Video just had its best quarter in nearly two years. What the latest Bellwether says
UK marketing budgets were revised up again in Q2 2026, with video at a seven-quarter high and events leading. Short-term online activity was cut for the…
The IPA Bellwether Report for Q2 2026, published on 16 July, found 23.8% of UK companies increased marketing budgets while 16.9% cut them, a net balance of +6.9% [1].
Where budgets moved
Events: +11.0%, the strongest category [1]
Video: +8.2%, a seven-quarter high [1]
Direct marketing: +3.0%; PR: +1.4%; sales promotions: +0.9% [1]
Other online: −5.1%, the first cut in seven quarters [1]
Market research: −4.1% [1]
The IPA’s forecast for total UK adspend is +2.1% in 2026, +2.3% in 2027 and +2.4% in 2028 [1].
Reading between the lines
Marketers are putting money into formats that build memory and relationships, video and events, and trimming activation that doesn’t. Not everyone reads it as good news: one agency leader quoted in the report warned that long-term brand investment is taking a back seat to short-term commercial outcomes [1]. Commentary from ExchangeWire reflects the same split [2].
Our take
If you’re adding video, plan it as a system rather than a one-off: one shoot, many cuts, built for the platforms your customers use. And connect events to content and business development, so a day in a room turns into weeks of useful material and real conversations.
Sources
UK companies revise marketing budgets up in Q2 2026, IPA (July 2026)
IPA Q2 2026 Bellwether: what the industry thinks, ExchangeWire (July 2026)
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