In this episode of #Hashtags, Gartner analyst Jason McNellis discusses what economic uncertainty and inflation mean to marketers.The beginning of 2022 saw many marketers attempting to claw back budgets to pre-COVID-19 levels. As 2022 progressed, new macroeconomic challenges started blocking the path to higher budgets. While some marketing organizations today are working through cuts — often starting with their media or brand building budgets — others are investing to gain share. Most marketing leaders will have to wear both hats over the next six months: on some days, playing defense to bolster the evidence of marketing’s ability to drive business outcomes, and on other days, playing offense and outlying plans demonstrating how investments in marketing will increase growth. The most successful will combine the two approaches, such as using marketing automation to increase efficiencies and drive conversions with minimal incremental investment.Jason McNellis specializes in marketing analytics and building insight-generating organizations with a focus on enhancing marketing through machine learning, artificial intelligence, marketing mix modeling, and campaign measurement. Jason helps clients concentrate on the right data and right approach to guide their critical decisions.