Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our AI survey. The response was amazing and shows how front-of-mind this is across marketing teams right now. We’re working through the data and will share the report in the next few weeks, with a clear view of how AI is impacting roles, skillsets and expectations from marketers.

Here is a sneak peak:

Every fortnight, we step back and call out what we’re actually seeing across the marketing job market. Right now, things are still moving, just with a lot more scrutiny around who gets hired and why. Budgets are tight and a lot of organisations are recalibrating structurally and financially to meet their goals.

Across Brisbane, roles are being filled, but hiring managers are far more specific about what they want. There’s a strong focus on impact. If someone can’t show how their work links to revenue, retention or growth, they’re struggling to land. The marketers who are progressing are the ones driving performance across paid, CRM, lifecycle and optimisation.

AI is part of that shift in a very practical way. Expectations have lifted. Teams are looking for people who can work faster, think more commercially and apply tools in a way that improves output and efficiency. That’s starting to show up clearly in hiring decisions and performance conversations.

There’s also been a shift in the tone of the industry. Events like The Marketing Club’s Marketers Day in Sydney on May 21, Cairns Crocodiles, and the Mumbrella conference coming up are leaning into more direct, grounded conversations. People want to hear what’s actually going on. Redundancies, lateral moves, skill gaps, pressure, and how people are navigating it.

The bar has lifted. Marketers need to be clear on where they add value and comfortable being measured against it. Hiring teams need to be realistic about what they’re asking for and what good actually looks like in market. There is still a lot happening, just with a much clearer line between average and high impact.