Chapter 1:
The AI Revolution: Driving procurement marketing forward
Summary
Across the European procurement marketing landscape, AI is rapidly being adopted, primarily serving critical functions such as market research and competitive analysis (73%), and data analysis and reporting (71%). Our research shows its most common applications are in creative functions (68%) and media (53%).
However, 64% of leaders are citing challenges with integration into existing systems, followed closely by concerns over data quality and availability (59%), as well as ethical and privacy considerations (58%).
Despite these hurdles, respondents highlighted numerous valuable applications of generative AI. These include automating campaign timelines and summarising supplier meetings, with success measured by planning efficiency and strategic adoption. AI is also instrumental in creating and testing advertising creatives, driving success measured by click and conversion rates.
Overall, while adoption presents both opportunities and obstacles, a strong majority (75%) believe generative AI tools are already significantly transforming procurement marketing strategies—with 64% agreeing and 11% strongly agreeing.
Question 1: In which functions are you currently utilising AI?
(Respondents were asked to select all that apply)
Market research and competitive analysis
Data analysis and reporting
Customer relationship management
Content creation
Lead generation and qualification
Personalisation of marketing materials
Question 2: In which of your business categories/functions is AI used the most?
(Respondents were asked to select 3 options)
Creative
Media
Retail media
Ecommerce
Digital redemption promotions
PR & events
Production
Pack design
Premiums
POS
Partnerships (license)
"AI investments now power personalised experiences at scale. Tailored creative and real-time media optimisation deliver relevance at every touchpoint, driving engagement, lifting conversions and locking in loyalty."
Ravi Pau, Operations Director, Havas.ai
Question 3: What are the main challenges you face in implementing and maximising the benefits of AI?
(Respondents were asked to select all that apply)
Integration with existing systems
Data quality & availability
Ethical & privacy concerns
Budgetary constraints
Lack of skilled personnel
Demonstrating ROI
"One of the key challenges facing this topic today is transparency, and then how agencies are being compensated for AI-driven work. Traditional time-based remuneration models historically used are increasingly misaligned with the way AI transforms processes, delivering outputs faster, but not necessarily with less value. As a result, we expect to see a shift in remuneration frameworks. For brands, the key question is how to adapt agency compensation models for the AI era: Ensuring fair value, clearer benchmarks, and more effective fee negotiations. It’s not about paying less; it’s about fair remuneration."
Flora Pleguezuelos, Content Director, ProcureCon Marketing
Question 4: To what extent do you agree with this statement: 'Generative AI tools are significantly transforming procurement marketing strategies?'
Agree
Neutral
Strongly agree
Disagree
