No one ever said being a B2B marketing leader would be easy. The truth is that today’s B2B marketers are busier than ever, with a remit to drive measurable business growth in the midst of new buyer behaviour, the AI revolution and a volatile economy.
And yet, the tone at this year’s Propolis Leaders Forum was distinctly positive. As always, there is much to be done, but the sense at this year’s event was that B2B marketing leaders do feel empowered to act as commercial marketers, lead transformation and drive measurable business growth in their businesses.
Hosted in the magnificent Savoy Place in London (courtesy of Propolis member, The Institution of Engineering and Technology), this year’s event provided delegates with thought-provoking sessions on the economy, team structures, buyer behaviour and more, with a roundtable after each session, allowing delegates to discuss the implications amongst themselves, and map a new route forward. So, what did we learn during the speaker sessions and the roundtables?
As with all Propolis roundtables, this event was conducted under Chatham House Rules, meaning no delegates have been named. However, with notetakers stationed on each table, we’ve been able to analyse all of the roundtable conversations that took place across the day, and share the key findings with you in this write-up. So, let’s begin.
How B2B marketers can weather the storm
In our first session, Propolis Expert, Shane Redding, spoke to James Roberts, UK Economist and Director, Avison Young, and Joanna Moss, Global Senior Director of Marketing, FICO, to understand how political and economic events this year have affected the world of business.
Specifically, our panellists discussed the impact of tariffs, trade wars, war, economic volatility and the changing role of China, with Joanna noting that 62% of B2B marketing budgets are now under review, partly as a result of this challenging economy. James went on to highlight the sheer volume of disruption in the past few years, comparing it to the economic period from 1992 to 2007, which saw low inflation and low interest rates. Clearly, the world economy just isn’t the same as it used to be.
Some things may be outside of marketers’ control, but there is always more we can do to drive growth for our businesses. The question, therefore, is this: how can B2B marketing leaders to plan to mitigate economic uncertainty?
Well, according to B2B marketing leaders we spoke to on our roundtables:
- Long-term vision with agility is crucial: Despite a volatile economy, marketing leaders must maintain a clear multi-year strategy (using a ‘North Star’), while being agile in their actual tactics. Short-term thinking and constant pivots undermine brand and results, and so consistent direction is key (even if the route shifts quarter-to-quarter!).
- Customer-centric, data-led approaches win: Campaigns must start with real customer insight and focus on delivering value (i.e. customer stories, advocacy, and trust). Data (both qualitative and quantitative) drives smarter, braver decisions and helps marketers prove ROI and influence stakeholders, despite budget pressures and uncertainty.
- Focus on organisational alignment and team skills: Success relies on aligning sales and marketing (including ABM), involving key stakeholders early, and being brave enough to say ‘no’ to distractions or requests from other departments that don’t help us achieve our ultimate objectives. Investing in upskilling and mentoring (especially with rise of AI and working-from-home) keeps teams effective and resilient. High-performing teams segment resources between long and short-term priorities and use evidence to defend budgets and strategy.
The psychology of today’s buyer
In the next session, we were joined by Patrick Fagan, Behavioural Scientist and Founder of NudgePanel.com, who provided a layman’s guide to what’s going on in our buyers’ heads, reminding us that building real connections with human beings is ultimately at the heart of what we do as B2B marketers. Specifically, Patrick identified three key implications of human psychology for B2B marketing leaders: messaging customers persuasively; overcoming risk aversion; and understanding target markets psychologically.
In this session, Patrick looked at the value of social proof – the idea that, if everyone else is doing something or it’s popular, then it is perceived as being ‘the right thing to do’. He also explained the importance of ‘framing’ when communicating with customers (how you present something, whether that’s a product or a price) and ‘nudges’ (subtle, non-coercive actions that influence people’s behaviour in a particular direction).
Following this crash course in buyer psychology, it was up to our delegates to discuss the implications for their own marketing strategies and campaigns. According to delegates in attendance, the key things they’ll be looking to do moving forwards are:
- Blend emotion with rational messaging: Effective B2B campaigns tap into the emotional drivers of buyers (trust, safety, values), not just product features or ROI. Standing out means building brand distinctiveness, using empathy, and creating memorable buyer experiences (i.e. ABM microsites, playful campaigns, influencers, etc).
- Deep buyer understanding and tailored engagement: Going beyond demographics, and developing personas based on real human insights, challenges and motivations. Using customer language, drip feeding valuable information, and adapting engagement throughout the entire buyer journey. Internal alignment and sales/marketing collaboration to ensure consistency and impact.
