Marketing Statistics 2026: Budgets, Channel Spend, Ad Forecasts and AI
US companies spent 9.0% of their revenues on marketing in 2026, according to The CMO Survey. That spending grew just 1.7% in a year, the weakest rise since 2021, while digital marketing spending grew 8.2%. The wider ad market is growing faster. WPP Media expects global advertising revenue to rise 8.9% to $1.3 trillion in 2026, and IAB expects US ad spend to grow 12.3%. In the UK, marketing budgets were revised up at the fastest pace in over two years in Q3 2026, according to the IPA.
Key statistics
- Marketing budgets equalled 9.0% of company revenues at US companies in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
- US marketing spending grew 1.7% over the prior 12 months in 2026, the weakest growth since 2021, according to The CMO Survey.
- Global advertising revenue is forecast to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion in 2026, excluding US political ads, according to WPP Media.
- US ad spend is forecast to grow 12.3% in 2026, up from a January forecast of 9.5%, according to IAB.
- UK marketing budgets had a net balance of +14.3% in Q3 2026, the highest since Q2 2024, according to the IPA.
Marketing budget statistics
The CMO Survey asks senior US marketers each year what share of revenue and company budget goes on marketing, how fast spending is growing and what happens to it when profits fall short.
Marketing is getting a smaller slice of US company budgets. It took 9.6% of overall budgets in 2026, the lowest share since 2021. Total marketing spending grew only 1.7% over the prior 12 months. Digital marketing spending grew 8.2%, so the gap between the two was 6.5 points. Money is moving into digital channels while the overall pot barely grows.
Consumer companies spend the most. B2C product firms gave marketing 13.8% of their budgets, 1.97 times the 7.0% at B2B product firms. B2C services firms show the widest gap between the two measures, at 11.5% of budget but 7.2% of revenue.
Marketing is also first in line for cuts. When profits fell short, 53.1% of companies focused on cutting costs, up from 46.0% a year earlier. Marketing was cut 45.4% of the time, more often than other expense types. Team growth has slowed too. Marketing headcount rose 2.5% in the year, down 2.9 points from 5.4% in 2025. Training now takes 3.8% of budgets, 34.5% below its pre-pandemic high. For B2B detail, see our B2B marketing statistics.
Source: The CMO Survey, Highlights and Insights Report 2026.
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Marketing budgets equalled 9.0% of company revenues at US companies in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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US marketing spending grew 1.7% over the prior 12 months in 2026, the weakest growth since 2021, according to The CMO Survey.
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US digital marketing spending grew 8.2% over the prior 12 months in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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US digital marketing spending grew 6.5 points faster than overall marketing spending in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The CMO Survey data.
How we calculated it: Digital marketing spending growth over the prior 12 months (8.2%) minus overall marketing spending growth (1.7%) = 6.5 percentage points.
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Marketing took 13.8% of overall budgets at US B2C product companies in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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Marketing took 7.0% of overall budgets at US B2B product companies in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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US B2C product companies gave marketing 1.97 times the budget share of B2B product companies in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The CMO Survey data.
How we calculated it: Marketing share of overall budget: B2C product 13.8% / B2B product 7.0% = 1.97.
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53.1% of US companies focused on cutting expenses when profits fell short in 2026, up from 46.0% a year earlier, according to The CMO Survey.
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Marketing expenses were cut 45.4% of the time when US companies cut costs in 2026, more often than other expense categories, according to The CMO Survey.
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US marketing organisations grew 2.5% in headcount over the year to 2026, down from 5.4% in 2025, according to The CMO Survey.
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US marketing leaders expected marketing headcount to grow 2.6% over the next year in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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US marketing headcount growth slowed by 2.9 points between 2025 and 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The CMO Survey data.
How we calculated it: Marketing headcount growth in 2025 (5.4%) minus growth in 2026 (2.5%) = 2.9 percentage points.
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Training and development took 3.8% of US marketing budgets in 2026, down from a pre-pandemic high of 5.8%, according to The CMO Survey.
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The training share of US marketing budgets was 34.5% below its pre-pandemic high in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The CMO Survey data.
How we calculated it: (5.8% pre-pandemic high - 3.8% in 2026) / 5.8% = 0.345, or 34.5%.
| Sector | Share of overall budget | Share of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| All companies | 9.6% | 9.0% |
| B2B product | 7.0% | 7.0% |
| B2B services | 9.2% | 10.1% |
| B2C product | 13.8% | 12.0% |
| B2C services | 11.5% | 7.2% |
Marketing spend by channel statistics
The CMO Survey also tracks where marketers expect budgets to grow next, and how much of the budget goes on social media.
