Marketing Procurement in Europe has quietly undergone a glow-up, and the 2026 Spendshift Report shows just how dramatic the makeover really is.
The age of big, infrequent campaigns quietly dominating the budget is over. Always-on content and operational delivery are now calling the shots.
The big plot twist: Tier 3 takes the lead
The report shows investment continually moving towards production as organisations respond to increasing content demands. Production-led operations are becoming a defining feature of modern Marketing ecosystems.
AI has stopped being hype and started being infrastructure
AI is no longer a shiny toy at the edge of the organisation. It is becoming part of the infrastructure supporting content creation, adaptation, automation, and delivery.
That shift creates new expectations around governance, transparency, workflow integration, and the commercial models that support production at scale.
Procurement’s influence is powerful—but specific
Procurement continues to have an important role, particularly where supplier structures, operational alignment, governance, and long-term capability planning affect Marketing performance.
The greatest opportunity is not simply to reduce cost. It is to help organisations create a Marketing operating model that delivers more value from every investment.
The agency ecosystem is expanding and contracting at once
Organisations want fewer partners and simpler ecosystems, while simultaneously needing more specialist capabilities. The strongest partners will help resolve that tension by combining creativity, technology, and operational excellence.
In practical terms, that means partners who can:
- Act as tech-enabled content engines, blending creativity with automation, data, and operational excellence.
- Scale globally while adapting locally, with culturally relevant content and local-language execution.
- Build interactive, engagement-focused formats rather than passive content.
- Integrate seamlessly into the client’s Martech stack, from asset management to workflow and reporting.
Sustainability is also moving from “nice to have” to baked into the brief, with eco-conscious production practices and purpose-led storytelling expected as standard.
So, what now for Marketing Procurement?
The organisations that succeed will be those that connect people, partners, processes, and technology into a more effective system.
If you’d like a copy of the full Spendshift Report 2026 or want to discuss a roadmap for your Marketing ecosystem, explore the Spendshift Report.