What are UK marketers prioritizing in 2026?
We asked 500 UK marketers to share what they’re really thinking – not what they say out loud in board meetings or post on LinkedIn, but their true, honest thoughts, wins, and struggles for our Secret lives of marketers report.
The results show that improving sales and revenue, boosting brand awareness, and better use of data and analytics are among their biggest priorities. But marketers are also navigating rapid industry change, new AI tools, and growing pressure to prove marketing’s value.
Let’s explore what marketers are prioritizing, struggling with, and how they’re feeling about it all.
This is how we did it
We surveyed 500 UK marketers aged 18+ between May 20 and June 1, 2026, and Censuswide conducted the survey.
Key findings
If you’re short on time, here are the key findings you need to know about UK marketers.
1. Email still delivers the best returns
UK marketers name email and CRM marketing as their top channel for ROI, even though it ranks eleventh in their channel priorities.
2. Marketing teams are getting smaller
The most common team size in the UK is 2–4 people (35%); last year this was just 21%, and the dominant team size was 5-10.
3. Keeping up is the biggest challenge
28% of UK marketers say keeping up with changing customer behavior is one of their biggest challenges.
4. AI is making marketing work easier
36% of UK marketers say AI makes their job easier, while 64% say it speeds up their work.
5. UK marketers feel secure, but less so than their peers
90% of UK marketers feel secure in their current role, compared with 97% in the US and 93% in Australia.
How are UK marketers set up for success?
Let’s look at budgets, team sizes, and ways of working.
Team sizes
Smaller marketing teams are the norm in the UK, with 35% of marketers sitting in a team of 2-4 people. This is a change year on year; last year, teams of 5-10 made up the majority at 40%, and just 21% of marketers were in a department of 2-4.
- Team of one: 30%
- Team of 2-4: 35%
- Team of 5 – 10: 32%
- Team of 10+: 2%
This year’s survey also found that most UK marketing teams (39%) have more managers than non-manager roles. This is a big shift from last year, when only 21% of teams had this balance.
Jump to page eight of The secret lives of marketers report to dive into the theory behind the shift and look at AI’s role.
UK marketing budgets
Last year’s survey told us that UK marketers have a smaller pot than their Australian and American peers. Budgets vary hugely based on many factors, so this year we asked about year-on-year change, and it was good news!
75% of UK marketing budgets increased this year, and 82% of UK marketers are expecting a budget increase next year.
The budget changes for UK marketers were split like this:
- 31% saw a budget increase of less than 10%
- 44% saw a budget increase of 10-24%
- 19% saw their budget stay the same
- 5% saw a budget decrease
So the old ‘doing more with less’ is half true. Marketers are working with less people, but more money. Which leads us on to…
How are UK marketers using AI?
97% of UK marketers are currently using AI, and this is the lowest out of the three regions in our study. 3% of UK marketers said they are not currently using AI, compared to less than one percent of marketers in both the US and Australia.
So, of those 97%, how are they finding it?
- 64% of UK marketers say ‘AI speeds up my work’
- 37% of UK marketers say ‘I enjoy using AI’
- 36% of UK marketers say ‘AI makes my job easier’
- 30% of UK marketers say ‘AI helps me be creative’
These numbers show that AI is making a positive difference for many marketers. But with almost all UK marketers now using AI, the fact that only around a third say it makes their job easier or helps them be creative suggests there’s still a gap between adoption and impact. AI may be firmly embedded in the marketing toolkit, but it isn’t ticking every box just yet.
Do UK marketers trust AI?
When it comes to trust, 94% trust AI outputs to some degree, but we dug deeper:
- 43% of UK marketers fully trust AI outputs
- 51% trust them but always fact-check (which is wise when the AI engines themselves tell you to fact-check).
When we asked marketers where AI slows them down, 27% said they spend the most time fact-checking statistics and research.
What’s the LLM of choice for UK marketers?
When it comes to the AI LLM (large language model) of choice, the clear winner is OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
UK marketers’ top three preferred LLMs:
- ChatGPT: 39%
- Gemini: 17%
- Copilot: 15%
Where are UK marketers focusing?
The top five focuses for UK marketers are:
- Increasing sales/revenue from marketing, 29%
- Improving brand awareness and identity, 28%
- Better use of data and analytics to inform decisions, 27%
- Enhancing social media presence and influencer marketing, 26%
- Creating more engaging content (including video), 25%
When it comes to the channels that UK marketers are prioritizing to hit these goals, they are:
- Website personalization: 33%
- Content marketing (blogs, video, guides): 31%
- Organic search (SEO, search engine optimization, and GEO, generative engine optimization): 26%
- Mobile (SMS, MMS, WhatsApp): 25%
- Events and webinars: 24%
If website personalization is something you’re focusing on, check out how Dotdigital can help here.
