AI went from a side conversation to the top line item in a single year. The 2026 B2BMX Insights Benchmark Report tracks how B2B marketers rethought budgets, priorities and channels against last year’s results. You’ll see what held steady, what flipped and exactly where your plan stands.
What’s Inside
The data behind the biggest shifts in B2B marketing, side by side with 2025:
- AI claims the top budget spot. 60.4% of marketers are prioritizing budget for AI-powered tools and platforms. Last year, account-based marketing led the list at 44.7%.
- Pipeline influenced becomes the metric that matters. It’s now the top measure marketing teams answer for, edging out 2025 leaders opportunities generated and MQLs/SALs.
- Revenue-based quotas surge. 33.33% of teams now carry revenue-based quotas, up from 25.33% in 2025. Marketing’s tie to business outcomes has never been tighter.
- In-person events reclaim the top channel. 62.2% plan to invest more in in-person events and trade shows. In 2025, the website held that spot.
- Brand and demand finally team up. 41.7% say their brand and demand teams work together on shared campaigns and goals, a clear jump in cross-team collaboration.
- Lead nurturing takes the lead. 54% plan to invest more in lead nurturing campaigns, making it the top content format and pushing past 2025 favorite case studies.
Pressure-Test Your Plan
Where do you lead the market? Where are you falling behind? Get the full year-over-year data on budget allocation, AI adoption, channel mix and team alignment, then make your next move with confidence.
