Around 94 percent of marketers in India expect to increase their spending on sponsorships and event media over the next 12 to 24 months, according to Nielsen’s 2026 Annual Marketing Report. The findings highlight India’s growing focus on live events, with the country recording the highest planned increase among the markets surveyed.

The report, titled Top 10 Signals Shaping Marketing Budgets in 2026, draws on a survey of 1,200 marketers across six markets, examining advertising budgets, creator partnerships, sports sponsorships and the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing.

India leads the surveyed markets in planned spending on sponsorships and events, ahead of the US at 75 percent and Italy at 67 percent. The report also highlights the growing role of sports sponsorships in helping brands explore new audiences and markets, with 61 percent of Indian marketers and 54 percent of US marketers viewing sports sponsorship as a testing ground for expansion, compared with 32 percent in Germany.

Creator-led content is also emerging as a key part of marketing strategies in India. According to Nielsen, 81% of Indian marketers rate influencer and creator content as very or extremely effective, significantly higher than the 54 percent recorded in the US. The 27-percentage-point gap is the widest across all channels measured in the report.

However, the findings also point to challenges in measuring the effectiveness of marketing investments. Only 42 percent of Indian marketers measure return on investment (ROI) holistically across traditional and digital media, compared with 48 percent in the US and 53 percent in Italy. India recorded the lowest result among the markets discussed, highlighting the need for more integrated measurement approaches as spending increases.

The report further notes that AI adoption is becoming widespread in marketing. In the US, 75 percent of marketers use AI for measurement and analytics, making it their most common application. However, only 34 percent fully trust AI recommendations and act on them independently, indicating that confidence in AI-driven decision-making continues to evolve.

Marketing budgets are also expected to expand across other markets. Around 81 percent of UK marketers anticipate an increase in their total advertising budgets over the next 12 months, followed by 71 percent in the US and 66 percent in Italy.

The findings are particularly relevant for India’s marketing ecosystem, where brands are increasingly building strategies around live sporting events, cultural moments and creator-led content. As investments in sponsorships, events and influencers grow, linking these activities to measurable business outcomes will become increasingly important for brands seeking to evaluate returns and plan future campaigns.

The report also highlights changes in the effectiveness of different advertising channels. Search recorded the largest increase among US marketers, with the share rating it very or extremely effective rising from 65 percent to 73 percent. Meanwhile, 8 percent of US marketers said they do not measure ROI on sponsorship, influencer and creator spending, while 44% identified accuracy as their biggest requirement from measurement technology.

Nielsen’s Annual Marketing Report 2026 concludes that unified and accurate measurement across linear television, streaming, sponsorships, creator partnerships and live events will be essential as budgets expand and AI becomes a more prominent part of marketing workflows. The report emphasises the importance of helping marketers assess performance across channels and make more informed investment decisions.

The full report, Top 10 Signals Shaping Marketing Budgets in 2026, is available on Nielsen’s website: https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2026/2026-annual-marketing-report/