Digital marketing leads every budget area. US marketers expect it to grow 10.4% over the next 12 months, about 1.8 times the 5.9% for brand building. Traditional advertising is the only area expected to shrink, by 1.5%, continuing a multi-year decline.
Social media took 14.3% of budgets in 2026, after a dip in 2025. Marketers expect 17.1% in a year and 23.1% in five years. Treat those forecasts with care. The CMO Survey itself notes that 12-month social media forecasts have run 2.1 points above actual spending on average since 2009. On that record, next year's share would be closer to 15.0%.
Consumer brands lean hardest on social. Consumer services firms put 26.7% of budgets into social media and retail and wholesale firms 23.0%, against 6.0% in energy. For channel-level ad revenue, see our digital marketing statistics.
Source: The CMO Survey, Highlights and Insights Report 2026.
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US marketing leaders expected digital marketing budgets to rise 10.4% over the next 12 months in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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US marketing leaders expected brand building budgets to rise 5.9% over the next 12 months in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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US marketing leaders expected traditional advertising budgets to fall 1.5% over the next 12 months in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
| Budget area | Expected change |
|---|---|
| Digital marketing | 10.4% |
| Brand building | 5.9% |
| New product introductions | 5.9% |
| Customer relationship management | 3.5% |
| New service introductions | 3.2% |
| Customer experience | 3.0% |
| Traditional advertising | -1.5% |
UK marketing budget statistics
The IPA Bellwether Report tracks whether UK companies are revising marketing budgets up or down each quarter. Its net balance is the share raising budgets minus the share cutting them.
UK marketing budgets rose for a third quarter in a row. In Q3 2026, 25.6% of firms raised budgets and 11.3% cut them, a net balance of +14.3%. That is 7.4 points above Q2 and the highest reading since Q2 2024. It is also 4.8 times the +3.0% net balance firms expected for the whole 2026/27 financial year.
Every category grew. Public relations led at a series high of +15.3%, its 13th straight quarter of upward revisions. Main media advertising reached a nine-year high of +9.8%, and all five media subcategories grew together for the first time since that data began in Q1 2020. Other online swung by 22.3 points, from -5.1% to +17.2%.
Budget revisions are not the same as spending. The panel stayed gloomy about prospects, with an industry-level net balance of -20.3%. S&P Global Market Intelligence expects UK adspend to grow only 2.8% in 2026 and 1.3% in 2027.
Source: IPA, Q3 2026 IPA Bellwether Report.
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UK marketing budgets had a net balance of +14.3% in Q3 2026, the highest since Q2 2024, according to the IPA.
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25.6% of UK companies raised marketing budgets in Q3 2026, while 11.3% cut them, according to the IPA.
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The UK marketing budget net balance rose 7.4 points from Q2 to Q3 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IPA data.
How we calculated it: Total marketing budget net balance in Q3 2026 (+14.3%) minus Q2 2026 (+6.9%) = 7.4 percentage points.
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The UK Q3 2026 marketing budget net balance was 4.8 times the net balance firms expected for the 2026/27 financial year, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IPA data.
How we calculated it: Q3 2026 net balance (+14.3%) / net balance expecting growth in the 2026/27 financial year (+3.0%) = 4.77, rounded to 4.8.
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UK public relations budgets had a net balance of +15.3% in Q3 2026, a series high, according to the IPA.
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UK events budgets had a net balance of +15.1% in Q3 2026, a nine-quarter high, according to the IPA.
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UK main media advertising budgets had a net balance of +9.8% in Q3 2026, a nine-year high, according to the IPA.
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UK other online advertising budgets had a net balance of +17.2% in Q3 2026, up from -5.1% in Q2, according to the IPA.
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UK market research budgets had a net balance of +5.2% in Q3 2026, the first positive reading in seven quarters, according to the IPA.
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UK adspend is forecast to grow 2.8% in 2026 and 1.3% in 2027, according to the IPA Bellwether Report.
| Category | Q2 2026 | Q3 2026 | Change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total marketing budgets | +6.9% | +14.3% | 7.4 |
| Public relations | +1.4% | +15.3% | 13.9 |
| Events | +11.0% | +15.1% | 4.1 |
| Sales promotion | +0.9% | +13.1% | 12.2 |
| Main media advertising | +1.5% | +9.8% | 8.3 |
| Main media - other online | -5.1% | +17.2% | 22.3 |
| Main media - video | +8.2% | +9.8% | 1.6 |
| Main media - out-of-home | -2.5% | +3.6% | 6.1 |
| Main media - audio | 0.0% | +1.1% | 1.1 |
| Main media - published brands | -8.3% | +0.8% | 9.1 |
| Direct marketing | +3.0% | +5.2% | 2.2 |
| Market research | not stated | +5.2% | n/a |
| Other | -10.8% | +1.0% | 11.8 |
Advertising spend forecasts for 2026
Advertising is the largest paid part of most marketing budgets. WPP Media forecasts global ad revenue, and IAB surveys US buyers on expected spend by channel.
