Almost nine out of 10 marketing execs say their companies plan to increase marketing spend in 2022, according to a new survey from 360PR+ and Engine Group.

Only two percent say they aren’t planning to up their marketing spend, with 10 percent saying that it’s too early to make a prediction.

A large majority of those surveyed said that they have gotten better at their jobs in response to the demands posed by the pandemic. The biggest lesson they’ve learned: how to prioritize. More than three-quarters (76 percent) said the pandemic has helped them get more focused and better prioritize their objectives.

360PR+ Study

More than half (57 percent) said they have become more open to new approaches, 47 percent said they are more likely to think holistically, and 42 percent thought they had become more nimble.

There was general agreement (94 percent) that brand marketing and corporate reputation are becoming more closely tied together. Respondents also saw corporate leadership as being a bigger part of the storytelling process, with 68 percent saying that they plan to increase the use of senior executives in brand communications and 95 percent recognizing the importance of such execs as the CEO or president being effective storytellers.

With an eye toward a lessening of the pandemic’s effects, more than half (54 percent) said they plan to hold more in-person events in 2022. But virtual events are far from disappearing, with 44 percent noting that they will schedule more of them.

For the report, 360PR+ surveyed 200 marketing and communications leaders across the US during Summer 2021.