Budgets up, flexibility down
According to Censuswide, 66% of CMOs expect their marketing budget to increase next year, but 47% say existing budgets are already committed to planned activity. The report looks at how leaders measure success and make the case for marketing under budget pressure.
That matches what we reported from the Q3 IPA Bellwether: more money for marketing, but plenty of pressure to show where it goes.
AI is earning its place, with creative questions
Among CMOs who have adopted AI, 64% say it has exceeded expectations. Yet more CMOs say AI hinders creativity than say it enables it, and consumer acceptance remains uncertain.
More caution on brand activism
47% of CMOs say they always have backlash in mind when planning activity, up from 24% in 2025. Consumers are almost evenly divided on whether brands should take a public stand on social or political issues.
Marketing and PR working together
New for 2026, the report looks at marketing and PR. CMOs with fully integrated teams report stronger stakeholder understanding and leadership buy-in.
About the data
The figures above come from Censuswide’s public summary of the report. The full report is available from Censuswide on request.
Where a marketing consultant helps in the planning cycle
When budgets are partly committed before the year starts, the decisions that remain matter more. An outside view can help you set clear priorities, test where the uncommitted money should go and build the case for it with leadership.
Marketing Support Partners offers marketing strategy consultancy for agencies and businesses, from hourly consultancy at £150 per hour to a 3.5-hour half-day strategy session from £350. If you need help beyond a single session, retained marketing support runs from one week to six months and beyond.
Sources
Sources checked on 6 November 2026.