AI is changing how B2B brand and communications teams invest, operate, and prioritize work. As companies look for practical ways to apply AI across marketing, leaders are reevaluating program investments, talent needs, and the capabilities required to drive growth. Forrester’s 2026 Brand And Communications Survey reveals a more deliberate approach to these decisions, particularly in areas tied to digital engagement, brand visibility, and influence.
What’s driving these changes? AI is reshaping both marketing execution and buyer behavior. Companies are under pressure to operationalize AI and improve productivity, while buyers increasingly rely on AI-powered tools and answer engines to discover, evaluate, and validate solutions. As a result, brand and communications leaders are adjusting investments and talent strategies to ensure that their organizations are visible, influential, and competitive.
Companies are under pressure to operationalize AI … while buyers increasingly rely on AI-powered tools and answer engines to discover, evaluate, and validate solutions.
Program Investment Priorities Shift Toward Visibility And Influence
While leaders still expect program budget increases across several areas, those increases are becoming more targeted. The strongest program growth expectations concentrate in website and digital programs, influencer relations, and social media.
As buyers increasingly use AI-powered tools throughout the buying journey, marketers are investing in channels that influence the information those systems surface. Public relations, earned media, social engagement, and digital experiences all contribute to the content ecosystem that shapes brand visibility and corporate messaging in AI-driven discovery environments.
Visibility objectives require ensuring that a company’s expertise, proof points, and positioning appear wherever buyers seek answers.
Expected Headcount Changes Remain Modest, But The Mix Is Changing
Despite concerns that AI would trigger widespread workforce reductions, most brand and communications leaders are not planning significant changes in headcount. Instead, they are selectively investing in areas that support digital engagement and influence. Website and digital roles lead expected hiring growth priorities, followed by social media and content functions.
At the same time, creative services and content production roles show higher expectations for reductions than in prior years, reflecting the growing role of generative AI in content and design workflows. The key takeaway is that AI is changing where organizations need talent and where leaders believe human expertise creates the greatest value.
The AI Opportunity Is To Build New Capabilities, Not Just Efficiency
As AI adoption matures, successful brand and communications teams will focus less on cost reduction and more on capability development. They will invest in the people, processes, and partnerships required to improve visibility, strengthen reputation, and increase influence in AI-driven buying environments.
For some organizations, agencies may play an important role in that transition. Our research shows that marketers increasingly want specialized AI expertise from agency partners. Agencies that can help teams operationalize AI, redesign workflows, improve measurement, and accelerate adoption will be best positioned to create value in an increasingly selective spending environment.
The Real Story Is Budget Reallocation
The most important finding from this research is that brand and communications leaders are reallocating investments to align with how buyers discover information and how AI is changing marketing execution. Organizations that balance efficiency with new capabilities that increase visibility, influence, and trust will be best positioned to succeed as AI reshapes the B2B go-to-market landscape.
Forrester clients can access the full report, B2B Brand And Communications Programs And Personnel Budget Changes, 2026, and schedule a guidance session with Karen Tran to explore the findings and recommendations.
