Why Marketing Leaders Are Rethinking Their Priorities

What are the 4 Shifts Shaping Marketing & Procurement in 2026? Leaders today are operating in a very different environment than they were just a few years ago. Economic uncertainty, increased budget scrutiny, rising expectations around collaboration and the rapid adoption of AI are reshaping how decisions are made across organisations. Today, more than 90% of senior leaders say the business environment is riskier than it was a year ago, creating a need for greater agility, stronger governance and clearer accountability.

Key Trends Influencing Marketing and Procurement Decisions

Drawing on insights gathered from WFA Global Marketers Week, ProcureCon Marketing and POPAI’s Impact Sustainability Summit, this report explores four shifts influencing how organisations plan, invest and engage with customers. These shifts are redefining how businesses balance risk, demonstrate value, build trust and improve collaboration across teams. With 97% of marketing leaders are experiencing heavier budget scrutiny  and 84% of marketing teams reporting collaboration challenges that impact speed and clarity, and why organisations are increasingly focused on delivering measurable outcomes rather than simply increasing activity.

The Growing Importance of AI Trust and Governance

AI continues to dominate boardroom discussions, but the conversation is shifting from experimentation to responsible implementation. As AI adoption accelerates, organisations are placing greater emphasis on governance, transparency and brand safety. The report explores why trust is emerging as a competitive advantage and what businesses need to consider as AI becomes embedded within everyday operations.

As Samantha Royston of Burberry observed at ProcureCon, “AI is becoming less theoretical… we’re getting into the detail of it now.” So, challenge is no longer whether organisations will use AI, but how they can do so responsibly and effectively.

Download 4 Shifts Shaping Marketing & Procurement in 2026

From managing risk and proving ROI to fostering closer collaboration and building trust, today’s leaders face a growing number of interconnected challenges. This report brings together industry data, expert perspectives and practical observations to help organisations understand what’s changing and where the greatest opportunities for growth and competitive advantage lie. Download the full insights below to explore the 4 Shifts Shaping Marketing & Procurement in 2026.

If you would like access to any other insights, take a look at our Innovation Hub here.

APS attended ProcureCon Marketing 2026 for two days of discussion, networking and industry insight. As a sponsor, we aimed to offer something practical and engaging for attendees.

Our Smoothie Station by APS, serving three delicious flavours, provided some welcome refreshment between sessions. Alongside this, we hosted a pop-up photo booth where delegates could receive a free professional headshot. Over the two days, we photographed around 150 attendees, giving them something useful to take away to update their LinkedIn profiles.

The sessions and conversations across the event reflected a sector that continues to evolve. The topic on everyone’s lips was still very much AI, how it’s being applied within marketing operations, and how to leverage this responsibly. As well as ongoing challenges around balancing cost control with creative quality. Delegates also spoke about the need for closer collaboration between internal teams, and the importance of building more transparent, effective agency partnerships.

We captured some ‘ProcureCon Perspectives’ where attendees shared the trends they’re hearing about most, the challenges they’re facing, and what they’re taking away from the event – along with their favourite freebie. Watch the full video below!

ProcureCon Marketing was a valuable opportunity to connect with peers and hear how others are approaching similar challenges. It was great to be part of the conversation – bring on 2027!

Our team also went to Euroshop 2026, take a look at the key trends shaping retail.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is a worldwide moment to pause, reflect and act on the importance of accessibility, especially digital inclusion. It exists to show the barriers people face when accessing information and digital content, and to encourage organisations to build experiences that work for everyone. Each year, GAAD brings people together to raise awareness, share knowledge and drive meaningful change across digital and offline communications.

According to the GAAD website, there are 1 billion people worldwide with a disability. Accessibility matters because it ensures information is inclusive, usable, and available to all. Everyone has the right to access information in a way that works for them, whether that’s online, in print, or across multiple formats. When accessibility is considered from the outset, it helps support inclusion and creates clearer, more effective communications that reach wider audiences.

At APS, we’re committed to helping organisations become more accessible. We take a proactive, people‑first approach to accessibility, supporting both online and offline communications and helping organisations meet complex accessibility guidelines. With over 50 years’ combined experience, our publishing and digital experts work holistically to make information as accessible as possible across all channels. Rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all solution, we use our 5C model – Context, Conception, Content, Communication and Curation – to ask the right questions from the very beginning and ensure accessibility is built in, not bolted on.

To support companies on this journey, we’ve created an informative accessibility toolkit with useful resources designed to help teams understand where to start and how to make practical improvements. To access the toolkit, simply complete the request form below.

It includes:

• A practical PDF guide
• A short video
• A mini podcast with our Publishing Manager, Fiona McParland

This Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we’re proud to champion accessibility and help organisations talk to their audience in a way that truly works for everyone. Discover how APS can help you take the next step towards more inclusive communications by reaching out to [email protected].

Customer communications are changing rapidly. What were once static, one‑way documents are becoming dynamic, conversational experiences, and AI is accelerating that shift.

That was the focus of our recent webinar where industry experts, Kaspar Roos, Founder and CEO of Aspire CCM, Jordan Wain, Director of AI Solutions and Koen Luijten, IT Director, both APS, explored how organisations can scale AI across customer experience management (CXM) while maintaining governance, trust and control.

From documents to dialogue

Organisations are managing more customer touchpoints than ever before – often 40+ channels – each with rising expectations for speed, relevance and consistency.

At the same time, traditional communication models are under pressure. UK postal volumes have fallen by more than 80% since 2000, reflecting a clear shift away from print towards digital, real‑time engagement.

Customers now expect:

• Real‑time responses
• Personalised interactions
• Consistency across channels
• A more human‑like experience

AI has a critical role to play in meeting those expectations but only if it is applied with the right foundations in place.

AI is accelerating opportunity – and complexity

Speakers explored how AI is already being used to:

• Personalise customer experiences at scale
• Orchestrate journeys and workflows
• Recommend channels and timing
• Support operational decision‑making
• Connect data, journeys and channels into a single customer view

However, many organisations are struggling with fragmented tools, siloed workflows and inconsistent messaging. Add growing regulatory scrutiny, and it becomes clear that AI adoption without structure creates additional risk as well as opportunity.

Why governance is a strategic capability

Governance must be built into AI‑driven communications from the start, not added at the end. To scale AI safely and effectively, organisations need:

• Clean, accessible data
• Modern, integrated architecture
• Structured, reusable content
• Joined‑up operating models
• Visibility and control across the customer journey

This is particularly critical as regulation evolves. Transparency, accountability and auditability are no longer optional, and accountability always sits with the organisation, not the technology.

CXM success comes down to three things

One simple framework resonated strongly throughout the session:

CXM success = Content + Context + Control

Delivering the right content, to the right audience, at the right time, via the right channel requires more than technology alone. It demands alignment across teams, shared data standards and a clear operating model that puts the customer experience first.

Looking ahead

AI presents a huge opportunity for organisations to enhance the customer journey but only if it is applied with intent.

The brands that will truly future‑proof their CXM strategies are those that treat governance as an enabler, not a constraint, and see AI as part of a broader shift from documents to dialogue.

Through our proprietary technology, combined with our expanding and experienced AI and digital teams, we support organisations to:

• Connect siloed journeys into a single, joined-up CXM strategy
• Orchestrate communications across channels with control and consistency
• Embed governance and compliance into content creation – not just at the point of review
• Unlock the value of AI safely, at scale

If you’d like to talk about the possibilities, please get in touch at [email protected].

To receive a recording of the webinar, please fill in your details below and a member of our team will be in touch with you soon.