Beyond the Bubble: What I Learned About Procurement, AI, and Human Connection

Stepping outside the agency mindset at ProcureCon Marketing Connect revealed why trust, not tech, is the ultimate growth driver.

In Early December, I spent two days at ProcureCon Marketing Connect at the imposing and otherworldly Ashridge House, a setting famous for The Crown and Harry Potter, but also strangely symbolic: procurement can often seem just as imposing and mysterious to agency folk like me.

Walking in, I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect. I imagined 48 hours of awkward, one-sided speed dating, me with something to sell, procurement professionals politely tolerating me. But what I found was surprisingly refreshing, affirming, and, dare I say, fun.

The Unspoken Power Dynamic

Let’s be honest, procurement holds the keys to the kingdom. They control budgets, influence decisions, and decide if agencies, like Tag, get through the gates, and ultimately, at what price. It’s a power dynamic that’s rarely spoken about but universally understood. For agencies, this can make the relationship feel transactional, even adversarial.

But stepping outside the agency bubble and listening to procurement’s perspective firsthand, here’s what I learned: procurement doesn’t want more of the same. They want partners who bring fresh perspectives, new structures, and solutions that deliver efficiency and effectiveness. When it comes to marketing services, especially in the context of the algorithmic ai era, they want agencies to lead.

The AI Hysteria and the Human Reality

The conference was inevitably dominated by the four horsemen of AI: faster, cheaper, connected, effective. The narrative is everywhere, AI will replace us all, automate everything, and make the world purely transactional.

But refreshingly and reassuringly, procurement professionals aren’t buying the hype wholesale. They’re skeptical about AI’s maturity, nervous about quality, and wary of the responsibility that comes with fully automated solutions. They know that if humans aren’t involved, solutions risk being unfit for purpose, like IT building software without consulting the end users.

What I learned listening to the debate was: Procurement see AI as a tool, not a silver bullet. It can make processes more efficient, but those processes need to start and end with humans to ensure they’re valid, valuable, and fit for other humans. In the rush to adopt AI, we can’t lose sight of who we’re building for.

Breaking Down Silos to Unlock Innovation

At the end of day one, Ramona Harris (Group Account Director at Tag) and I hosted a roundtable discussion on a critical topic: how breaking down the silos between Marketing and Procurement, silos that often stifle collaboration and innovation, can drive real growth.

One procurement lead shared a striking insight:

"(The real barrier to growth is…) we don’t know what we don’t know, and neither do our marketing colleagues.”

That honesty was powerful. It underscored a truth we often overlook: procurement teams aren’t just gatekeepers, they’re looking to agencies for leadership, insight, innovation, and partnership. And here’s the key: technology alone isn’t the solution. It’s an enabler. After all the output is only as good as the input. True innovation comes from human collaboration. One of the biggest barriers to progress isn’t technology, it’s silos. Silos between agencies and procurement. Silos within brands, between marketing and procurement. These walls don’t just slow us down, they defensively block creativity, efficiency, and growth, often based on presumed assumption. Breaking them down is where the real opportunity lies.

People Still Buy People

Attending ProcureCon Marketing Connect reminded me how vital it is to step outside our bubbles. Listening to procurement’s perspective didn’t just challenge my assumptions, it broke them down. It reinforced that the future isn’t transactional or about humans vs. machines. It’s about human input, creating better outcomes, ultimately for people. And in an era increasingly obsessed with automation, let’s not forget: relationships matter. Trust matters. Human connection is still the most powerful differentiator, something incredibly reassuring after spending those 48 hours inserting myself into conversations. Procurement professionals want someone they can believe in, call, and perhaps sometimes, hold accountable, not an algorithm.

Yes, AI will change the game, but it won’t replace the human element. In fact, in the AI arms race, human value will deliver the real differentiation, distinctiveness, creativity, and unexpected solutions.

If we keep that in sight, we’ll not only survive the AI era, we’ll thrive. I didn't expect to conclude that at ProcureCon Marketing Connect 2025.

What do you think? How do you see the balance between AI efficiency and human connection playing out in your world?