Driving B2B Growth Amid Uncertainty
Last week, we hosted our annual EMEA Brand Summit in Carcassonne, France – a picturesque setting that set the stage for meaningful conversations among B2B marketers from across the region. While the backdrop was stunning, it was the shared insights that made the event unforgettable. Here’s a summary of the key themes discussed.
Adapting to a Complex Market
Marketing teams today face increasing pressure to deliver more with fewer resources. Attendees highlighted the urgency to show short-term results, often driven by quarterly targets and a cautious market climate. Many are shifting toward a land-and-expand approach, prioritizing customer growth over acquisition.
Speed to lead remains a priority, but gaps in system integration and siloed data continue to slow teams down.
Confronting the Data Challenge
Fragmented data and broken attribution were common frustrations. Mergers, acquisitions, and disconnected tools have created inconsistent insights, leading many teams to operate without clear visibility. Some marketers are working to rebuild attribution models, while others are adopting Marketing Qualified Accounts (MQAs) to provide a more holistic view of buying committees.
Many marketers also noted that their sales data is incomplete or outdated, causing significant inefficiencies. As a result, marketing often spends more time enabling sales than driving new demand. Despite the abundance of dashboards, the meaning behind the data remains unclear for many.
Closing the Sales-Marketing Gap
Misalignment between sales and marketing is still a major issue. Marketing is often seen as a support function, with sales receiving credit for success – and marketing blamed for failure. This dynamic leads to missed opportunities, particularly around account engagement and multithreading.
To overcome this, teams are focusing on shared revenue goals, aligning their sales development reps with marketing, and analyzing deal structures to better understand and improve collaboration.
Navigating the Nonlinear Buyer’s Journey
The buyer’s journey is anything but linear. Touchpoints are numerous, complex, and require consistent, targeted engagement. Marketers emphasized the importance of mid-funnel nurture and segmentation, and the need to invest in key events that drive longer-term pipeline. Content syndication has proven to be a key channel, but only when integrated into a broader demand strategy.
Technology: Strategy First
Tech implementation remains a challenge. Vendor onboarding can take weeks or even months – at odds with the pressure to move quickly. Teams noted that proving ROI before switching tools is difficult when the current tools are already falling short.
Marketers stressed that technology must support strategy – not drive it. ABM programs, for instance, require significant planning and resourcing. Without a strategic foundation and a clear business owner alongside marketing ops, even the best tech won’t deliver results.
AI emerged as a powerful tool for scale, particularly in data enrichment, segmentation, and personalization. However, its role is clear: to support human creativity, not replace it.
Content: Simplify, Don’t Overhaul
Content remains a cornerstone of engagement. Attendees emphasized the value of “snackable,” always-on content designed to empower buyers. Long-standing assets can remain effective with the right messaging, and video, particularly short, authentic clips, continues to outperform more polished formats.
Direct mail also still has a role, especially when thoughtfully targeted to ensure key decision-makers actually see the message. Ultimately, content should align with the broader buyer journey.
Looking Ahead
What stood out most from this year’s summit wasn’t just the insights – it was the candor. Marketers openly shared what’s working, what’s not, and where they’re headed. One clear takeaway emerged: the future of B2B marketing hinges on alignment, adaptability, and authenticity.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Carcassonne. The conversation is just beginning – and we’re excited to shape the future of B2B marketing together.
