Across PMMI Media Group’s 2025 and Q1 2026 Packaging and Processing Supplier Surveys, one theme appears again and again—marketing teams are being asked to do more, but often without the bandwidth to fully connect all the moving parts.
Teams are busier than ever. Content calendars are full. Campaigns are running
And yet, for many organizations, results don’t always reflect the level of effort being put in.
Small teams, big mandates
In many cases, we found packaging and processing OEM marketing teams to be small (but mighty!). More than half of suppliers report having just one or two people dedicated to marketing, with many leaning on external partners to help manage everything from SEO to content creation, and automation. That structure isn’t unusual for the industry, but it does create a constant balancing act between day-to-day execution and longer-term strategy.
At the same time, expectations around performance continue to rise. Marketing is no longer just responsible for one-off email and awareness campaigns, but with new lead-tracking capabilities popping up in many platforms, it’s increasingly expected to contribute directly to pipeline and revenue. That shift has put a spotlight on areas that have always been complex, but are now harder to navigate under pressure.
Lead-to-revenue disconnect
Lead generation remains a top priority for most suppliers, but so do the challenges that come with it. Many organizations report ongoing challenges with lead quality, converting leads into opportunities, and ensuring a smooth handoff between marketing and sales. Even when interest is generated, moving that interest through the pipeline isn’t always straightforward.
Part of the challenge lies in visibility. Marketing teams are tracking performance, but the metrics available don’t always tell the full story. Engagement indicators like page views, clicks, and time spent on page are widely used, yet they don’t always connect clearly to downstream outcomes. As a result, teams can see activity but still struggle to tie that activity to revenue in a way that satisfies both leadership and sales.
This is where alignment becomes especially important.
When marketing and sales are closely aligned, there’s a shared understanding of what a qualified lead looks like, where opportunities are coming from, and how conversations are progressing. Content reflects real customer needs, and follow-up is informed by context.
But when that alignment is still developing, gaps can emerge. Leads may not fully match what sales expects. Content may not address the most pressing buyer concerns. Opportunities that begin with strong interest can lose momentum along the way.
It’s not a matter of one team falling short. In most cases, both sides are working toward the same goal, but from different vantage points, with different pressures. At the same time, the environment marketers are operating in has become significantly more complex.
The shifting search
Take search and digital visibility, for example. Most suppliers recognize its growing importance—nearly three-quarters reported that SEO or AI-driven search optimization has been discussed at the leadership level, with many actively working to improve their approach. But translating that awareness into execution is another matter. Many teams are still building internal expertise, experimenting with tools, or relying on outside support to keep pace with rapid changes.
A similar pattern shows up with marketing technology. While CRM and automation platforms are widely used, many organizations are still in the process of fully implementing or optimizing those systems.
Individually, none of these challenges are surprising. Taken together, they point to something larger: the difficulty of connecting strategy, execution, measurement, and sales into a single, cohesive system. Without that connection, even strong content can struggle to move opportunities forward. Its impact depends on how well it aligns with what buyers are trying to understand, how it supports sales conversations, and how it fits into the broader journey from awareness to decision.
Signs of progress
What’s encouraging is that many teams are already working to address these challenges. There’s a growing focus on improving lead quality rather than simply increasing volume, strengthening collaboration with sales, and gaining clearer visibility into performance. There’s also a shift toward being more intentional about where and how suppliers engage with their audience—particularly earlier in the buying process.
In a specialized industry like packaging and processing, visibility is less about scale and more about relevance. Reaching the right audience in the right context can make a meaningful difference in how opportunities develop.
For some teams, that has meant looking beyond internal efforts alone. With limited bandwidth, many suppliers are exploring ways to extend their reach through more targeted, industry-specific channels—connecting with decision-makers in environments where they are already actively researching solutions.
Organizations like PMMI Media Group are part of that broader ecosystem, helping suppliers engage with highly relevant audiences across editorial platforms, digital programs, and industry events. For marketing teams managing multiple priorities, these types of channels can provide a way to stay visible without adding additional complexity to their day-to-day workload.
Of course, visibility is only one piece of the equation. Its impact ultimately depends on what happens next—how leads are handled, how conversations evolve, and how closely marketing and sales remain aligned throughout the process.
The opportunity lies in making that effort more connected—bringing together the tools, content, data, and teams already in place (and the many emerging AI platforms…), and aligning them more closely around one common goal—connecting with engaged, qualified buyers at the right time , in the right place, and with the right message.
