Gambling in prediction markets, buying cryptocurrency, and investing in meme stocks have similar characteristics: plenty of buzz, promises of phenomenal returns, and bragging rights just for participating in the game. Experiencing the story unfold firsthand can be entertaining (and nerve-wracking!).

Constructing an annual marketing budget shouldn’t feel like this at all; however, allocating AI investments over the past few years might have felt uncomfortably similar. Marketers have funded AI investments during the era of AI exploration based on:

  • Headlines and hearsay. The CEO read something in a newsletter about AI. A board member heard an AI anecdote in another company’s quarterly meeting. You read a recap from the latest industry conference about a big brand’s AI pilot that shared a number without details on lift or incrementality. A quote from Forrester’s recent Board of Clients meeting captures the disconnect: “The execs said that everyone should be using AI, but there hasn’t been a plan or a ‘why.’”
  • Promises of potential. The promises of AI’s potential to reinvent marketing are tantalizing. If AI agents can autonomously hack into companies, shouldn’t they be more than capable of managing next week’s paid search campaign?
  • Content value and industry credibility. Setting up an agent swarm to create, iterate, and deploy a creative concept is the kind of case study that secures speaking slots on a conference main stage and interviews in the trade press.
  • Self-preservation. Learning what AI can and can’t do is necessary to manage a modern marketing organization.

The Truth Is Out There

Memes amuse us because they’re grounded in recognizable truth. But there’s a problem with meme-stock investing: investors expect lofty financial gains detached from business fundamentals. Although many companies are on record regarding AI-driven efficiency, marketers must still separate signal from noise and determine what truth is applicable, rather than chasing a reality-stretching industry narrative.

Taking a disciplined approach to AI allocations during the 2027 budget cycle is more important than ever. AI blank checks are disappearing, being replaced by demands for credible business cases with 78% of US B2C marketing executives telling us that executive leadership requires stronger evidence of value than 12 months ago.

Consequently, marketers are evolving their thinking on when to hold their investments and when to fold them. One high percentage path to success: ensure alignment with CEO and board priorities. In my conversations with CMOs, I’m hearing more questions and comments around growth and revenue generation than cost savings and efficiency.

For more detail, Forrester clients can read How To Budget For AI In Marketing and schedule an inquiry to discuss 2027 marketing budgets.

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