For years, communications and PR teams have warned that their budgets are under threat. In 2026, that warning has become a reality.
According to industry research, budget pressure remains one of the top concerns for communications leaders, largely because executives still struggle to understand how PR contributes to business outcomes. As Katie Paine bluntly says, when leadership can’t see value, communications is treated as an expense, not an investment.
At the same time, digital marketers face a parallel challenge. AI-driven search, zero-click…
