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Marketing budgets are up, but business confidence is still fragile

October 2026

The latest IPA Bellwether report is out, and it’s exposing an interesting contradiction: marketing budgets are up, but business confidence remains fragile.

Our director of strategy, Brenda Imeson, shares her view in Campaign UK. She argues the uptick reflects a recognition that “standing still isn’t a growth strategy”, rather than a return to optimism.

Read Brenda’s full commentary in Campaign UK’s industry round-up.

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