This is the RSW/US 2026 New Year Outlook Report.
If this is your first time here, RSW/US is an outsourced lead generation/business development firm that exclusively services ad agencies, PR, marketing service, and professional services firms (of all sizes and types).
We work with over 50 firms across the U.S., operating as their outsourced sales and marketing team.
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Introduction
The 2026 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report provides clear, data-backed insight into how marketing services agencies, professional services firms, and marketers are approaching the year ahead, where priorities are shifting, and what challenges are most likely to impact growth and new business development.
By capturing perspectives from all sides of the relationship, this report offers practical guidance to help organizations plan more effectively and move into 2026 with greater focus and confidence.
As marketing agencies, PR firms, and professional services organizations head into 2026, optimism hasn’t disappeared—but it has matured.
The 2026 RSW/US New Year Outlook Report captures how agencies and marketers alike are recalibrating expectations after several volatile years.
Economic uncertainty, cautious spending, and continued confusion around AI remain top concerns, yet beneath the surface there are clear signs of opportunity for firms willing to adapt how they position, sell, and differentiate themselves
What stands out this year is a sense of optimistic realism.
While growth expectations are more restrained than in prior cycles, a majority of agencies still anticipate improvement in 2026, supported by steadier engagement, renewed search activity, and shifting client behavior.
At the same time, traditional sources of new business: referrals, networking, and past relationships, are proving less reliable, forcing firms to rethink how they build awareness, communicate value, and compete in a crowded, AI-influenced market
Perhaps most importantly, the report highlights three areas where agencies can regain momentum:
- capitalizing on the pullback from in-housing
- expanding brand visibility in a changing discovery landscape
- and clearly articulating how AI delivers real, tangible value to clients
Firms that approach 2026 with focus and intention. not just hope, will be best positioned to turn a cautious market into a competitive advantage
About the Report
The 2026 RSW/US New Year Outlook Survey was conducted among senior- level marketers, marketing agency executives, and professional services firm leaders during November and December 2025.
The goal of the study was to uncover how these organizations are thinking about growth, business development, and marketing investment as they prepare for the opportunities and challenges of 2026.
The agency and professional services sample included more than 5,000 marketing services, advertising, digital, PR, consulting, and advisory firms across the U.S. and Canada, ranging from under $3 million to over $75 million in capitalized billings.
Respondents represented a wide range of disciplines, including full-service agencies, digital specialists, PR firms, marketing consultancies, and professional advisory organizations.
The marketer sample was drawn from the RSW/AgencySearch database of over 20,000 marketing decision-makers, representing companies of varying sizes, industries, and geographic locations.
We hope the insights and takeaways from this study help inform your marketing and sales planning and provide clarity as you move into the year ahead.
If you’d like to reproduce any of the findings from this report, please contact Lee McKnight Jr. or Mark Sneider at 513-559-3111 / 513-559-3101, or via email at lee@rswus.com or mark@rswus.com.
