Market volatility makes B2C marketing executives less optimistic about their budgets for 2026, but many still plan to increase their investments: 49% anticipate that their overall marketing budget will increase by 5% or more in the next 12 months. To increase marketing effectiveness alongside productivity, marketers need precise consumer and customer insights, a clear plan for advanced AI, and flexible resourcing. This report provides B2C marketers with data-driven guidance on where to increase, decrease, or experiment with their budgets in 2026.