Half of low-performing B2B marketing teams face budget cuts, as falling business confidence adds pressure to prove ROI 

More UK businesses expect turnover to fall than rise, and as a result, marketing teams face growing pressure to demonstrate the commercial value of their demand generation strategies.

Experts at B2B demand generation agency Sopro have analysed the latest industry insights to reveal where marketing budgets are being allocated, which metrics teams are prioritising, and how businesses can better measure their return on investment.

Where B2B demand generation budgets are going?

• Six in 10 high-performing B2B marketing teams received more budget, while 50% of low performers faced cuts: Better-funded teams have more scope to test and improve campaigns, while visible progress gives leaders a stronger case for continued backing. Demand generation reporting, therefore, needs to connect target-account engagement with pipeline and revenue throughout the year, well before the next budget review.
• Nearly half of B2B marketers name ABX as a leading investment priority: Account-based experience (ABX) brings market coverage, account selection, and intent into one coordinated approach. Its commercial case rests on concentrating activity around accounts with meaningful revenue potential and giving those buyers a consistent experience across channels.
• 41% of B2B marketers prioritise personalised buyer engagement: Useful personalisation changes the substance of a campaign. The account’s commercial situation, the recipient’s role, and any existing intent can influence which problem leads the message and what content follows. A name or company field alone creates only the appearance of personalisation.

How is Demand generation ROI being measured in 2026?

• Half of high-performing B2B marketing teams use revenue as their primary KPI: This gives earlier measures a clearer role. Traffic shows reach, intent signals guide timing, and SQLs indicate sales readiness. Revenue tests whether those parts combine into commercial value, keeping demand generation activity connected to opportunities the sales team can progress and the business can recognise.
• High-performing B2B marketing teams track more metrics than low performers: On average, high-performing teams tracked 3.5 main metrics, compared with 2.4 among low-performing B2B marketing teams. This doesn’t call for a longer dashboard. A small group of related measures can show whether campaigns reach the right companies and whether that attention develops into qualified pipeline and revenue.

Expert Q&A: Sopro’s Head of Sales, Steve Harlow, outlines how to create and measure your demand generation strategy for the best ROI:

How do you build an effective demand generation strategy?

Steve comments: “Start with the market, the commercial problem, and the revenue goal. Define the accounts that can buy, the roles involved, and the reasons they may act now. Then choose channels that can create awareness, capture signals, and open conversations with that audience. Set qualification, ownership, and follow-up rules before launch. A campaign without a handover plan is content and media activity, not a pipeline system.”

Which metrics measure B2B demand generation success?

Steve concludes: “Use a connected set covering market reach, account engagement, qualified pipeline, and revenue. Add cost and conversion measures that suit the business model. Define sourced and influenced pipeline with sales, then keep those definitions stable. A clean number with a disputed meaning won’t build trust in the programme.”

You can view the full report here to learn more.