Greater Pressure and Influence Define B2B Marketers' Outlook
Forrester, Friday, October 16th, 2026
Forrester's poll finds B2B marketing budgets and headcount shrinking at midyear even as marketers' strategic influence grows.
Forrester polled senior B2B marketing decision-makers after Q2 2026 and found that companies exceeded revenue goals by an average of 3% year to date, but full-year growth expectations fell from 5% to 3%.
Twenty-one percent said budgets had been cut from original levels, versus 10% reporting increases.
Thirty-four percent said marketing headcount fell in Q2, including 16% with major layoffs.
Despite the pressure, leaders see signs that their strategic influence within their companies is increasing.