Observed Signal · Jul 28, 2026 · Opinion · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Brands Must Plan for Permanent Consumer Instability
Andrew Dimitriou of Dept argues that consumers have adapted to sustained economic and political instability, while many brand strategies still assume a return to normal. Citing the IPA Bellwether and a Dept/The Marketing Society survey of 3,000 consumers across the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands, he highlights a disconnect: marketing budgets are rising even as industry confidence weakens and many consumers plan to cut nonessential spending. Dimitriou recommends brands build strategies around observed behavior—adjusting pricing, portfolio and positioning—while continuing to invest in growth and AI-powered transformation.
Opinion piece with proprietary survey data and industry commentary; useful strategic insight but not a platform policy, technical release, or major market event.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Opinion by Andrew Dimitriou, global chief client and growth officer at Dept.
- The IPA Bellwether showed UK marketing budgets up with a net balance of +6.9% in the latest quarter.
- Dept and The Marketing Society surveyed 3,000 consumers across the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands; 14.7% said they saw the current economic situation as a short-term disruption.
- In that survey, 52.7% of consumers reported feeling financially confident, while 55.5% are planning to cut nonessential spending.
- Categories where cuts are planned include dining out (49.1%), luxury (43.6%), travel (32.2%) and fashion (30.7%).
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“At Dept, we’ve embraced this disconnect as a chance to address client challenges from the top down....”
“The latest IPA Bellwether shows this clearly. UK marketing budgets are up, with a net balance of +6.9% in the latest quarter, the second-hig...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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