New research from B2B agency Ledger Bennett, part of Havas Media Network, and AI advertising and orchestration platform StackAdapt reveals widespread dissatisfaction with the modern B2B RFP process, with 77% of marketers saying AI-related questions are not being asked rigorously enough during vendor evaluations.

The report, produced in partnership with B2B research specialist NewtonX and surveyed 426 marketers across the US, UK, and APAC including Australia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. The findings point to a growing disconnect between how agencies and platforms are selected, and how marketing success is ultimately measured.

• AI is a top factor in vendor selection, yet over 60% of marketers say their RFP process cannot separate meaningful AI capabilities from marketing hype.
• Only 23% of respondents assess AI using defined evaluation criteria, revealing a significant knowledge gap as pressure to adopt AI continues to grow.
• Cross-channel measurement remains a major challenge, with 63% unable to effectively measure performance across multiple channels despite having clear KPIs.
• Media operations are increasingly complex: 76% manage six or more platforms, 59% still manually combine reporting data, and none have access to a fully unified reporting system, highlighting the need.

"There will be widespread awareness that RFPs need to be modernised but this research really paints a stark picture. B2B marketers need fully integrated partners that see strategy, creative, and media as one. They need transparency when it comes to AI’s true benefits. And they need to simplify and unify measurement. We urge others within our industry to unite behind a standardised, results-oriented framework to ensure stronger partnerships within our industry and ultimately create longer lasting, more valuable customer relationships too."

Giuseppe La Rocca, VP enterprise at StackAdapt, added: "The industry has increasingly conflated what’s measurable with what’s meaningful. This research shows how deeply that mindset now influences RFPs, media planning and performance evaluation. Marketers aren’t confident in the value of AI capabilities, their ability to measure cross-channel performance in a streamlined way, or feel assured that strategy is prioritised over ‘getting the work done’. The findings underline the need for a more modern and honest approach to evaluating marketing effectiveness."

Andrea Sexton, CEO at Ledger Bennett and Giuseppe La Rocca, VP enterprise at StackAdapt, will speak about the research on June 23rd at La Môme during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to encourage B2B marketers to adopt a new RFP framework.

StackAdapt

StackAdapt is a self-serve programmatic advertising platform used by the most exceptional digital marketers. This state-of-the-art platform is where some of the most progressive work in machine learning meets cutting-edge user experience. Ad buyers p...

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