With a lot of worries over the economy and Brexit, marketing budgets have flatlined for the first time in 6 years at the end of 2018 Q4 according to the IPA Bellwether report. Media advertising, direct marketing, market research, and PR have all been effected and budgets have been cut. Digital marketing wise, search and SEO dropped for the first time since 2009 and mobile advertising also feel.

This is due to the political and economic uncertainty brought on the ongoing Brexit negotiations. Marketing budgets haven’t decreased yet but they have stayed the same for the first time since 2012 which has dampened marketers’ outlook for the year ahead too. Bellwether predicts an almost neutral stance on overall ad spend budgets. 27% of marketers predicted a small budget increase but 26% predicted cuts.

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