US B2B marketers have the biggest budgets and the lowest confidence | MarTech

"Over half (55%) of U.S. marketers reported budget increases in 2026, while 37% were asked to make cuts - most of them under 10%, according to 10Fold's "The 2026 Marketing Budget Blueprint, Part II." But even with the largest budgets of any region, U.S. marketers reported the lowest confidence in meeting growth targets. The data suggests that after aggressive investment in 2025, some marketing programs may have outpaced market demand."

"Despite those doubts, U.S. marketers aren't shying away from bold investments. They are leaning into long-term plays - especially content and brand building - which together account for 15.8% of overall spend. That's not just a branding push; it's likely part of a growing strategy to capture organic traffic from AI-generated search (LLMs and beyond). Dig deeper: The future of DAM is intelligent, integrated and essential Product marketing and lead generation are holding steady and being funded at similar levels."

"But the standout trend is AI. U.S. companies are leading in investment in AI tools designed to scale product marketing and research - a clear signal that automation and insight generation are now baked into growth strategies. Still, there's a wrinkle. Leadership, marketing don't always agree on AI's payoff Even as AI budgets grow, there's rising tension around expectations. In the U.S., 27% of marketing leaders believe senior leadership overestimates what AI will actually deliver in terms of financial impact and productivity gains."

U.S. B2B marketers show a paradox of high spending combined with low confidence in hitting growth targets. Over half (55%) reported budget increases for 2026 while 37% faced cuts, mostly under 10%. After heavy investment in 2025, some programs may have outpaced demand, prompting reassessment of spend sustainability and efficiency. Marketers are prioritizing long-term investments in content and brand, which total 15.8% of spend, and are funding product marketing and lead generation consistently. U.S. firms are leading investments in AI tools to scale product marketing and research, though 27% of marketing leaders feel senior leadership overestimates AI's financial and productivity impact.

Read at MarTech