Why procurement holds the key to better marketing results

It’s fair to say that marketing procurement doesn’t always get the credit it deserves when it comes to driving effectiveness.

While marketers and agencies tend to grab the spotlight, procurement professionals are often working behind the scenes quietly shaping the frameworks, budgets and relationships that keep the show on the road. But here’s the thing: those relationships? They’re not just operational. They’re a performance driver in their own right.

In our latest report, Practical Steps for Procurement Professionals, we’ve unpacked how procurement can play a more strategic role in supporting better marketing-agency relationships and, in turn, better marketing results.

If you’ve ever wondered how to add value beyond cost control, this one’s for you.

The value isn’t just in the numbers

Marketing-agency partnerships aren’t like your average supplier relationship. They’re messy. Emotional. Sometimes even a little chaotic.

But it’s also where magic happens. Where strategy meets creativity, where insight becomes action. And the strength of that relationship can make or break a campaign.

Our analysis shows that high-performing teams – that won effectiveness awards by delivering standout creative, driving real results – have consistently scored above average in our client-agency evaluations. What’s striking about these relationships, is that they’re not necessarily spending more. They’re just working better together.

This is where procurement comes in.

By helping to create the conditions for stronger, more collaborative partnerships, procurement can unlock significant value – without asking for bigger budgets.

It’s not about control. It’s about support

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Marketing-agency relationships are delicate. Procurement’s involvement can sometimes be seen as intrusive, especially if it feels like it’s all about cost-cutting or compliance.

But that’s not what this report is about.

Instead, we’re making the case for procurement as an enabler. Not someone who tells marketing what to do, but someone who helps them do it better. That might mean clarifying scopes of work. Or making sure the right legal or financial structures are in place. Or simply spotting early warning signs that a relationship is heading off course.

Think of it as relationship management by design quietly supporting from behind the curtain, without necessarily stepping into the spotlight.

Relationships that work, work harder

One of the things we hear again and again from marketers and agencies is that when the relationship is good, everything feels easier.

Briefs are clearer. Feedback is faster. There’s more trust, more collaboration, more energy. It’s not just anecdotal, we’ve got the data to prove it. Stronger relationships correlate with stronger performance.

‘What’s striking is that they’re not necessarily spending more.
They’re just working better together’

But the reverse is also true. When relationships break down, things start to unravel. Misunderstandings multiply. Costs creep. Deadlines slip. And too often, the fix is to throw the agency under the bus and start again, at great expense.

The ANA and 4A’s recently put a price on this: $1.2 million is the average cost of an agency review in the US. And for what? To repeat the same pattern with a new partner?

There’s a better way. And it starts with investing in the relationship before it’s broken.

So what can procurement do differently?

We’ve identified some of the pain points that crop up across thousands of evaluations we’ve advised on. These are most common;

• Poor communication and unclear feedback
• Misaligned objectives
• Cultural mismatches or incompatible working styles
• Lack of trust and transparency
• Failure to adapt to change

Too often, the knee-jerk solution is to launch an agency review. But research from the ANA and 4A’s reveals the average cost of a pitch process is $1.2 million. And worse—it rarely solves the underlying issue.

What procurement can do, now

There are three fundamental ways procurement can add strategic value:

1. Establish clear frameworks
   Define scope, timelines, KPIs, and escalation paths early. This prevents confusion and supports more productive collaboration.
2. Support behind the scenes
   Facilitate better communication, ensure legal and financial compliance, and track scope adherence—without micromanaging.
3. Champion continuous improvement
   Use evaluations and data to spot early warning signs, uncover improvement areas, and drive action planning collaboratively.

Our report also explores how emotional intelligence plays into performance. Because while KPI’s and scopes matter, so do trust, empathy and openness. The best relationships aren’t just efficient. They’re human.

A shared responsibility

As in any relationship, ‘it takes two to tango’. Agencies have a responsibility to perform, absolutely. But clients, including procurement, have a role to play too.

Some of the most common complaints we hear from agencies? Incomplete briefs. Delayed feedback. Conflicting input from different departments. None of these are malicious, but they are avoidable?

The strongest teams we see are the ones who treat each other as partners. Who listen, challenge, collaborate. Who take time to understand each other’s world, pressures, and expectations. Procurement can help foster this dynamic by encouraging transparency, aligning processes, and crucially supporting marketing rather than policing it.

Why this matters

Marketing is under pressure. More channels. More stakeholders. More expectations. And less time.

Procurement has already done the hard work on cost. Now it’s time to focus on performance. Not by stepping into marketing’s shoes—but by standing alongside them.

If you’re ready to evolve from transactional gatekeeper to transformational partner, this report is a great place to start.