Marketing Procurement

Swiss Marketing Procurement Network kicks off ambitious 2025 agenda with full house in Zurich

The Swiss Mar Pro Network

Established in late 2024, the Swiss Marketing Procurement (or Mar Pro) Network is a fast growing, independent, peer-led group of experienced cross-industry marketing procurement professionals. The brainchild of Amy Redford, the Network seeks to tap an unmet need in the Swiss market in a similar way to the UK-based CIPS Marketing Procurement Special Knowledge .

The group’s objective is to promote peer exchange, networking, resource sharing and problem solving amongst members based in Switzerland. Planning three in-person and additional online seminars in 2025, the group has already identified topics of interest, reached out to sponsors, and identified speakers. If the January’s event is any indication, the Swiss Mar Pro Network is well on the way to being a highly valued and thriving initiative.

If you would like to know more about the Swiss Marketing Procurement Network, Amy Redford will be speaking at the Marketing Procurement iQ Conference, to find out more, or to book your complimentary ticket if you’re a client-side marketing procurement professional click HERE

Full House for Peer Exchange

A full house of 25+ experienced marketing procurement delegates in Marketing Procurement roles from cross-industry major brands met last week in Zurich. Sponsored by Marketing Procurement iQ, attendees enjoyed a dynamic peer-to-peer exploration of the challenges, solutions and benefits of strategic business partnering.

The group were guided through a 12-step partnering framework by independent consultant Martin King, heard insightful case studies from J&J’s Holger Apfel and Mondelez’s Claire Muret Grimbert, and engaged in a lively open format discussion of best practices.

The subsequent networking session was a great opportunity to make new connections, catch up with old friends, and digest the finer points of the debate (and a delicious apero) in an informal setting.

Key Learnings

• Business partnering is an essential part of the Mar Pro toolkit, and it’s a skillset that takes practice to get right.
• Moving from superficial ‘stakeholder engagement’ towards true business partnering takes time, trust and credibility. A structured approach to establish allies, build connections and deliver impactful results is needed.
• Constant business partner engagement and education is especially important in marketing, where turnover of business partner roles is typically 18-24 months, and understanding of procurement’s role is limited. Perhaps unsurprisingly, being brought in too late to projects is the number one barrier to making a strategic impact for those in the room, resulting in the familiar problem of ‘busy work’ at the expense of valuable work.
• Developing deep subject matter expertise in the marketing category is critical for anyone new in role. Marketing Procurement professionals who demonstrate an understanding of marketing spends and drivers will win the most trust. Remaining curious, getting deep into the data, and expanding our learning and networks all help here.
• Clear roles and responsibilities for strategic marketing procurement teams are essential. Without them we run the risk of being reduced to “the people who process my purchase orders and renew my contracts.” Taking a leadership position on this can make or break a business partnering relationship.
• Seeking regular, two-way feedback with business partners helps us to continuously improve our skills and ensure that procurement’s efforts are aligned with the needs of the business.
• Joint planning and objective-setting between procurement and business partners sets everyone up for success at the start of the year, and enables collaborative problem solving when the inevitable mid-year shifts in priority occur.

Swiss Mar Pro Network Membership and Upcoming Events

If this report has sparked an interest to join the Swiss Mar Pro Network’s next event, you can register as a member by contacting Amy Redford to request to be added to the group; she will add you to the group email DL, LinkedIn and WhatsApp channel.

The next event is being scheduled for April 2025 and topics planned for 2025 are as follows:

• Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnering
• Contracting & Privacy
• ROI & Measurement
• AI & Tech platforms for Marketing Procurement
• Best practice in Marketing Procurement
• Category Deep-dives
  • Media
  • Strategic Partnerships & Licensing
  • Influencer
  • Outsourcing

Marketing Procurement iQ Conference

Further collaborations between the Swiss Mar Pro Network and Marketing Procurement iQ are already in the pipeline, with Redford confirmed as a speaker at the upcoming Marketing Procurement iQ Conference in London, March 25^th & 26^th 2025. to book your complimentary ticket if you’re a client-side marketing procurement professional click HERE