The inaugural DMEXCO Marketing Reality Check study reveals that, despite restrained economic expectations, the marketing budgets of German companies are expected to remain largely stable or increase in the coming year. At the same time, the survey highlights the tension between companies’ technological developments and investment plans on the one hand, and consumer acceptance of certain applications on the other.
Cologne, September 17, 2026 – DMEXCO, Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech event, has carried out its first DMEXCO Marketing Reality Check study in collaboration with opinion and market research institute Civey. The study, which will be repeated annually, examines key developments in marketing – from budget sentiment and relevant communication channels to the planned use of AI. On the consumer side, it investigates perceptions and acceptance of advertising. The aim is to establish a recurring benchmark that provides marketing decision-makers with practical guidance regarding budget allocation and KPI management while also highlighting trends in digital marketing.
Investment drivers: Technological changes in marketing
In the DMEXCO Marketing Reality Check 2026, 39 percent of the marketing decision-makers surveyed stated that they were planning for budgets to remain at current levels for the next twelve months. 29 percent expected their budgets to increase, while 26 percent anticipated decreases.
Technology is the most important driver here: For 35 percent of respondents, technological changes – such as those enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) – are the deciding factor behind investments in digital marketing. The measurability of campaigns is almost as significant (32 percent). Competitive pressure, legal requirements like data protection, and consumer confidence also play a role. Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers.
“AI is fundamentally transforming marketing right now. But every new capability must deliver real results and create economic added value,” explains Verena Gründel, Host and Brand & Communications Director at DMEXCO. “That’s exactly what this year’s DMEXCO motto, ‘Scaling Intelligence,’ is all about – transitioning AI out of the experimental phase and into practical applications that make companies more efficient and successful.”
Search and social media are top choices for reaching target audiences
When choosing communication channels, marketers focus primarily on established options. 35 percent of respondents considered online search, using Google, for example, to be particularly effective for connecting with their target audiences. Social media takes second place with 32 percent of responses, followed by owned content – such as a company’s own website or newsletter – with 23 percent. At present, applications like ChatGPT play a much smaller role, accounting for 7 percent of responses.
“Search and social media are currently the go-to channels for reaching target audiences. At the same time, the study shows that companies intend to increase their use of AI in various areas of marketing in the future. This opens up a new playing field for marketers, and we’ll discuss these developments in depth at DMEXCO,” says Verena Gründel.
AI for greater efficiency; ROAS ranks highest among budget KPIs
Companies plan to expand their deployment of artificial intelligence in various areas over the next twelve months. 36 percent of respondents want to make greater use of AI in order to work more efficiently. 30 percent cited customer service as their priority, 28 percent content creation, 24 percent campaign optimization, and 23 percent analysis and attribution. 17 percent said they plan to increase their use of AI to personalize their marketing.
When it comes to managing marketing budgets, financial success is the most important consideration, with 30 percent of marketing decision-makers rating revenue or return on advertising spend (ROAS) as the most important metric. Brand awareness follows at 11 percent. 27 percent of respondents said they don’t know which KPI is the most important for managing their budgets.
“Today more than ever, marketing must demonstrate the contribution it makes to business success. It’s all the more remarkable, therefore, that more than one in four respondents cannot name the KPI that’s most relevant to how they manage their budgets. As AI becomes ever more deeply integrated into marketing processes, clear goals and measurability will become increasingly crucial,” says Verena Gründel.
Trust in recommendations
From the consumer’s perspective, the importance of trust is the study’s number one finding. When it comes to product recommendations, respondents value expert evaluations and test reports particularly highly. At 59 percent, expert evaluations and test reports were by far the most trusted, followed by recommendations from family and friends at 44 percent, and product reviews by other users at 27 percent. Results from search engines like Google (13 percent) and AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini (6 percent) commanded significantly less trust.
However, generational differences can be found within these findings. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, expert evaluations and test reports (56 percent) and recommendations from family and friends (48 percent) were comparatively evenly weighted. Among respondents over 65, the gap is wider, with 66 percent trusting expert evaluations and test reports, while 39 percent favored recommendations from personal contacts.
Consumers are skeptical of personalized and AI-generated advertising
68 percent of the consumers surveyed stated that advertising is rarely or never of interest to them personally. There is also a degree of skepticism toward ads created using AI: 65 percent of respondents view them negatively.
By reflecting consumers’ perceptions and assessments, the findings reveal the expectations and reservations associated with advertising regardless of the measurable impact of individual forms of advertising.
Trust and added value are prerequisites for acceptance
“This is precisely where the challenge lies for brands – it takes more than technology alone to create relevance. The decisive factor is whether marketing communications offer people tangible added value and build trust. The study shows us the areas where businesses and consumers still have conflicting views on the opportunities presented by AI. This is the gap that we need to discuss – and DMEXCO is the perfect forum for those conversations,” says Verena Gründel.
About the study
Commissioned by DMEXCO, Civey conducted an online survey between July 14 and August 22, 2026, of 1,000 decision-makers in the private sector responsible for marketing and communications topics. The survey also polled 5,000 German citizens aged 18 and above. The responses were collected from Civey’s own online panel of verified participants. The results are representative based on quota sampling and weighting, taking into account the reported statistical margin of error in each case. Depending on the question, the margin of error for the overall result ranges between 2.5 and 6.4 percentage points. The results have been rounded. For questions where multiple answers could be selected, the values may add up to more than 100 percent.
About DMEXCO
DMEXCO is Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech event. We are a community and a central gathering place for all key players in the digital economy and the spheres of marketing and innovation. We bring together industry leaders, marketing and media professionals, and tech pioneers to collectively set the digital agenda. DMEXCO offers a comprehensive ecosystem featuring presentations from internationally renowned speakers, exhibitions from top brands, and hands-on masterclasses – all centered around digital trends and future business opportunities.
Both in Cologne and online, we set the benchmark as the go-to networking and business platform for the digital economy. At DMEXCO, decision-makers gain valuable insights, draw inspiration, make contacts, and seal deals. This is where the digital business landscape of tomorrow unfolds today. This year’s event will take place in Cologne on September 23 and 24, 2026.
With DMEXCO ASIA, DMEXCO has now also established a major platform for digital transformation in the Southeast Asia-Pacific region. DMEXCO ASIA will be held in Singapore in co-location with the eCommerce Expo on April 7 and 8, 2027.
The German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW e. V.) – with support from the online marketing association Online-Vermarkterkreis (OVK) – is the ideational and professional partner of DMEXCO and owner of the DMEXCO brand. DMEXCO is organized by Koelnmesse.
Image material relating to DMEXCO is available online at https://go.dmexco.com/de/press-downloads-dmexco.
Media contact
Marvin Grollius
PR & Media Relations Manager
E-Mail: press@dmexco.com
