IPA Bellwether Q1 2026: Adland reactions and comments

Despite global geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices, marketing budgets held fast and rose again in the UK, according to the IPA Bellwether Report for Q1 2026.

Always a closely watched barometer of the economy, we’ve been canvassing some of the UK’s leading voices across adland for their take on the latest readings for the marketing sector…

Suzanna Chaplin, CEO & Founder, esbconnect

“This report will come as music to the ears of UK advertisers and the industry that supports them. After a shaky start to 2025, two positive quarters gave cause for optimism, which proved to be a false dawn when the so-called Golden Quarter (Q4) came in flat.

“The Q1 2026 figures look much healthier but there is still plenty of reason for budget-holders to think carefully about where to make their investments.

“I think this year we will see companies doubling down on proven channels like email and online, while hopefully always setting aside a small proportion of the budget to try new things and steal a march on those competitors who only ever play it safe.”

Piero Pavone, Founder and CEO, Preciso

“This is an encouraging set of figures, including the first rise in main media ad spend in four quarters. Not surprisingly, this was driven primarily by increases in online and video spending, as advertisers seek out consumers where they spend more and more of their time.

“For those advertisers committed to online I would suggest that they now look beyond what they have always done and experiment with different ad formats like native that are proven to deliver cut-through in a crowded, noisy environment.”

Max von Weber, Founder and CEO, Adnomaly

“I was encouraged to see a growth in main media ad spend – the first in four quarters – in the latest IPA Bellwether report.

“To me, this says that, whatever the economic and geopolitical turmoil out there, brands know they need to keep front of consumers’ minds to win new business.

“It’s also worth noting where they are spending too, with increased investment in online – known for its accountability – and in video, which confirms the increasing importance of the creators and influencers who are producing so much of this video content, to advertisers’ media plans.”

Anthony Clements, Country Manager, impact.com

“I think a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised by the results of the latest IPA Bellwether report.

“After a flat Q4, I imagine few expected such a strong net balance (7.3%) of companies reporting increased marketing spend in Q1, particularly with the events unfolding in the Middle East.

“These are sure to have some impact on advertiser confidence going forward, but for the moment, we should celebrate the fact that advertisers are still spending, and investing their budgets wisely in more accountable channels such as online, and in the type of content – video, much of it produced by creators and influencers – that they know consumers really engage with.”

Tristram MacDonald, VP Programmatic, Jellyfish

“Looking at client investments, we can see that there has been a marked shift in brands’ confidence in not only understanding their consumers but also pushing into channels with traditionally stronger targeting and deeper responsiveness from consumers, such as direct marketing, online and video.

“The digitisation of video also means it is not likely to see the same falls in spend as traditional offline channels like audio and OOH.

“OOH spend is interestingly seeing a slower reduction which we expect to see continue and hopefully begin to reverse, with major outdoor events in the summer driving interest from brands in being seen in key locations.

“Also, as more brands get comfortable with Digital OOH offerings we can expect to see excited new players in this field as traditional digital teams expand their remit into new fields

“Overall, the year looks to have started in good spirits for the industry, but ultimately the timing of how quickly events in the middle east resolve will be critical to how the second half of the year plays out, as we know through experience how impactful energy costs can be on consumer spending in winter months.”