A wake-up call for an industry in crisis!
They don’t make headlines. There’s no dramatic announcement, no industry-wide strike: just quiet resignations, career pivots, and talented professionals walking away from marketing forever.
83.3% of marketers report burnout at some stage in their careers, the highest burnout rate of any industry. What the stats don’t capture is the seasoned professionals who have simply had enough.
And it is not hard to see why!
Over half of the 3,500 marketers surveyed by Marketing Week have felt overwhelmed (58.1%) and undervalued (56.1%) in 2024. But let’s dig deeper into what these percentages actually mean:
Even reaching the top doesn’t help:
The message is clear: success in marketing doesn’t protect you from burnout. If anything, it makes it worse, and we don’t see that changing in the current climate, where the marketing team and their budget are being reduced, yet the demands remain the same or higher.
“We need someone who can do strategy, execution, design, analytics, copywriting, video editing, social media management, event planning, and lead generation. Must have 5+ years of experience. Salary: £35k.”
Sound familiar?
Hannah Anderson, managing partner at NewGen, explains to The Drum:
“Burnout in the marketing industry is common due to the constant demands of a fast-paced and ever-evolving field… startups often lack established processes and HR support, leading to overwhelming workloads.”
And because it is an undervalued industry, those with limited experience often enter a job unaware of the true demands of the role. And coupled with the previously mentioned Imposter Syndrome and the easily disposable nature that this role seems to have, we breed “yes-people” with little influential voice.
This then creates the illusion that marketing has “unicorns”, —professionals expected to master every discipline while being paid (poorly) for one.
59% of marketing respondents believe that the need for specialists is making marketing operations complex, while 55% feel overwhelmed by the number of channels they have to manage.
One senior marketer shared with Marketing Week:
“In the current economic situation, it feels as if no result is quick enough and unplanned fast income is valued more than developed strategies that are delivering and building for the business. It is an exhausting way to work.”
Translation: We’re asking marketers to be magicians, creating sustainable growth with shrinking budgets and impossible timelines, and with no strategy to align their activities. It’s Mission Impossible, but without the high-speed stunts and budget!
When did marketing become the department that gets blamed for everything but credited for nothing?
Marketing teams are often the first to be cut when budgets tighten, the last to be consulted on major business decisions, and constantly asked to “prove their worth” in ways that other departments are not. We are often pitted against sales rather than working together to create more brand cohesion and success. We consistently face the challenge of establishing systems to track ROI for everyone while still being asked, “What is it you do?” It is madness!
55% feel overwhelmed by the number of channels they have to manage. But it’s not just the number of channels—it’s the expectation to be brilliant on all of them, all the time.
Social media doesn’t sleep. Customers expect instant responses. Campaigns must launch faster than ever. And somewhere in this always-on world, we forgot that marketers are human beings.
We know this is what you have been wanting to get to – examples of hooks for different types of content. It’s ok, we don’t take offence. Let’s get to it!
Seven in 10 professionals across the media, marketing and creative sectors reported experiencing burnout in the past 12 months. When a seasoned marketer leaves:
Replacing an experienced marketer typically costs:
And that’s if you can find someone.
The talent pool is shrinking as word spreads: marketing is a burnout industry, and businesses are not listening.
Abi Bennetts, digital PR director at Propellernet, shares with The Drum:
“Early in my marketing career, I experienced severe burnout which manifested as chronic exhaustion, both physically and mentally.”
If this resonates, here’s what you need to know:
The industry has normalised unsustainable working practices. Working 60+ hour weeks doesn’t make you dedicated,it makes you a victim of poor resource planning and probably a lack of strategic direction.
Some companies are getting it right:
Every time you post a job requiring expertise in 15 different areas, you’re contributing to the problem.
Here’s how it goes:
Hire for 2-3 core competencies, not 15.
Instead of: “Looking for a graduate with 5 years industry experience to support our social media management, content creation, email marketing, analytics, knows InDesign, video editing, event planning, PR, SEO, PPC, strategy, copywriting, and project management”
Try: “Marketeer with 2 years of experience in copy and blog writing and knowledge of Google Analytics with an interest in upskilling into content strategy, planning, ideation and auditing”
Build teams, not superhumans.
Invest in development, not exploitation.
Prioritise your mental health. Andy Wright, Founder of Never Not Creative, puts it perfectly:
“This is a clear indication that media, marketing and creative professionals often work hard, putting work ahead of their own needs, and there is a need for employers to put the necessary support structures and empathy levels around us to safeguard overall wellbeing.”
Audit your expectations. Are you asking one person to do the job of three? Be honest. If you’re unsure, feel free to ask someone in the industry for guidance.
Invest in your people. Mental health support isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s essential infrastructure.
Measure what matters. If you only measure output (content created, campaigns launched), you’ll burn out your team. Measure outcomes (engagement, conversion, retention) and give people time to think strategically. Again, if you don’t know, ask the experts you hired to guide you.
Create sustainable growth plans. Sustainable for your business AND your people.
We’re at a crossroads. We can continue losing talented professionals to burnout, or we can fundamentally change how we work.
To marketers: You deserve better. Don’t accept burnout as the price of career success.
To managers: Your team’s well-being is your responsibility. Unicorns don’t exist, but sustainable teams do. And they thrive.
To leaders: The industry’s reputation depends on how we treat our people. Choose wisely.
To everyone: We can fix this. However, only if we acknowledge the problem and commit to making a change.
The statistics don’t lie. The voices of burnt-out professionals can’t be ignored. The cost of inaction is too high.
It’s time to stop talking about work-life balance and start creating it. It’s time to stop glorifying overwork and start celebrating sustainable success. It’s time to remember that behind every campaign, every strategy, every brilliant idea, there’s a human being who deserves respect, support, and the chance to thrive.
Our industry is built on creativity, innovation, and human connection. Let’s start applying those values to how we treat each other.
The future of marketing depends on it.
The statistics in this article are based on recent studies by Marketing Week, Never Not Creative, Digitalzone, and other industry research organisations. The quotes are from real marketing professionals who’ve spoken publicly about their experiences.
If you’re struggling with your mental health, please reach out for support. If you’re a hiring manager, please consider the human cost of unrealistic job expectations. And if you’re a leader in this industry, please remember: our greatest asset isn’t our creativity or our strategies—it’s our people.
Let’s take care of them.
