Agencies remain a fixture of B2B marketing. According to Forrester’s 2026 research, 93% of B2B brand and communications marketers use agencies in some capacity. What has changed is the outlook for growth in those relationships. The share of marketers expecting their overall agency budgets to increase fell 13 percentage points between 2025 and 2026, and nearly half expect spending to stay flat.
That is the market Marketing Crunch is launching into. The new platform reviews PR firms and individual marketers, and it is positioning itself as the “Rotten Tomatoes of tech marketing,” a dedicated destination for companies assessing the providers that compete for their budgets.
A More Deliberate Buyer
When spending stops expanding by default, each hiring decision carries more weight. Companies are still bringing in outside specialists, but they are giving closer attention to which specialists earn the work. A retainer renewal, a new agency of record or a campaign-specific hire now tends to involve more comparison before a contract is signed.
The information used in that comparison has historically come from the providers themselves. Credentials decks, case studies, client testimonials, awards and media placements all play a role. Each is useful, and each reflects what a firm chooses to highlight about its own work.
Marketing Crunch adds a review layer to that process. By collecting evaluations of firms and the professionals working inside the industry, it gives buyers a reference point that sits alongside the materials providers produce about themselves.
Firms And Individuals On The Same Platform
Traditional agency directories generally focus on companies. Marketing Crunch broadens that scope by reviewing individual marketers as well as PR firms.
That structure mirrors how marketing services are often bought. A company may sign with a firm, yet the working relationship is frequently shaped by a handful of people: the account lead, the strategist, the media specialist. For independent consultants and freelance marketers, the individual is the entire offering. Reviewing both levels allows the platform to reflect the market as buyers actually experience it.
The Technology Behind The Budget Shift
Budget decisions are closely tied to what AI now makes possible. Forrester reported in June 2026 that nine in 10 U.S. marketing agencies use generative AI, while half use agentic AI for marketing execution. Agencies are applying these tools across creative, strategy, media and reporting workflows.
With so many providers working from a similar set of tools, the qualities that distinguish one partner from another increasingly rest with people. Strategic judgment, creativity, relationships, execution and results are what buyers are paying for, and those are precisely the qualities a review platform is built to surface.
Measurement Moves To The Center Of PR
Public relations is following a parallel path. The 2026 State of PR report from Meltwater and We. Communications, based on responses from more than 1,100 PR and communications professionals worldwide, found that proving ROI and working with limited resources rank among the biggest issues facing PR teams. More than one-third of respondents said aligning measurement with business goals was a top priority.
When the people commissioning PR work are focused on outcomes, a platform that helps them evaluate who delivers those outcomes becomes a natural part of the buying process.
Where The Platform Fits In The Market
Read together, the data describes a market with four defining features. Agency use is nearly universal. Budget growth is more measured. AI adoption is widespread. And results carry more weight than ever in purchasing decisions.
Marketing Crunch sits where those forces meet: the moment a company decides which firm or marketer it will trust with its reputation. For technology companies weighing where the next marketing dollar should go, the platform offers one more place to look before signing.
