VML has just published The Future Buyer Report 2026 which shows how B2B buyers today make purchase decisions.
The report is based on a survey of 750 B2B purchase decision-makers across eight countries, including the UK and US, and seven industries, including finance, energy and manufacturing. The fieldwork took place in late July and early August 2026.
It reveals a real tension in how B2B buyers now choose suppliers, with direct implications for where B2B businesses should focus their marketing and sales effort. Three findings stand out:
· AI is now the starting point. 55% of buyers begin supplier research with generative AI, compared with 45% who start with Google.
· Thought leadership opens doors. 59% of buyers have moved a previously unfamiliar supplier onto their shortlist because of its thought leadership.
· But buyers play safe. 71% have chosen a well-known, established supplier over one they believed offered better value.
Put simply, it has never been easier for a less familiar supplier to get onto a shortlist, but winning still depends on being the choice that feels safe. B2B brands now have to work for two audiences: the AI tools that recommend suppliers, and the people who have to defend the final decision.
Getting recommended by AI
With most buyers now starting their search with generative AI, being recommended in AI answers is one of the most important things a B2B brand can aim for. Visibility and reach still matter, but ranking well in conventional search is no longer enough.
AI tools tend to reward the same qualities buyers look for: authority in the subject, original thinking backed by research and proprietary data, case studies that show impact and return on investment, recognition in analyst reports, and customer testimonials.
The shift is especially marked in financial services. Among finance buyers who use AI tools at work, 80% use them frequently or always during supplier research, against 74% across all sectors. Preferences also form early. 22% of finance buyers form a strong supplier preference during independent research, before speaking to any supplier, and a further 17% do so after initial marketing or content. Across all sectors the figures are 17% and 19%: more than a third of buyers have a firm favourite before a sales conversation begins.
So websites and social media content need to show genuine depth of thinking and strong client examples: material that both AI tools and buyers can find, review and cite.
Why buyers choose the ‘safe’ supplier
VML calls it ‘defensibility bias’: the pull towards a familiar choice that can be justified internally. Three factors drive it.
· Careers are on the line. 80% of buyers consider how a purchase will affect their professional reputation, and 73% believe a poor purchase could meaningfully damage their career.
· Decisions are made by groups. Significant purchases involve almost seven stakeholders on average, often finance, IT and procurement alongside the business leader. Those without specialist knowledge tend to favour familiar brands and clearly evidenced returns.
· Brand reputation does real work. Buyers rate it a top selection factor (49%), an early-stage check on credibility (41%) and the leading shortlist tiebreaker (30%).
Building credibility, not just awareness
Awareness still matters, but buyers also need reasons to believe. Across all sectors, the signals buyers most often cite as marks of credibility are:
Recognition in analyst reports such as Gartner, Forrester. (46%)
Volume and quality of peer reviews (39%)
Long tenure in the market (37%)
Strong, visible executive thought leadership (33%)
Consistent coverage in respected trade/business media (32%)
Industry awards and accreditations (31%)
Client logos and verifiable case studies (22%)
Speaking at major industry events (17%)
An active presence on LinkedIn (15%)
The top three - analyst recognition, peer reviews, and tenure - take years to build. The rest are within a firm’s control today and provide much of what AI tools draw on. This is where marketing and PR effort in B2B should now be focused.
Three questions worth asking yourself
· If a buyer asked an AI tool to recommend suppliers in your category, would you be named, and how would you be described?
· Does your website give buyers a clear story backed by real evidence: original thinking, case studies with measured impact, testimonials?
· Could a buyer’s finance director or procurement lead defend choosing you, using only what they can see publicly?
At Hensley Partners we help B2B businesses understand what matters most to their clients, clarify what their brand stands for and build the evidence that makes them the credible, defensible choice. If you’d like to talk through what these findings mean for your business, we’d be glad to hear from you.
Sources: VML, The Future Buyer Report 2026 and The Future Buyer 2026: Finance (November 2026), vml.com/insight/the-future-buyer-report-b2b-2026