MediaPicks Publishes 2026 Advertising and Marketing Budget Survey: Budgets Mostly Flat, but Corporate Strategies Are Polarizing

MediaPicks, an advertising and marketing media outlet operated by EYEZ, Inc. (headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Noriyuki Fukushima), conducted a survey of 168 advertising and marketing professionals on corporate budget policies and channel strategies, and has published an article summarizing the findings. In the advertising and marketing industry, optimizing channel strategies is becoming more difficult every year. As advertising costs rise and new channels emerge, companies often have to rely on intuition when deciding where to allocate limited budgets. The analysis found that the most common response for this term’s budget was “maintain current levels” at 42%. However, companies planning increases accounted for 24%, slightly exceeding those planning decreases at 19%, indicating a quiet polarization between companies taking an offensive stance and those taking a defensive stance. The survey also found that some channels ranked highly as both candidates for budget increases and reductions, showing that evaluations of the same media can differ sharply depending on industry and business model. Survey result summary: 1. “Maintain current levels” is the most common budget policy, but the market is effectively polarizing For this term’s marketing budget, the largest share of respondents, 42%, selected “maintain current levels.” However, in an environment where advertising costs continue to rise, even unchanged budget amounts can mean reduced reach and production volume in real terms. In that sense, “maintaining current levels” may effectively mean contraction. The 24% of respondents indicating an upward trend slightly exceeded the 19% indicating a downward trend, suggesting a quiet split between offensive and defensive companies. 2. SNS advertising tops the list of channels for increased spending, with strategies differing between B2B and B2C SNS advertising ranked first among candidates for increased spending or new adoption, with 64 votes. However, by business type, B2B companies showed stronger interest in SEO, LLMO measures for generative AI search optimization, and YouTube advertising. B2C companies, meanwhile, placed more emphasis on SNS account operation and CRM measures. The results show that even when companies share the goal of strengthening SNS, the actual strategies differ significantly. 3. What is the true nature of “budgets that cannot be cut”? Among candidates for reduction or withdrawal, offline measures ranked high with 39 votes, followed by listing ads with 31 votes. By contrast, ○○ measures received only one reduction vote across B2B and B2C combined, the lowest among all channels. This highlights that investment related to ○○ has gained a special position as a “budget that cannot be cut.” This release presents only an overview of the survey. Detailed comparisons by business type, free-response data behind channel selection, and practical insights for decision-making this term are available in the downloadable materials. The report is intended for those seeking evidence to support this term’s budget allocation and media planning decisions. Recommended for: ・Those who want to understand which channels competitors are focusing on this term ・Those who are unsure how to choose and differentiate optimal channels for B2B and B2C ・Those who need evidence-based data for internal proposals on media plans and budget allocation this term Survey overview: ・Survey title: 2026 Advertising and Marketing Budget Allocation Report: Which Channels Are Expanding or Shrinking, According to 168 Respondents? ・Survey target: Media Radar members involved in advertising and marketing ・Analysis period: April 1, 2026 to April 12, 2026 ・Survey method: Questionnaire survey ・Survey source: EYEZ, Inc. About Media Radar: Media Radar is a search site for the advertising industry that connects marketers and advertising agencies with media companies and marketing service providers. Registered members can download media kits and marketing materials for comparing and evaluating advertising placements and marketing services free of charge. Listed companies can obtain member information from users who download their materials, allowing them to use the platform as a means of generating prospective customers. About EYEZ, Inc.: Founded in 2007, EYEZ is a marketing company that operates multiple proprietary services, including the word-of-mouth marketing service Toramy, Media Radar, Japan’s No. 1 advertising industry platform, and Fact Log, a review comparison site for factoring companies. In 2022, the company was recognized in the Technology Fast 50 2022 Japan ranking of high-growth technology companies. EYEZ was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market on December 21, 2022, under securities code 5242.