Which marketing channel has the highest ROI in the UK?
We also asked marketers which channel brings them the highest ROI, and the answer doesn’t quite match the channel-priority list above. It’s email marketing, but it ranks eleventh for channel priority.
UK marketers’ top five channels for ROI:
- Email marketing: 21%
- Organic/content marketing: 16%
- Paid social: 16%
- Mobile marketing: 15%
- App push notifications: 11%
So why the disconnect? It could be that marketers are looking to invest in newer opportunities while relying on email and CRM as a proven performer. Or it could be a sign that there’s more potential sitting in existing channels than marketers realize.
Either way, it’s worth asking: are you putting your budget behind the channels that are delivering the strongest returns, or simply the ones that feel like the next big opportunity?
What are the biggest challenges for UK marketers?
Here are the five biggest challenges for UK marketers, with some advice on how to deal with them if you’re facing them too.
1. 28% struggle to keep up with changing customer behaviour
Use customer behavioral data, like browsing and purchase history, to spot shifts early and adjust your segments so that your audience is always getting relevant messaging.
2. 27% struggle to keep up with new tools and ways of working, including AI
Using new tools can take a bit of time to get a handle on. If you’re a Dotdigital user, be sure to check out the Dotdigital Academy for regular new courses to get the most from our platform.
3. 26% struggle to get audiences to engage with content
Creating relevant content is a great way to boost engagement, so use personalization to make each campaign feel as relevant as possible to the individual. And as AI-generated content continues to fill people’s feeds, make sure yours has something different to offer: unique, genuinely valuable content, ideally backed by exclusive data, just like this blog!
4. 25% say the industry is changing too fast
Industry changes are inevitable, so stay connected with others in the industry and tap into our community to swap learnings, share ideas, and remind yourself you’re not navigating it alone. Keep an eye on our events page for upcoming webinars and local events, or join the conversation in the comments on our social posts.
5. 25% struggle to keep up with data privacy and compliance
Keeping up with data privacy is important, but not always the most fun marketing job. Look for tools with built-in privacy and compliance features that make it easier to manage permissions and keep customer data protected.
How can marketing leaders support their teams?
These struggles are pretty evenly split, so it’s not like there’s one quick fix. However, a lot of these challenges are linked to things changing, so make sure your team is set up to pivot where needed, try new things, and ensure your team has the autonomy and confidence to try new things.
Now, the biggest shift might be happening closer to home as marketers are questioning whether they want to stay in the industry at all.
How are UK marketers feeling about their career and industry?
Here at Dotdigital, we’re all about marketing made human, so this year we wanted to delve into the human feelings of working in marketing, the challenges, hopes, and realities.
90% feel secure in their current role, the lowest of the three markets we surveyed, compared with 97% of US marketers and 93% of Australian marketers.
A snapshot of UK marketers’ career sentiment
- 29% of UK marketers say they plan to stay in marketing long-term
- 22% plan to stay in marketing, but change specialism
- 17% are actively considering leaving
- 16% are open to leaving
- 14% plan to leave marketing within 12 months
Among those considering leaving, 34% say the reason is better opportunities elsewhere, 25% say it’s because of job security concerns, and 17% because of workload and burnout.
What this means for you
UK marketers are optimistic about what they can achieve
75% of UK marketers are optimistic they’ll hit their goals this year, with a further 21% feeling neutral. And with 75% seeing their marketing budget increase over the past year, there’s more room to put those plans into action.
So, what should marketers take from the data?
Make more of what’s already working
Email and CRM marketing is the channel UK marketers say delivers the best ROI, yet it ranks eleventh among their current channel priorities. There could be an opportunity here to look at where your strongest returns are coming from and whether your investment reflects that.
Keep the human in the loop
AI is clearly becoming part of marketing’s everyday toolkit, with 97% of UK marketers now using it. But trust still comes with a caveat: 51% trust AI outputs but always fact-check them. The marketers getting the most from AI may be the ones using it to enhance their expertise, rather than replacing it.
If you want to hear a cautionary tale (and have a good laugh), check out our marketing AI fails blog to see what went wrong and how to avoid the same pitfalls.
Don’t overlook the people behind the marketing
The industry is changing quickly, and 90% of UK marketers feel secure in their current role. But only 29% plan to stay in marketing long-term, and many marketers are actively considering leaving the industry.
For marketing leaders, that’s a reminder that keeping talented people engaged matters just as much as keeping up with the latest tools.
Want to see the full picture?
These are just some of the findings from The secret lives of marketers report. Read the full report to see how UK marketers compare with their US and Australian peers, and explore what the data reveals about AI, budgets, career confidence, marketing priorities, and the challenges facing teams today.
