DeanHouston, a business-first marketing firm specializing in growth strategies for industrial and technical brands, today announced the release of its 2026 Sales + Marketing Trend Report, a comprehensive look at how B2B organizations are navigating an increasingly complex commercial landscape.
Built on insights from sales, marketing and C-suite leaders across industrial and technical markets — including oil and gas, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, automotive and other manufacturing sectors — the report reveals a clear picture: companies are investing in data, digital tools and AI, but many are still struggling to translate that investment into meaningful growth.
“We’re seeing a consistent pattern across industries,” said Colton Stombaugh, EVP of Products and Services at DeanHouston. “Organizations have more tools, more data and more access than ever before, but there’s a disconnect between what they have and how they’re actually using it to drive decisions and revenue.”
The 2026 Sales + Marketing Trend Report uncovers several critical challenges facing B2B companies today:
- A persistent gap between revenue projections and actual performance
- High confidence in data paired with low utilization in decisions-making
- Misalignment between sales and marketing teams that slows momentum
- Uneven adoption of AI, with uncertainty around where it creates real value
In addition to surfacing key trends, the report delivers practical takeaways that help organizations better use data to guide strategy, strengthen alignment between commercial teams, identify where digital tools and AI can drive the greatest impact, and build more consistent, predictable paths to growth.
“The report gives leaders a clear view of where their organizations stand today while equipping them with the insight and direction needed to make smarter, more confident decisions and drive growth moving forward,” added Stombaugh.
The 2026 Sales + Marketing Trend Report is now available for download here: deanhouston.com/voice-of-the-industry-study-report-2026.
About DeanHouston
DeanHouston is a business-first marketing firm that excels at creating meaningful communication strategies for technical products and services companies designed to intrigue, excite, invite conversation and generate demand. Established in 1988 in Cincinnati, the company is headquartered in Covington, KY, with satellite offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, Shanghai, and a strategic partnership in Stuttgart, Germany. Its Exhibit Logistics division is located in Hamilton, OH. To learn more about DeanHouston, visit deanhouston.com.