For years, accounting companies have handled advertising budgets as a line-item proportion, usually hovering between 2% and three% of agency income. However latest traits reveal a wiser shift underway. Excessive-growth companies are spending in another way, not essentially extra.
Essentially the most profitable accounting companies are evolving their advertising methods, a shift that may be seen within the final three Affiliation for Accounting Advertising and marketing’s biannual finances benchmark research. In consequence, strategic reallocation, organizational construction and market focus are driving higher outcomes with out bloated budgets.
Spend shrinks, however effectivity climbs
In 2021, companies averaged 3.0% of income on advertising, together with compensation. That dropped to 2.5% by 2023, and additional to 1.68% in 2025. Regardless of this downward development, high-growth companies proceed to outperform their friends. In 2025, high-growth companies achieved a mean annual progress fee of 38.4% — a staggering seven instances greater than their low-growth counterparts.
Curiously, high-growth companies in 2025 allotted 2.5% of their income to advertising (together with compensation), which is almost double that of companies with common progress. This reveals that whereas the {industry} at giant is tightening budgets, the companies which can be rising quick are nonetheless inserting strategic weight behind advertising.
Excessive-growth companies have persistently reallocated their spend towards techniques that construct connection, visibility and conversion. This is what that appears like over time:
- Regional and native advertising. In 2021, finances management was largely centralized. By 2023, issues started to decentralize, and by 2025, high-growth companies had been allocating 57% extra finances to regional/native efforts than their friends. This shift permits messaging and engagement to align carefully with native market dynamics, one thing broad nationwide or regional campaigns cannot replicate.
- Conferences and occasions. In 2021, digital occasions and webinars surged because of pandemic constraints. However by 2023, there was a return to hybrid fashions. In 2025, high-growth companies led a full revival of in-person occasions, allocating 21% extra finances right here than low-growth companies. Notably, these occasions additionally embrace shopper appreciation and relationship-building, seemingly tied to an elevated concentrate on the shopper expertise as a method to drive loyalty and referrals.
- Video content material. Digital maturity has elevated yearly, however the 2025 research reveals a pointy pivot towards video. Almost 64% of high-growth companies plan to extend video manufacturing budgets. Why? Video outperforms static content material in explaining advanced companies, humanizing companies and driving engagement throughout platforms.
- Employer branding. Some of the telling shifts is in recruitment advertising. In 2021, this was a footnote. By 2023, it turned a secondary focus. In 2025, it is a high precedence. Excessive-growth companies plan to spend much more on employer branding and recruiting subsequent 12 months, reflecting the fierce expertise market.
Sensible companies ought to use these insights to pressure-test their very own budgets. Do not simply evaluate your percentages, evaluate priorities. Are your {dollars} going to the place progress is occurring? Make sure to align spending to progress potential.
What high-growth accounting companies do not do
Simply as revealing as the place cash flows is the place it would not. Wanting again to 2021, companies leaned closely on conventional promoting, centralized branding, and mixed enterprise improvement and advertising groups. These approaches have steadily misplaced favor:
- Conventional promoting. As soon as a staple, conventional promoting is now a finances relic. Throughout the previous 5 years, spending on this space has steadily declined. In 2025, it’s the smallest slice of the finances for many high-growth companies.
- Blended biz dev/advertising groups. In 2021, many companies had mixed advertising and enterprise improvement roles. However by 2023, top-performing companies started separating the capabilities. By 2025, 62.5% of high-growth companies had distinct, cross-functional biz dev and advertising groups. This construction permits every to develop deep experience and focus.
These shifts turn out to be areas for strategic eliminations. The place are you continue to spending out of behavior, not influence? You wish to deliberately subtract. That self-discipline is a part of what units high-growth companies aside.
The organizational construction helps technique
Price range allocation is simply half the story. Excessive-growth companies are additionally reorganizing their groups to higher execute on a go-to-market technique. One key development is the ratio of entrepreneurs to complete workers.
In 2025, high-growth companies keep roughly one marketer per 49 full-time equivalents, in comparison with one per 57 at low-growth companies. This seemingly small distinction has an outsized influence. Extra advertising capability means higher marketing campaign execution as they will higher assist revenue-generating initiatives.
Excessive-growth companies additionally assist extra observe areas with their advertising groups. The 2025 research reveals that the majority high-growth companies assist between 5 and eight industry-specific observe areas. This segmentation permits for focused messaging, deeper experience and clearer differentiation.
Classes in smarter spending
So, what ought to companies take away from this information?
- Reallocate, do not inflate. As an alternative of specializing in rising the finances, make your purpose the strategic distribution of spending. Excessive-growth companies are placing {dollars} the place they convert, together with occasions, video, regional activation and employer branding.
- Section for relevance. Broad campaigns are shedding steam. Construct assist round verticals, areas and companies with differentiated worth propositions.
- Fund relationship acceleration. Enterprise improvement and advertising alignment is vital, however separation is highly effective. Every operate ought to have its personal focus, group, finances and metrics.
- Use occasions to shut, not simply present up. Occasions that deepen shopper relationships or drive focused introductions are anticipated to see a rise in finances {dollars} in comparison with broad conferences.
- Guess on video and model. Excessive-growth companies are planning to extend video manufacturing as they inform higher tales with richer media and human-focused branding.
Finally, smarter spending means being ruthlessly clear about what advertising is supposed to do and funding it accordingly. Each line merchandise ought to defend its place within the technique. If it would not, it is time to reallocate or take away.
Spend with intention, not assumption
Development would not come from including {dollars}. It comes from rethinking how advertising helps the enterprise. Companies which can be rising quickest are higher aligning {dollars} to outcomes. Each tactic used maps to a strategic purpose. Each greenback helps a income lever: nurture, convert, recruit or retain.
Advertising and marketing is about readability. The companies pulling forward are those who deal with each greenback as a strategic choice, not a sunk value. Select with intention. Spend with precision. Develop with alignment.
