship, and collective problem-solving if machines become the first “colleague”?
Even more telling, nearly one in five marketers believe AI could replace all of a developer’s work.
That speaks not just to confidence in technology but also to a blurring of role boundaries that may reshape career paths in the near future.
Stress Without Regret
Perhaps the most paradoxical insight is that despite stress, sleepless holidays, and endless meetings, 77 percent of marketers said they have no regrets about their career choice.
Seventy percent would even encourage their children to join the profession.
Loyalty and pride remain strong—but they coexist with anxiety and exhaustion.
That duality is worth paying attention to.
t suggests that marketers love the idea of what they do, even if the execution is taking a toll.
The Way Forward
As Dominik Angerer, CEO and co-founder of Storyblok, put it: marketers sit at the frontline of technological and cultural change.
That exposure comes with pressure but also with the opportunity to shape better ways of working.
For leaders, the takeaways are clear:
The profession may be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be self-destructive.
The challenge now is turning marketers’ loyalty and passion into a more sustainable culture.
One where the best ideas don’t come at the expense of wellbeing.
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