Heading into Q4, marketing leaders are bracing for budget conversations that demand clear connections between marketing activity and business performance.
These discussions are always challenging, but this year they’re made even more complex by a turbulent economic environment. On one hand, tariffs haven’t yet slowed ad spending as much as many feared they would. On the other, many of those tariffs took effect only recently, so their full impact is yet to be seen.
Amidst this uncertainty, marketing budgets are under the microscope. One recent survey found that cutting marketing or ad spending would be the first action the majority of small- to medium-sized business owners would take in a recession, while CMOs at large organizations have seen average budget reductions of 8% during past downturns, with some losing more than 20%.
As Basis’ CMO, I’ve seen how the dynamics of budget season change when leaders already understand marketing’s role in driving business results. Taking the time to build trust and establish common ground ahead of time helps shift the conversation from defending spend to planning together. That foundation becomes even more critical when economic pressures are high—but it’s only the starting point. The leaders who successfully navigate budget season during economic turbulence build on that trust with cross-functional alignment, intentionality around metrics, and requests connected to specific business priorities.
In my experience, budget season is a lot easier when trust with C-suite peers is already in place. The relationships that make a difference when budgets are being scrutinized don’t happen overnight: They’re built through steady communication and by showing you can be counted on when decisions get tough.
That trust also comes from a willingness to make difficult choices when the situation calls for it. When peers see you thinking about the whole company, rather than just your own function, it builds credibility fast. For example, offering proactive cuts to marketing spend in the right moments can add to that trust bank, signaling that you’re a partner in solving problems rather than solely focused on advocating for your own team.
The reality is that many organizations struggle with this kind of trust building, especially at the leadership level. Ninety-three percent of business executives agree that building and maintaining trust improves the bottom line, but only 44% say they trust their C-suite peers to a great extent. This gap shows why taking practical steps to build trust matters so much.
If trust isn’t there yet, budget season can still serve as an opportunity to start building it. Look for ways to acknowledge shared challenges, invite feedback on your plans, and connect your requests to outcomes that benefit multiple teams. Even small steps toward alignment now can pave the way for stronger relationships in the future.
Trust is only the starting point, though. Once you’ve built it, the focus shifts to demonstrating a unified approach in how marketing operates alongside other functions.
No leadership team wants to hear that sales is suffering while marketing is delivering strong results. The business doesn’t care which function is “winning”—what matters is whether the company as a whole is hitting its goals.
In the same way, a disjointed story between marketing and sales can undermine credibility fast. It can also hurt business outcomes: 73% of teams who strongly agree their sales and marketing teams cooperate effectively saw revenue increases year over year, compared to just 43% of teams lacking that cooperation.
Nurturing this kind of alignment doesn’t happen exclusively in the boardroom. It’s built when leaders bring peers into planning cycles, invite feedback, and adapt accordingly. This reduces surprises and builds support for your asks. When stakeholders have a hand in shaping plans, it’s a lot easier to earn their buy-in.
For example, it’s helpful to have shared metrics and cross-functional ownership of revenue outcomes, as well as frequent check-ins. That’s where having access to unified, actionable data gives leaders an advantage: It provides a consistent view of what’s working, which they can share with other leaders to align everyone on the same outcomes.
When cross-departmental alignment is strong, it builds trust, drives stronger results in the market, and helps leadership teams weather even the toughest economic climates together.
During economic turbulence, the story you tell with metrics matters almost as much as the results themselves. But if the data behind that story isn’t reliable, it can weaken your case before you even begin. This is another instance where having unified, clean data is key, as it ensures everyone is working from the same foundation.
Beyond having that clarity, it’s also critical that, as a marketing leader, you prioritize the metrics that are most impactful to the business. In volatile times, leaders are often laser-focused on near-term ROI and results that translate into actual revenue. But that doesn’t mean marketing should stop investing in longer-term brand health, especially since brands that maintain both brand and performance investment see stronger returns. Overinvesting in performance can cut revenue growth by as much as 20% to 50%, while a balanced approach can boost revenue returns by 90%. Still, when budgets are tight, marketing leaders will be well-served to read the room and emphasize the metrics that show how marketing is winning new business, driving contract value, and delivering tangible impact on revenue.
The key is to be ruthless in shaping your story around what’s driving results right now. Keep your talking points strategic, high-level, and obsessively connected to business value. Some of the metrics your team works with daily may help guide internal decisions, but they don’t always resonate with key decision makers.
However, even the most compelling metrics need the right business context to turn data into budget approval.
Metrics tell part of the story, but bigger investment decisions require a broader frame. In a tight environment, leaders need to see that major asks are tied to concrete business drivers—like competitive shifts, revenue opportunities, or product priorities that demand action. With that context, sales, finance, and marketing are far more likely to align around greater investment. Without it, performance results alone rarely justify additional spend.
In my experience, these conversations are easier when you’ve already made decisions to cut or shift budget in one area so you can reinvest in another. That signals you’re making tradeoffs for the good of the business, not just advocating for marketing. Over time, this approach builds trust, which makes it easier for peers to support you when the moment for a bigger budget request comes. When marketing leaders master this combination of context and credibility, budget conversations shift from justification to joint planning.
Economic volatility puts pressure on every leader. To gain executive buy-in during times like these, leaders must demonstrate marketing’s immediate impact on business needs. That comes from consistent alignment, honest communication, and a clear link between marketing activity and business outcomes.
Ultimately, this approach doesn’t just win budget conversations—it establishes marketing as a strategic force in navigating uncertainty and driving what’s next.
