Most B2B businesses set to increase brand spend

Over half of firms are projecting some form of increase to brand investment in the next year, despite over two-fifths still struggling to secure spend.

By Charlotte Rogers 6 Oct 2026 6:42 am

• X
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Most B2B businesses are projecting some form of increase in brand investment, despite marketers acknowledging the persistent challenges to gain budget sign off.

Over half (51.3%) of the 300 marketers responding to Marketing Week’s State of Brand in B2B survey plan to ramp up brand investment in the next 12 months. More than one in 10 (14.8%) expect brand budgets will increase substantially, while over a third (36.5%) are projecting marginal growth. Nonetheless, that puts half of the sample in positive territory.

A third (33.1%) of respondents will keep their brand investment stable, while 6.5% predict a slight decrease. For 4.2%, the fall in spend is likely to be substantial, while 4.9% admit their company does not invest in brand marketing at all.

Almost seven in 10 B2B CMOs (69.1%), expect to oversee some increase in brand investment over the next 12 months, as do over half (55.4%) of marketing directors/vice-presidents.

B2B SMEs (250 employees and under) are slightly more likely to be plotting growth to their brand budgets (55.5%) over the next year than larger firms (46.9%).

Lack of CEO understanding harming B2B brand building push

However, while investment in brand is largely sitting in positive territory, getting to the point of budget sign off may well have been a struggle for many. Almost half (44.9%) of respondents find it difficult or very difficult to secure investment for brand building.

Only a quarter (26.8%) of the sample find making the case for brand investment either easy or very easy.

The data suggests senior managers are most likely to struggle to get their brand spend across the line. Over half (52.5%) find it difficult to make the case, as do 48.1% of marketing directors/vice-presidents and 30.5% of CMOs.

The research also points to there being more of an issue securing brand investment within large B2B organisations than in smaller firms. Most (55.5%) marketers in big businesses find it difficult get brand spend signed off, versus just over a third (35%) of their SME peers.

Marketing Week will continue reporting from the State of Brand in B2B research over the coming weeks.