Where the 2026 budgets are actually going
Our survey of 1,200 brand marketers, in four charts. The money is leaving reach and buying trust.
Posthype StudioWe asked 1,200 brand marketers where the 2026 budget went. The answer, in four charts, is the same answer the engagement data gives: the money is leaving reach and buying trust.
Mid-tier creators and performance deals took the biggest share gains. Macro, celebrity, and one-off sponsorships lost ground — the formats that sell reach without proof.
The money follows conversion
The shift is structural, not seasonal. Once a brand pays on outcomes, it rarely goes back to paying on impressions.
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- 01Mid-tier and performance deals gained the most share.
- 02Macro and one-off sponsorships lost ground.
- 03Outcome-based budgets rarely revert to impressions.
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