Both forecasters raised their numbers during 2026. WPP Media now expects global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion, 1.8 points above its December 2025 forecast of 7.1%. IAB raised its US forecast from 9.5% to 12.3%, helped by the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.
The WPP figures do not reconcile exactly. Growth of 8.9% on its December estimate of $1.14 trillion for 2025 gives about $1.24 trillion, not $1.3 trillion. Either the 2025 base was revised up or the headline is rounded. We report both figures as published.
Social media, CTV and commerce media gained the most in IAB's September update. Social is forecast to grow 2.0 times as fast as paid search, and CTV to beat linear TV by 17.1 points. Spend is also concentrated. Alphabet, Meta and Amazon held 57.6% of the market outside China, according to WPP Media. For full channel revenue data, see our digital advertising statistics.
These ad market growth rates are far above the 1.7% rise in total US marketing spending in The CMO Survey. The measures differ. Ad forecasts count media owners' revenue, including fast-growing self-serve advertisers. The CMO Survey covers whole marketing budgets, including staff and agencies, at established US firms.
Source: IAB, 2026 Outlook Study: September Update.
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Global advertising revenue is forecast to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion in 2026, excluding US political ads, according to WPP Media.
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Global advertising revenue grew 8.8% to $1.14 trillion in 2025, excluding US political ads, according to WPP Media.
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The 2026 global advertising growth forecast was raised by 1.8 points between December 2025 and June 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WPP Media data.
How we calculated it: June 2026 midyear forecast (8.9%) minus December 2025 forecast (7.1%) = 1.8 percentage points. Both exclude US political advertising.
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The three biggest ad sellers outside China, Alphabet, Meta and Amazon, controlled 57.6% of the advertising market in 2026, according to WPP Media.
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US ad spend is forecast to grow 12.3% in 2026, up from a January forecast of 9.5%, according to IAB.
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US connected TV ad spend is forecast to grow 15.6% in 2026, according to IAB.
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US paid search ad spend is forecast to grow 8.1% in 2026, according to IAB.
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US linear TV ad spend is forecast to fall 1.5% in 2026, according to IAB.
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US connected TV ad spend growth is forecast to beat linear TV by 17.1 points in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from IAB data.
How we calculated it: Forecast growth: CTV 15.6% minus linear TV (-1.5%) = 17.1 percentage points.
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63% of US ad buyers named customer acquisition as a media investment goal in 2026, up nine points since January, according to IAB.
| Channel | September projection | January projection | Change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social media | 16.5% | 14.6% | 1.9 |
| CTV | 15.6% | 13.8% | 1.8 |
| Commerce media | 13.6% | 12.1% | 1.5 |
| Digital video excl. CTV | 9.4% | 9.6% | -0.2 |
| Podcasts | 8.7% | 8.6% | 0.1 |
| Paid search | 8.1% | 8.2% | -0.1 |
| DOOH | 7.0% | 7.4% | -0.4 |
| Linear TV | -1.5% | -1.7% | 0.2 |
| Total US ad spend | 12.3% | 9.5% | 2.8 |
AI in marketing statistics
AI use in marketing is rising fast. The CMO Survey measures the share of marketing work that uses AI. IAB asks ad buyers how AI search is changing their plans. WPP Media sizes the new generative search ad market.
AI was used in 24.2% of US marketing activities in 2026, up 84.7% from 13.1% in 2024. Generative AI rose from 7.0% to 22.4%. Marketers expect AI to cover 55.9% of activities within three years. Content creation is the most common use, at 73.9% of companies.
Getting found inside AI answers is now a marketing job. 41.5% of US companies already use generative engine optimisation, a category The CMO Survey had not asked about before. Among ad buyers, 76% are increasing their focus on optimising content for AI-generated answers, and 86% are changing how they measure media because of AI tools and agents.
Paid ads are following. WPP Media puts generative search advertising at $5.1 billion in 2026 and over $100 billion by 2030. Reaching that would take growth of at least 110% a year. For adoption and budget detail, see our AI marketing statistics.
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The share of US marketing activities using AI rose 84.7% between 2024 and 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from The CMO Survey data.
How we calculated it: AI share of marketing activities: 24.2% in 2026 / 13.1% in 2024 = 1.847, a rise of 84.7% (11.1 percentage points).
