Need help tackling your 2027 budget? We’ve dug into our data from 800+ projects since 2023 to bring you the top five marketing initiatives your peers planned for. If you’re leading marketing in tech, cybersecurity, healthtech, or fintech and want to try something new, save money, and get better results, this is for you.

All cost estimates are based on our hourly rate of $150.

1. Events are experiences, not just booths

Budget for the experience, not just the booth. Want to make a splash at a local show or go big at a global event like Black Hat or the BIO International Convention? Plan ahead and budget smart to boost your impact and rack up leads. Events are your chance to deliver a memorable brand experience, from pre-show buzz to the on-floor experience.

Branding an off-the-shelf 10x10 or a custom-built booth below is an average cost guideline:

• Regional show (off-the-shelf 10x10): $2,250 to $4,500
• Mid-size show (off-the-shelf 20x20): $6,000 to $16,000
• Flagship show with custom booth: $40,000 to $150,000+

Have a modest budget? Save by reusing your existing booth system. One client cut their setup time from 80 hours to just 20 by sticking with what worked before.

Have a robust budget? Think custom booth builds, giant mascots, huge video displays, or even themed uniforms. These ideas need more money, time, and planning. The name of the game is to start early and aim for a bigger budget ($100K+).

2. Grab the market with a flagship report

For tech, cybersecurity, healthtech, and fintech brands, credibility is everything. A single in-depth research report or benchmark study can put your brand front and center. One great report can fuel a year’s worth of campaigns and spin-offs that keep traffic coming. We’ve seen clients report millions in influenced pipeline from just one flagship report. This makes the flagship report definitely worth adding to your budget. (Example flagship report: DTEX Ponemon Report)

The cost of the flagship report can vary depending on the campaign plan. Below is an average cost:

• Flagship research report (report design and all supporting campaign assets): $10,500 to $25,000

Have a modest budget? If you’re starting from scratch, build a design system you can reuse year after year. It’ll make your reports stand out, save money in the long run, and speed up delivery.

Have a robust budget? Use a design system, but go further—add video teasers, social ads, and even a microsite to track engagement.

3. Collateral templates save money and time to market

Does your product marketing team crank out datasheets, white papers, ebooks, and case studies? If so, a template system could save you a lot of time and money. Creating every piece from scratch can cost $1,200–$4,000+ each, but with templates, you’re looking at an average cost of $300–$1,200.

Whether you are starting fresh or need to rebrand an entire set of collateral, below are costs to keep in mind:

• Brand work and template systems: $300 - $1,200 (Upfront effort to establish templates: $3,500 - $5,000)
• Full brand refresh with guides and templates: $9,000 or more

Have a modest budget? Create Figma or Canva templates early in the year, so your team can handle minor updates on their own.

Have a robust budget? Stick to templates for datasheets, white papers, and solution briefs. For eBooks, reports, and case studies, allow for creative exploration. Also, consider interactive digital experiences, such as infographic-like landing pages, and use platforms like Foleon.

4. Always-on demand gen with motion built in

Agility is everything in growth marketing. Your pipeline needs a steady stream of ads, landing pages, and short animations. Templates for landing pages, socials, and ads help keep things moving. But if you want to stand out, make room for custom creative campaigns, and don’t be afraid of motion. If something can move, animate it! Animation usually makes a bigger impact, though it does take more time to produce. (Check out our blog post “Elevate Your Brand: Why Senior Marketers Need Custom Canva Templates.”)

Meet the demand with a real-world design cost of demand gen assets:

• Digital ad and social campaign: $800 to $2,600 each (depending on complexity and animation)
• Landing page: $3,200 to $8,000 (depending on complexity of the content and the experience you sought to cultivate)
• Short animation: $700 to $2,200

Modest Budget: Prep a single brief per campaign and use one creative concept across all sizes and channels. It’s cheaper than building everything from scratch.

Robust Budget: Invest in animation and extra ad placements to boost your reach.

5. A 10% reserve for the unexpected

Unexpected requests always pop up—think last-minute CEO decks or urgent projects before a holiday. Set aside 10% of your budget for surprises like these. Without a reserve, those rush jobs can easily eat into your main campaigns.

Robust & Modest Budgets: Establish an official process for these requests and assign hours to each. It will help control costs and keep your main campaigns on track.

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