Bellwether Reaction: Hailing the return of the C-word

This week’s IPA Bellwether Report has revealed that UK companies are holding their nerve as the geopolitical crisis rages on, with confidence returning and marketing budgets being revised up to the highest level in almost two years, even as the wider economy suffers.

The report authors suggest this upward adjustment reflects not only upbeat forecasts around future market conditions, but also a recognition of the need to invest in growth opportunities and maintain competitive advantage as challenges persist.

But what do those at the coalface see? Decision Marketing asks leading industry professionals for their take on the Q1 adspend report.

First up is Adform UK country manager Phil Acton who believes that operating in a state of continuous global crisis has tragically become the norm. However, where UK advertisers would have previously pulled back spend, Acton reckons that the fact they haven’t proves that resilience has become well and truly hardwired into the industry.

He explains: “Performance remains key and the boost in video and other online formats shows a clear drive toward proven ROI. However, respondents rightly highlight the need to prioritise investment in quality data and autonomous AI for long-term brand building and budget efficiency.

“Agentic AI in particular will define the industry’s next era, but it’s time to put the buzz into practice. Audio and DOOH took a hit this quarter, but consumers don’t live in silos. Empowered with clear guardrails and trusted partners, media buyers can now harness agentic scale and speed to bring together every screen for game-changing outcomes. True resilience isn’t just about surviving the next crisis; it’s about using sophisticated technology to keep your brand front and centre with consumers no matter what’s on the horizon.”

Adnomaly founder and CEO Max von Weber agrees: “With everything that’s going on in the world, what this says to me is that turmoil and disruption are the new normal and advertisers realise they can’t use it as an excuse to stop the wheels from turning.

“Businesses need to attract new customers and nurture existing ones to survive. Savvy marketers appreciate this and are increasing investment in advertising while some of their more cautious competitors pull back. I know who my money’s on to come out on top.”

Meanwhile, esbconnect co-founder and CEO Suzanna Chaplin also backs those who have taken the bull by the horns.

She says: “After the disappointment of last quarter’s report, showing no growth and precious little confidence from companies about their future prospects, the latest figures are much more cheering. That word, confidence, is key, I feel. When advertisers feel confident, they commit, both to tried and trusted channels like online and email, and to new ones which may help them steal a march on competitors. So welcome back confidence, we’ve missed you.

Audiences co-founder and CEO Rob McLaughlin, meanwhile, reckons that in a climate of economic uncertainty, resilience should be the priority investment.

He continues: “To succeed, it’s going to be crucial to build resilience by maximising the resource you have internally, especially if you have access to first party data.

“Having a robust first party data strategy is not just a competitive advantage but it also mitigates the impact of short and long term industry factors. For advertisers, this can be a real asset as they can effectively plan and activate their own proprietary first party data sets, without risk. In turn this can enable long term sustainable growth as well as build confidence.”