Car marketers upbeat on revenues and spend for 2026

UK automotive industry marketers reckon the year ahead will be defined by growing revenues, investment and budgets, but have dismissed fears that AI will threaten web traffic performance and human creativity.

So says a new study by performance marketing agency Impression, which quizzed 1,000 UK marketing professionals in the auto industry, from middle management to C-Level, at companies generating revenue ranging from under £1m to over £500m.

It found that, despite predictions that AI overviews and LLM-powered search experiences would negatively impact web traffic, nearly half (49%) of auto marketers experienced a slight increase in organic web traffic in 2025, with a further 25% seeing a significant increase. Just 4% said they saw a decrease.

Concerns that GenAI may start replacing creative jobs have also yet to be realised. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of UK auto marketers said they expect to increase investment into creative next year, and 68% said they plan to grow marketing teams. Less than a third of those surveyed (31%) said they plan to use AI for content creation in 2026.

Both online and offline spaces remain vital for customer conversion, with more than half of consumers (53%) still preferring to buy a car in person.

However, this is closely followed by first-party websites, with 50% of auto marketers saying their own website or online portal was also a primary driver of sales.

Social media meanwhile was ranked as the key channel for audience engagement, with Meta platforms by far the most dominant (23% said their audiences were most active on Facebook, and 24% said Instagram).

Impression head of paid social Amy Stamper said: “It isn’t surprising that Meta dominates auto industry marketing. Their strength isn’t just audience size – Meta’s sophisticated algorithm rewards brands that produce diversified creative at scale.

“Watch out for big shifts in 2026 with Meta’s pivot to ‘agentic commerce’. By integrating AI-powered agents directly into WhatsApp and Messenger for business, Meta is closing the loop and owning the entire customer journey.”

Impression’s survey also found that more than four-fifths (83%) of UK auto marketers forecast revenue growth in 2026. Furthermore, 68% said they expect to see their marketing budget increase, 68% also plan to grow their marketing teams, and 65% plan to increase investment in creative over the next 12 months.

Impression commercial director Mike Emery said: “Marketers are notoriously optimistic, so high growth predictions are expected, despite the slight dip in confidence.

“While growth is certainly on the table for the coming years, it won’t be universally achieved. A disciplined investment in both product quality and digital capability will be the key differentiator for realising revenue expectations in 2026 and beyond.”