New Digital Age gathered industry reaction to the latest IPA Bellwether report, examining ad spending during the final quarter of 2025…
Mateusz Rumiński, VP of Product at PrimeAudience:
“After a year of general positivity, we’ve reached a point of uncertainty, reflecting the wider macroeconomic environment we are currently facing. It is critical for brands to be able to act quickly and adapt to achieve ROI, and the answer is AI.
“The latest IPA Bellwether report states that almost no business is operationally prepared to use AI, though, despite increased talk of it. However, our data suggest that 87% of UK marketers feel they know how to use Generative AI and are applying it in their work. To cut through the noise, marketers will need to be willing to test new strategies and trial partners’ tools if we are to see the expected confidence in 2026 materialise.”
Rebecca Rodin, Account Director at Scale Digital:
“Even as marketing budgets remain largely stable, the real question for brands is how to make each pound deliver impact. Now, it’s more important than ever to focus on channels and approaches that allow teams to see what resonates, optimise in real time, and link spend directly to outcomes. Strategies that focus purely on reach risk underdelivering, particularly as audiences spread attention across more platforms and formats.
“The report shows that while AI is quietly reshaping how consumers discover and engage, most businesses aren’t fully prepared to operationalise it. Success today is less about volume and more about agility, measured performance, and effectiveness. By approaching campaigns with focus and flexibility, brands can turn attention into meaningful business results and future-proof their marketing for the year ahead.”
Caroline Tredget, Commercial Director, Times Media:
“The growth of events over the last few years has been phenomenal, and this report underlines their continuing attraction to marketers. This is because they provide opportunities for real-world engagement with consumers and valuable networking with B2B audiences.
“The challenge for marketers is cutting through in what is an increasingly busy market. The key part of that is working with trusted media brands that can drive audience engagement, provide organisational support, and access unique talent that brings your brand to life.
“Times Media has a rich portfolio of business events, from breakfast briefings, awards and summits like our renowned CEO Summit, to our brilliantly curated consumer events. These events bring our award-winning journalism to life and help brands reach everyone from affluent consumers to business leaders. We’ve seen significant growth in the past 12-months across our events offering and have a really positive outlook for this space in the years ahead.”
Phil Acton, UK Country Manager, Adform:
“There was always going to be a bit of wobble in Q4 given the uncertainty surrounding the Autumn Budget alongside global pressures, but there is another headline to take away from this IPA Bellwether report: marketing budgets have largely held the line. This resilience is important and shows that brands have learned the lesson that cutting spend in a downturn does not protect business health. Meanwhile, the 13.2% increase in ‘other online’ budgets shows that brands aren’t retreating, but prioritising investment in channels where they can prove ROI.
“However, that demand for accountability shouldn’t mean ignoring the wider mix. We must challenge the outdated idea that channels like audio, out-of-home, and video are hard to measure. These formats have become performance drivers in their own right, closing the gap between awareness and conversion. Brands that connect the dots by leveraging AI-enabled identity solutions across all these channels won’t just weather the wobble, but drive game-changing engagement all year round.”
Tom Ridges, CEO, Herdify:
“The 2025 Q4 Bellwether report shows that while overall marketing budgets are holding steady, direct marketing is seeing its first dip in three years. This isn’t necessarily a negative, it simply reflects a growing recognition that more spend doesn’t automatically mean more impact. Brands are increasingly looking for approaches that are targeted, precise, and backed by real insight.
“When budgets are tight, reaching the right people matters more than reaching everyone. Behaviour-led targeting helps marketers connect with those most likely to engage, while also reducing the physical waste long associated with traditional direct marketing. Beyond efficiency, it opens the door to behaviour that lasts: tapping into offline networks and word-of-mouth where influence is far more powerful.
“This shift offers real opportunity. Brands that combine smarter targeting with authentic community influence will be best placed to make their budgets go further, drive meaningful engagement, and build marketing that truly lasts.”
Denise Cornelissen, Head of Product Marketing at RTB House:
“The latest IPA Bellwether report paints a less promising picture than previous quarters, which reflects the wider economic challenges being faced globally. In periods of uncertainty, the call to action here should be to maximise the value of resources already available.
“As budgets remain largely flat, the focus should shift to AI-driven solutions that provide the much-needed reprieve by unlocking operational efficiencies. This is due to the technology being able to analyse behavioural data to predict intent and personalise messaging. As a result, brands can create strongly targeted campaigns that boost engagement and ROI.
“While AI can be revolutionary for campaign effectiveness, it’s important to remember that relying on a single retargeting tool may not deliver the strongest results. A well-planned multi-provider retargeting strategy, where budget is shared across the marketing stack, can be an effective way to improve reach, increase conversion rates, and drive higher revenue. This strategy will allow marketers to continue to drive growth in spite of the budgetary pressures anticipated in the next couple of years.”
