Guides

CMOs are contending with a widening gap between what they are expected to deliver and what they are actually funded to do. Growth targets, market share gains, and brand awareness goals continue to climb, while Marketing budgets have flatlined at around 7.7% of company revenue, 18% lower than the mean just four years ago. Yet,

Every Marketing Procurement team know their agency costs need scrutiny, but most are unsure if what you are paying is actually fair. Marketing spend is usually one of the largest and most opaque budget lines for any brand. Those new to the category will also quickly discover that it is one of the hardest to

Three of the top consultancies (McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group) have each published forward-looking perspectives on how Marketing Procurement operating models must evolve to become AI-enabled, agile, and outcome-led by 2026. On the surface, their messages are strikingly consistent: AI will redefine workflows, Procurement must move beyond cost reduction, Marketing

Why Marketing Procurement Transparency Matters Marketing Procurement are tasked with proving value, eliminating waste, and ensuring every Marketing investment delivers measurable results. Yet many brands are still working with vague scopes, blended pricing, and unclear agency cost breakdowns. It’s the hidden details that create confusion and make it harder for Procurement, Marketing, and Finance to

Agency fees are often the single largest Marketing expense, yet many brands lack clarity on whether they are paying the right price. Without a clear understanding of local and global market rates, Marketing Procurement teams risk overpaying, misallocating budgets, and undermining agency relationships. Comparing agency costs and benchmarking rates provides the insight needed to ensure

Effective marketing budget management isn’t where creativity ends, it’s where optimization begins.   An effective marketing budget isn’t just about controlling costs; it’s about creating the space to experiment, innovate, and test different approaches using reliable data and benchmarking. Marketing teams want impactful, successful campaigns. Marketing Procurement wants return on investment (ROI) and optimization. The

Why Agency Reviews Matter for Marketing Procurement For Marketing Procurement, agency reviews or agency evaluations are not simply a nice-to-have. They are a vital lever for ensuring value, alignment and growth. Regular reviews helps ensure your agency roster remains strategic, cost-effective and performance-driven. Key drivers include: Agencies act as a gateway to your customers; when

In today’s marketing landscape, agencies are both creative partners and financial stakeholders. For Marketing Procurement professionals, that duality creates a constant challenge: securing the best talent and ideas without losing control of spend. Agency fees often represents the largest marketing investment, yet many brands still lack clarity on what drives those costs. Or how to

AI is revolutionizing workspace, for Marketing Procurement it offers unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, innovation, and cost optimization. Marketing Procurement need to understand and leverage AI to enhance agency relationships and maximize return on investment (ROI). AI is a huge topic, but let’s explore just some of the ways AI is reshaping agency operations, pricing models,