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As organizations plan for 2027, the question isn't whether to invest in marketing. It's where those investments will make the greatest impact.
Marketing leaders are entering 2027 with renewed optimism. According to Forrester, 89% of B2B marketing decision-makers and 91% of B2C marketers expect marketing investments to increase over the next 12 months. But larger budgets alone won't guarantee better results. Organizations continue to face resource constraints, changing buyer expectations, and increasing pressure to deliver measurable business results.
When Budgeting for 2027, CEOs and CMOs face:
- Pressure to deliver AI-enabled growth and efficiency
- Capability gaps within marketing teams
- Increasing expectations to drive measurable business outcomes
- Shifting buyer behavior driven by AI-powered search and research
- The need to reallocate resources rather than simply increase spending
At the same time, in 2026, 56% of CMOs report lacking the budget needed to execute their strategy, while 54% cite insufficient resources. As a result, successful budgeting is becoming less about spending more and more about making intentional decisions about where investments will create the most value.
Where Companies Are Investing Marketing Budget in 2027
Across the industries we serve, several priorities continue to emerge:
- AI and marketing efficiency to improve productivity, automate routine activities, and support customer engagement.
- Content, SEO, AEO, and GEO initiatives that improve visibility across both traditional search engines and AI-driven search experiences.
- Market intelligence and customer insight initiatives that help organizations better understand changing buyer needs and market dynamics.
- Brand building and thought leadership to establish credibility and differentiate in increasingly crowded markets.
- CRM, marketing automation, and personalization efforts that create more relevant customer experiences across channels.
- Trade shows and events integrated with digital campaigns, lead nurturing programs, and post-show follow-up strategies.
Not every organization needs to invest heavily in every area. The key is identifying the initiatives that align with your business goals, customer needs, and growth strategy.
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Planning your 2027 marketing budget? Our Marketing Budget Planning Worksheet helps you move from budget planning to execution with a practical framework for managing spend, tracking investments, and measuring results.
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Why We Continue to Recommend Top-Down Budgeting
Once priorities are identified, organizations need a budgeting approach that supports them.
Many organizations still rely on incremental budgeting, making small adjustments to previous spending patterns. While familiar, this approach can make it more difficult to adapt to changing buyer behavior, pursue new opportunities, or adjust investments as business needs change.
This is why we continue to recommend budgeting marketing as a percentage of revenue targets. A top-down approach helps align marketing investments with business goals while creating the flexibility to shift resources, test new ideas, and capitalize on new opportunities throughout the year.
Key Takeaways
As you plan your marketing strategy and budget for 2027, keep these considerations in mind:
- Align marketing investments with business objectives. Budget increases are most effective when they are tied to clear goals.
- Invest where buyers are looking for information. Content, SEO, AEO, GEO, thought leadership, and digital engagement continue to influence purchasing decisions.
- Support growth with the right technology and expertise. AI, automation, and customer insights can improve performance when backed by the right resources and strategy.
- Focus on the full customer journey. Brand visibility, customer experience, and lead nurturing continue to contribute to long-term success.
- Regularly evaluate where your budget is going. The most successful organizations review investments frequently and adjust when priorities change.
About Launch Team, Inc.
For 40 years, we have worked with B2B technology companies, helping to build scalable sales and marketing. We work closely with sales leaders globally to drive leads, improve and support sales processes, implement and optimize CRMs, and deploy targeted marketing campaigns that drive revenue.
Marketing Budget Planning for 2027
As organizations plan for 2027, the question isn't whether to invest in marketing. It's where those investments will make the greatest impact. ...