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US companies used generative AI in 22.4% of marketing activities in 2026, up from 7.0% in 2024, according to The CMO Survey.
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US marketing leaders expected AI to account for 55.9% of marketing activities within three years in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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73.9% of US companies used AI for marketing content creation in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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41.5% of US companies used generative engine optimisation to get content into AI search results in 2026, according to The CMO Survey.
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76% of US ad buyers were increasing focus on optimising content for AI-generated answers in 2026, according to IAB.
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44% of US ad buyers named adapting to consumer behaviour, including AI-driven search, as their top media investment challenge in 2026, according to IAB.
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86% of US ad buyers were changing or expected to change how they measure media because of AI tools and agents in 2026, according to IAB.
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Generative search advertising is forecast to reach $5.1 billion worldwide in 2026, according to WPP Media.
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Generative search advertising would need to grow at least 110% a year from 2026 to 2030 to reach WPP Media's forecast, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from WPP Media data.
How we calculated it: ($100 billion forecast for 2030 / $5.1 billion in 2026)^(1/4) - 1 = 1.104, or about 110% a year. WPP says "over $100 billion", so this is a minimum.
| Measure | 2024 | 2026 | Expected in three years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any AI in marketing activities | 13.1% | 24.2% | 55.9% |
| Generative AI in marketing activities | 7.0% | 22.4% | not stated |
How these sources measure marketing
The four publishers measure different things, so their numbers should not be added together or compared without care.
The CMO Survey is sponsored by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Deloitte and the American Marketing Association. The 2026 edition surveyed 308 marketing leaders at for-profit US companies, a 14.6% response rate, and 97% were VP-level or above. Figures are averages of what respondents report about their own firms, so larger and smaller firms count equally. In 2025 the survey moved from twice a year to once a year, so older figures in its time series come from spring and autumn waves.
The IPA Bellwether Report is a quarterly UK panel compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. It records the direction of budget revisions, not their size. A net balance of +14.3% means more firms raised budgets than cut them. It does not mean budgets rose 14.3%. The panel size is not given in the public release.
IAB's Outlook Study surveys more than 200 US brand and agency buyers about expected spending. It is a forecast of intentions, not measured revenue. WPP Media's This Year Next Year forecast models advertising revenue earned by media owners worldwide, excluding US political ads. It is revised twice a year, in June and December.
Every figure on this page links to the document it came from, with an archived copy. Calculated figures show their inputs in the method note.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of revenue do companies spend on marketing?
US companies spent an average of 9.0% of revenues on marketing in 2026, according to The CMO Survey. B2C product companies spent the most, at 12.0% of revenue, and B2B product companies the least, at 7.0%.
Are marketing budgets growing in 2026?
Slowly in the US. Marketing spending grew 1.7% over the prior 12 months, the weakest growth since 2021, according to The CMO Survey. In the UK, budgets were revised up for a third straight quarter, with a net balance of +14.3% in Q3 2026, according to the IPA.
How much is spent on advertising worldwide?
WPP Media forecasts global advertising revenue of $1.3 trillion in 2026, up 8.9%, excluding US political ads. It estimated $1.14 trillion for 2025.
Which marketing channels are growing fastest?
In the US, social media ad spend is forecast to grow 16.5% in 2026, ahead of CTV at 15.6% and commerce media at 13.6%, according to IAB. Linear TV is forecast to fall 1.5%. US marketers expect digital marketing budgets to rise 10.4% in the next year.
How is AI changing marketing?
AI was used in 24.2% of US marketing activities in 2026, up from 13.1% in 2024, according to The CMO Survey. 41.5% of companies already optimise content to appear in AI search results.
How does 2026 compare with forecasts at the start of the year?
Better. IAB raised its US ad spend forecast from 9.5% in January to 12.3% in September. WPP Media raised its global forecast from 7.1% to 8.9%. UK marketing budget revisions in Q3 were 4.8 times the net balance firms had expected for the year.
Sources
- The CMO Survey, The CMO Survey: Highlights and Insights Report 2026, April 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- WPP Media, This Year Next Year 2026 Midyear Forecast: Global ad revenue to grow 8.9% to $1.3 trillion, 16 June 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- IAB, IAB Raises 2026 U.S. Ad Spend Forecast to +12.3% YoY Growth (2026 Outlook Study: September Update), 10 September 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- IPA, Q3 2026 IPA Bellwether Report: UK companies revise marketing budgets up to highest level in over two years, 15 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- WPP Media, WPP Media Global Advertising Forecast: Global ad revenue set to reach $1.14 trillion, 10 December 2025. Link · Saved data copy
Changes to this page
- : First published.