Small and medium-sized enterprises under pressure – marketing budgets are stagnating, whilst costs and challenges are rising

“Those who invest counter-cyclically now will secure a competitive edge in the market tomorrow. Cutting marketing budgets may be convenient in the short term, but it proves costly in the long run,” says Ramona Kaden, Managing Director of the bvik.

Focus on investment in AI – technology now established

Artificial intelligence has arrived in industrial marketing: 85 per cent of the companies surveyed are specifically focusing on generative AI, whilst 72 per cent are investing in AI agents and workflow automation. AI has thus risen to become the second most important priority – just behind lead generation.

“The question with AI is no longer ‘whether’, but ‘which’. That’s why our approach is: focus in the AI jungle. The selection, training and deployment of tools are carried out in a strictly operational and benefit-oriented manner. In our citizen developer teams, users work alongside AI experts to develop solutions – thereby turning pure technology into genuine added value in everyday life,” says Lothar Marth of Bosch Building Technologies, discussing the company’s internal use of AI.

Humans versus AI – skills development is lagging behind

Despite widespread investment in AI, skills development remains modest: 61 per cent of respondents spend no more than 1,000 euros per person per year on further training, whilst team sizes remain virtually constant. “2026 is the year when AI will become the norm – but what matters is not who buys the most tools, but who builds the skills, processes and mandate to use them effectively,” says Prof. Dr Hannes Huttelmaier.

Trade fairs dominate – content is becoming more important

Trade fairs, external events and customer events remain the largest single item, accounting for 41 per cent of the external budget – and the most important format for lead generation in B2B. At the same time, there is a noticeable shift in the budget: the share allocated to in-house content production rose from 7.5 per cent to 11.4 per cent compared with the previous year, whilst the share for media advertising declined. The industry is increasingly relying on its own content – which is increasingly AI-supported – rather than paid reach.

That said, budget expectations are brightening slightly: 32 per cent of respondents anticipate rising external budgets over the next two years (compared with 27 per cent in 2025).