Spring CC – a Danish headquartered creative content powerhouse with a growing UK based operation in Manchester – today announced the acquisition of Hajok, a Hamburg-based creative agency and one of the most respected packaging design specialists in the German-speaking market.

Marketing procurement in Europe has quietly undergone a glow-up, and the 2026 Spendshift Report shows just how dramatic the makeover really is. At the risk of spoilers: Tier 3 has stolen the spotlight, AI has moved from “shiny toy” to “core infrastructure”, and everyone secretly wants fewer partners… while simultaneously onboarding more of them.

As marketing budgets expanded, supplier ecosystems grew more complicated, and pressure on accountability intensified, procurement became more embedded within agency relationships, commercial structures and production oversight. The direction of travel felt clear.

But marketing itself has changed dramatically over the past few years, and procurement’s role is now changing with it.

Actors and business developers both perform for an audience, using front‑stage personas, scripts and emotional labour to win attention and trust.

Although almost everything seems to change on a daily basis, there are still elements that do not move at the same pace.