"Any thin hope marketers had that 2026 might calm the turbulence of last year didn't survive January, as political shocks, platform upheaval and fresh economic jitters piled new uncertainty onto an already fragile market. Nobody expected serenity to be clear. The hope was for a more predictable kind of chaos: slower regulatory fights, fewer sudden platform pivots, and an economy drifting rather than lurching."
"Conversations with 10 ad execs over the last month made that shift hard to miss. Ad spending plans are once again wrapped in cautious optimism but the foundation of those efforts has shifted. They're less driven by faith in a steady economy, more faith in their own ability to navigate one that isn't. "I'm anticipating you're going to see a slight uptick in general media spend this year but that's U.S.-based not global," said Tom Swierczewski, vice president of media investment at Goodway Group."
January's political shocks, platform upheavals and renewed economic jitters have increased uncertainty and accelerated market volatility for marketers. Plans for 2026 shifted from hoping for steadier conditions to preparing for faster-changing risks. Ad executives report cautious optimism but now prioritize their own ability to navigate instability over confidence in the economy. U.S. media spend may see a slight uptick, while global budgets remain constrained. Growth strategies emphasize lighter upfront commitments, flexible programmatic and CTV deals, and stricter measurement ties between spend and verifiable outcomes. Many companies, especially smaller ones, are investing more in brand advertising to stay visible and preserve demand through downturns.
Read at Digiday
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