Helen Keelan, Head of Sales, General Market Europe, LG Ad Solutions:
“While the IPA Bellwether shows video ad spend declined in Q4, video overall grew in 2025, representing one of the largest shares of UK digital ad investment, with digital video accounting for nearly a quarter of spend, making up more than a third of that share. UK video sales also rose by around 8 % year-on-year, with streaming subscriptions driving much of this growth, demonstrating strong consumer demand for video formats supported by CTV and Smart TV screens.
“As audiences increasingly shift to the big screen, the Smart TV Home Screen is emerging as a high-impact video discovery environment and a critical first touchpoint in the viewing journey. For advertisers, the Home Screen provides access to brand-safe, high-attention video at the very moment viewers decide what to watch. By leveraging first-party data, AI-driven insights, and clean-room collaborations, marketers can reach the right households with relevant messaging, optimise campaigns in real time, and better measure performance.
“As video investment continues to shift toward CTV, the Smart TV Home Screen is set to play an increasingly central role in driving measurable, impactful outcomes for both brands and audiences alike.”
Maor Sadra, CEO & Co‑founder, INCRMNTAL:
“The latest IPA Bellwether report shows flatlining budgets but that doesn’t mean business as usual. When growth stalls and uncertainty rises, marketers dig deeper into what’s actually working. That’s why incrementality is gaining ground fast.
“As more spend shifts into harder-to-measure channels like CTV, retail media, and audio – which the report shows are under pressure – marketers are realising that old attribution models just don’t cut it. You can’t afford to optimise based on noise.
“In 2026, performance will mean provable impact. Not vanity metrics, not last-touch credit – but real, causal lift. That shift in mindset is already happening. CMOs aren’t interested in ‘what got clicks’; they want to know ‘what made a difference’. Incrementality is no longer a buzzword. It’s becoming the baseline for smarter, more resilient strategies in a fragmented, AI-disrupted landscape.”
Alexia Nakad, VP of Brands and Commerce Media, UK and MEA, LiveRamp:
“The findings of the latest IPA Bellwether report reflect the scrutiny marketers face to deliver measurable ROI, and reinforce the critical importance of high-quality data for well-informed marketing decision-making.
“Respondents across verticals, from financial services to media, indicate that confidence is increasingly shaped by how ready they are for AI. While the industry’s pivot toward AI for efficiency is promising, true ‘AI readiness’ is only possible when the business is empowered by strong collaboration networks enabling access to high-quality data, interoperable technology, and clear governance.
“Having this foundation will ensure that AI-driven decisions are not only faster but also accurate, trusted, and scalable. As optimism builds for a return to investment, brands that combine this collaborative data infrastructure with AI will be best positioned to drive and measure incremental outcomes.”
Graham Field, Chief Revenue Officer at Outra:
“AI continues to be seen as both an opportunity and a potential threat, and the latest IPA Bellwether report highlights how this duality is shaping marketing strategy. The flat marketing budgets reflect the impact of cost pressures, muted economic activity, and tighter budget constraints, all of which are forcing brands to take a closer look at where their marketing investments can deliver the greatest impact.
“Preliminary data for the upcoming financial year suggests only shallow expansion in budgets, meaning marketers are more focused on precise audience targeting and smarter, more data-led approaches to maximise return on spend. While AI and other emerging technologies offer exciting possibilities for engagement and personalisation, they can sometimes act as a “black box”, with less predictable returns. In a tighter budget environment, this makes careful planning and insight-driven decision-making more important than ever.
“Looking ahead, success will go to those who stay agile, prioritise highly targeted strategies, and adapt quickly to shifting marketing conditions.”
Shane Smith, VP of Relevance, RAAS LAB:
“While the latest IPA Bellwether suggests caution, the +13.2% rise in ‘other online’ budgets is grounds for optimism, and shows exactly where the battle for return on investment will be fought. AI has fundamentally shifted the display landscape, and the IPA’s respondents’ emphasis on ‘AI readiness’ is timely, but it must go beyond simple operational efficiency.
“This next phase of automated, digital advertising is defined by a simple truth: relevance equals results. It’s not enough to just buy media faster; brands must use AI to seamlessly blend creative and media placement – anything less is just noise.
“As economic pressures ease, the brands that leverage AI as a tool for hyper-relevance, rather than just blunt speed, will be the ones that turn cautious budgets into sustainable, measurable growth.”
Shane Buckley, Head of Restaurants UKI, Uber Advertising:
“The flattening of marketing spend in this quarter’s Bellwether sends a clear message: efficiency remains key. Respondents highlighted AI as vital to this, offering brands a better understanding of their audiences and supporting them with accountable performance. However, while automated media buys help ensure your campaign is seen; it is creativity that ensures your brand is remembered.
“High-attention placements and intent matter more than reach alone. By analysing real-world behaviour to identify these moments, advertisers can give their campaigns the perfect stage. Whether it’s an immersive video or an interactive format, delivering dynamic creative experiences in relevant human contexts drives ROI and builds long-term brand equity.
“As adoption grows, AI represents the greatest opportunity when it is grounded in real-world behaviour rather than vanishing signals. This shift is transforming how the industry delivers campaigns that are both more measurable and more memorable.”
The companies included above are all clients of Bluestripe Group, the publisher of New Digital Age.
