A new industry report reveals a cautious but measurable shift in sentiment among Spanish marketing professionals, with nearly one-third anticipating increased advertising investment in the first half of 2026. The study, conducted by Scopen and the Spanish Advertisers Association (AEA), surveyed over 130 sector professionals, providing a snapshot of confidence levels after a challenging 2025 that closed in negative territory. The data suggests a fragile recovery, with overall marketing investment expected to grow by +0.2 points and advertising investment by +0.5 points in the coming six months.<\/p>\n
The key figure from the report is the 31% of marketers who forecast an increase in their advertising budgets. This represents a significant nine-point jump compared to expectations at the start of 2025. This shift is further reinforced by a growing sense of stability; 53% of marketing leaders now plan to maintain their current investment levels, up from 49% the previous year. Perhaps most telling is the sharp decline in pessimism: the number of professionals who fear a decrease in their marketing spend has fallen by ten percentage points. This collective movement away from contraction and toward either stability or growth paints a picture of an industry tentatively regaining its footing.<\/p>\n
This emerging optimism is set against a backdrop of acknowledged volatility. The report’s authors and respondents are acutely aware of the economic and geopolitical uncertainties that could disrupt these plans. However, the intention to invest signals a strategic decision to compete for market share and consumer attention, even in an unpredictable climate. The modest projected growth of +0.2 points in overall marketing investment masks a more complex internal dynamic. This figure is an aggregate of two opposing trends: a decrease of -0.9 points in “research” budgets and an increase of +1.1 points in “promotion” budgets. This suggests companies are prioritizing direct customer activation and communication over broader market research initiatives in the immediate term.<\/p>\n
The recovery is not uniform across the Spanish economy. The report breaks down expectations by three major industry sectors, revealing distinct trajectories and confidence levels for the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n
The most bullish forecasts come from the durable consumer goods sector, encompassing automotive, home goods, and textiles. Here, a full 50% of professionals plan to increase their advertising budget, a dramatic rise from the 33.3% recorded in 2025. This surge indicates that companies selling big-ticket items are preparing for a potential rebound in consumer confidence and are willing to spend to capture it. Concurrently, the percentage of companies in this sector planning to cut investment has dipped slightly to 17.9%. This sector appears poised to drive a significant portion of the overall advertising recovery.<\/p>\n
The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector\u2014including food, beauty, and pharmaceuticals\u2014also shows a positive trend, albeit more moderate. 33.3% of respondents here plan budget increases, up from 23.3% in 2025. Stability remains the dominant note, with 38.1% intending to hold budgets steady. However, a notable 28.6% of FMCG companies still project a reduction in investment, highlighting the ongoing pressure on margins in this highly competitive, volume-driven market. The picture here is one of selective investment rather than a broad-based surge.<\/p>\n
The services sector\u2014spanning finance, telecommunications, and tourism\u2014presents the most balanced and stable outlook. It is characterized by the lowest rate of planned budget cuts, at just 19.3%. A solid 36.8% of service companies foresee increasing their investment, while the largest group, 43.9%, opts for budgetary stability. This sector’s resilience suggests that customer acquisition and retention in competitive service markets remain non-negotiable priorities, insulating it somewhat from the wilder swings seen in goods-based industries.<\/p>\n
Beyond traditional budget allocations, the report delves into a transformative force reshaping the marketing function: artificial intelligence. The findings indicate that investment in AI is no longer a future consideration but a present-day budgetary line item. Nearly 57% of advertisers have already earmarked additional, specific budgets for projects related to AI application in content production and process automation. This dedicated funding underscores the strategic priority placed on efficiency, personalization, and scalability through technology.<\/p>\n
Despite this financial commitment, the perceived immediate impact of AI on marketing organizations remains limited. A significant 63% of professionals report that their team structures have not yet undergone any changes or adjustments in roles and responsibilities due to AI integration. Looking to the medium term, expectations are for a moderate impact; over 75% believe the changes will be of little relevance. This gap between investment and perceived impact suggests a phase of experimentation and tool adoption, with the deeper organizational implications yet to be fully realized.<\/p>\n
The question of which professional profiles will be most affected by AI’s rise elicits a sobering perspective from industry leaders. Half of the surveyed professionals believe junior-level positions will bear the brunt of the changes, likely due to the automation of entry-level tasks like basic content generation, data sorting, and performance reporting. Meanwhile, 40% estimate the impact will be felt equally across junior and senior roles, implying that strategic thinking, creative direction, and complex decision-making will also be augmented\u2014and potentially disrupted\u2014by advanced AI tools. This foreshadows a necessary evolution in skill sets at all career levels.<\/p>\n
The collective data from this barometer points to an industry at an inflection point. Spanish marketers are emerging from a period of constraint with a renewed, albeit careful, willingness to spend. This is not a return to pre-pandemic exuberance but a calculated bet on growth in specific sectors and through specific technologies. The rise of AI as a dedicated budget item represents a parallel investment stream, one focused on long-term capability building rather than short-term media buys. The challenge for leadership will be to balance these dual imperatives: funding the brand and customer communications needed to win in 2026 while simultaneously future-proofing their operations. The positive sentiment shift, therefore, is as much about confidence in navigating complexity as it is about expecting a straightforward economic boom. The marketers planning increases are likely those who see opportunity in uncertainty, ready to deploy smarter tools and more targeted investments to gain an edge. As the first half of 2026 unfolds, the accuracy of these forecasts will be tested, but for now, they provide a much-needed signal of resilience and strategic intent in a famously volatile profession.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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