A new WARC survey of 1,000 marketers worldwide finds that 65% expect business to improve in 2025, but only 34% expect marketing budgets to increase. The optimism about business conditions is the highest it’s been in three years according to WARC research.  

The survey anchors a new WARC report,  The Voice of the Marketer 2025. (The report is free to members.)  

Global ad spend is on track to surpass $1trillion for the first time this year, and is set to grow +7.6% in 2025 per the latest advertising spend forecasts by WARC Media. The research suggests that digital channels will continue to be prioritized over traditional media.  

The report notes that escalating geopolitical conflicts and the implementation of trade policies threaten progress. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of marketers think economic conditions will significantly impact their marketing strategy in 2025.  

Consequently, marketers appear less optimistic about increasing marketing budgets for the year ahead: just a third (34%) expect marketing budgets to increase (compared to 41% last year). However, more marketers seem to expect budget increases from last year to be maintained (44% compared to 39% last year), with those expecting lower budgets largely steady at 22% (compared to 20% last year.)  

The impact of the environment and diversity, inclusion, and social justice on marketing strategies has decreased in recent years. Only 28% of survey respondents expect the environment and 20% expect DEI to significantly impact marketing strategies next year, versus 38% and 30% respectively last year.  

Almost half of marketers (44%) highlighted media and audience fragmentation as one of the biggest causes for concern in 2025, an increase of 9pp from last year. Along with the challenges, there are more opportunities to experiment in reaching and engaging consumers.  

For the second year in a row, most marketers expect investments in online video and social media to increase. According to WARC’s most recent Global Ad Spend Outlook, online advertising now accounts for over half (58.7%) of total advertising spend, while legacy media accounts for a quarter (25.3%).  

Almost two-thirds of marketers (57%) perceive brand metrics as the most impactful measure of marketing effectiveness, followed by ROI, with over half of marketers (54%) indicating it has the greatest impact on strategy. Metrics such as revenue and profit are seen as less.