How should CMOs prepare for anemic budget growth in 2025? [Video]

The year ahead is set to be another tough one for marketers being asked to do more with less cash.

Marketers are unlikely to see much budget growth in 2025, according to industry analysts, as businesses continue to operate within a sluggish economy.

The marketing industry is in an “era of less,” says Ewan McIntyre, chief of research and vice president at the analyst firm Gartner, with budgets still significantly lower post-covid than pre-covid. “Chief financial officers have gotten used to a situation where budgets are lower and we’ve gotten used to it, so why can’t we just continue?” According to Gartner research, average budgets dropped from 9.1% of company revenue in 2023 to just 7.7% in 2024. He referred to this as “anemic budget growth” for the year ahead.

There are multiple conditions creating a “lingering uncertainty” for businesses. The UK economy is still struggling and tough trading conditions …