The report, which surveyed 500 marketing and creative leaders across the U.S. and U.K., reveals that the barrier to progress is no longer technology access but structural fragmentation. When AI tools operate outside existing systems, they create additional handoffs and bottlenecks instead of streamlining creative production.

Operational data paints a stark picture of this disconnect: only 18% of work enters organizations through structured systems, and 82% of firms lack fully connected digital asset management and workflow environments. Without a unified system for tracking people, budgets, and time, most teams remain unable to scale their output effectively.

Anne Cogan, Chief Marketing Officer at Screendragon, argues that the industry suffers from an "operational connection problem." According to Cogan, the next stage of value will not come from deploying more isolated AI applications, but from embedding intelligence directly into the lifecycle of creative work—from initial request through governance and final approval. For the 38% of teams still relying on manual reporting, bridging this gap is essential to meeting future content demand.