Marketers enter 2026 with bigger budgets, high confidence, report

Marketers are approaching 2026 with expanding budgets, sustained confidence and a sharpened focus on measurable outcomes, according to new research from Clutch. Sixty percent of small businesses expect to increase marketing investment, while seventy-eight percent of marketers report a positive outlook for the year ahead, reflecting strategic reallocation rather than spending cuts.

Anna Peck, Content marketing manager, Clutch: "Marketers are confident and investing with purpose. Teams are reallocating spend to meet rising expectations for ROI and changing customer behavior."

Budgets shift toward digital flexibility

Marketing teams anticipate continued budget adjustments, with eighty-five percent expecting to reshuffle spend as priorities evolve. Nearly half plan to route more than half of their budget into digital channels to support performance-led activity. Executives cite ROI pressure, evolving customer requirements and the need for agile planning as primary reasons for these adjustments.

Marketers intend to increase spend on content marketing and SEO, digital advertising, branding and creative development, as well as sponsorships and strategic partnerships. At the same time, traditional media is trending downward, with roughly one third planning to reduce investment in television, print, radio or out-of-home.

AI supports planning but receives limited investment

AI adoption is expanding across data analysis, media planning and personalization, with sixty-one percent of marketers using AI in some capacity. However, most teams are cautious with spend: eighty-three percent allocate less than twenty percent of their total budget to AI tools.

Peck: "Marketers see AI as practical and useful but are investing with intention rather than scale."

Measuring marketing impact becomes more complex

Seventy-six percent of marketers feel confident their current channel mix supports organizational goals. Yet proving measurable impact remains a challenge, with thirty-four percent citing attribution to revenue or clear outcomes as their biggest hurdle. Leadership support remains strong, as seventy-two percent say decision-makers welcome new ideas when backed by clear rationale and projected results.

The full report can be accessed here

www.clutch.co

Follow Marketing Report on LinkedIn