ForgeX Files  ·  19 May 2026

78% of ABM teams now run 1:Few

What two years of ForgeX benchmark data shows about the fastest-growing ABM deployment models, and where the field is heading in 2026.

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First things first, there was an adoption increase around each ABM deployment model:

Yet, there are two key insights from this data that I want to take a moment to review.

#1 The adoption rate of 1:Few ABM

A 13 point jump in one year for 1:Few ABM is not a number to take lightly.

AI has fundamentally changed the math… The heaviest parts of 1:Few ABM (for example; account cluster research, personalization) are now compressed into a fraction of the time and budget they used to take.

The deep personalization that used to be reserved for 1:1 ABM, particularly on digital tactics, can now be expanded across 1:Few clusters without extending (already tight) budget.

#2 Demand Gen / Integrated Campaigns are now deploying = Growth ABM (1:Many)

1:Many ABM at 85% confirms what we've been saying in just about every piece of research since ForgeX was founded.

Demand generation and integrated campaigns teams that spent the last decade optimizing for lead volume are converting their strategy into Growth ABM (1:Many, Tiered).

Top teams use multiple ABM models simultaneously

86% of ABM teams run more than one deployment model. That number was already high in 2025 at 81%, and it grew another 5 points in 2026.

This is what we mean when we talk about an "account investment strategy." Mature ABM programs do not pick one model and call it a day. They allocate by strategic purpose:

Different accounts deserve different levels of investment, and 86% of ABM organizations are now operating that way.

(Read this report to learn more about the four models above.)

1:1 ABM crossed the majority line

Over 60% of organizations are deploying 1:1 ABM in 2026???

This number makes more sense when you put it in the context of the AI-centric world we're living in.

The more obvious insight revolves around the fact that AI allows for campaign planning (ex: account research) and activation (personalized digital tactics, content).

The non-obvious insight is that since some teams are starting to build systems that can run their 1:Many on "autopilot," it's freeing capacity to consider piloting 1:1 ABM. This is exactly what Justin at Bonterra talked about on our Revenue Xchange Podcast recently.

And the 1:Many ABM programs on "autopilot" are actually performing.

Which gives the ABM leader both stronger political capital and a business case to make it a no-brainer for the CFO when they ask for an increase in budget and resources for a 1:1 ABM pilot.

Conclusion

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Have an awesome rest of the week y'all!

LFG,

Davis