- Leverage a mix of psychology and data: Psychological techniques should connect back to the brand (not just gimmicks), using social proof, incremental engagement, and attention to buyer group dynamics. Employ internal and external influencers, use feedback from customer success and sales teams, and ensure every campaign aligns with a clear strategic aim (not just immediate leads or form fills).
What’s next in AI?
In our next session, we spoke to Ed Greig, Chief Disruptor, Deloitte Digital, and Jamie Brighton, Director of Product Marketing, EMEA, Adobe, to discuss the future of AI and its implications for B2B marketers.
In this session, Jamie and Ed emphasised the need to distinguish between practical AI tools that are currently available and the more advanced ‘artificial general intelligence’ (AGI) – a type of AI that would match or surpass human capabilities across more complex cognitive tasks. The latter often receives a huge amount of attention and leads to discussion around what the future of business may look like, but, ultimately, it’s impossible to say exactly how advanced AI will become and at what point it may reach this new level.
Therefore, rather than getting distracted by the possibilities of future AI tools, Ed asked that we fall in love with the problem, not the solution. In other words, B2B marketing leaders should think about the biggest challenges their businesses face, and then see how AI can help solve those solutions, rather than being enamoured with the possibilities provided by various new technologies.
Our panellists also emphasised the following:
- The importance of data hygiene: In order for marketers to be successful when implementing any form of AI technology, it is critical that the data is clean and up-to-date. After all, the tools you use are only ever as strong as the data that feeds them.
- The human touch will never be lost: Although AI will continue to augment human capabilities, rather than replace workers, it will lead to a focus on authenticity and quality when it comes to content creation.
After this session, we moved into the roundtables, where the ultimate question was: “what do B2B marketing leaders need to do to thrive in the age of AI?” According to delegates:
- Integrate AI smartly, but keep the human touch: AI brings efficiency (automation, data analysis, content refinement), but marketing leaders must balance this with critical thinking and creativity. Teams should be trained both in using AI and in marketing fundamentals. AI is a tool, not a replacement for human insight.
- Encourage experimentation within clear frameworks: Organisations need to foster a culture of curiosity, psychological safety, and sharing (wins and failures) to drive progress with AI. Provide guardrails and clear strategic frameworks to avoid misuse, address data/privacy concerns, and ensure that experimenting with AI is purposeful, not just driven by hype.
- Break down silos and upskill continuously: To succeed, teams must collaborate across functions (marketing, IT, legal, operations) for AI integration, and share best practices and use cases. Marketers need to evolve their skills (prompt generation, data literacy, buyer insight), align on who ‘owns’ AI strategy, and remain focused on solving business problems – not just deploying tech for its own sake.
How can leaders adapt and lead in a changing landscape?
In our final session, Roland Glass, Chief Commercial Officer, HelloKindred, was joined by Sarah Thomas, Group Chief Marketing Officer, EVP, Capgemini, and Toni Allen, Chief Engagement & Growth Officer, Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) to discuss how B2B marketing teams are rethinking structure, skills and strategy for a new era.
Our panellists highlighted the increasing pressure on marketing teams as CMO tenures shrink and budget constraints grow. Rather than seeing these limitations as solely negative, there was a sense that, in actual fact, tighter resources could be the driver that marketing leaders need in order to focus on the programs that truly drive growth (such as ABM), and can force teams to become more agile and flexible in their approach.
Another central theme that emerged in this session was the shift from traditional org charts towards more dynamic ‘resource networks’, which allow organisations to deploy the right skills at the right moments. On this theme, our panellists discussed the importance of building teams of ‘adaptable generalists’ with strong foundational abilities, while also creating operating models that can scale up or down efficiently as and when required. In addition to this, the need for senior-level skills and external expertise (whether through freelancers or specialised communities) was also called out as crucial for strategy, planning and brainstorming.
At this point, it was to delegates for another roundtable. The question: How can B2B marketing leaders adapt and lead in a changing landscape?
Here’s what delegates had to say:
- Foster cross-functional collaboration and feedback: Breaking down silos between marketing, sales, product, and other departments is vital. Leaders should set up two-way feedback loops, clarify responsibilities (using tools like RACI or swim lanes), and ensure everyone’s work ties into a clear ‘North Star’ and shared accountability for outcomes.
- Balance structure with agility and continuous learning: Successful leaders create organisational structures and team roles that allow for both clarity (mission, performance, cascaded objectives) and adaptability (reshuffling skills, testing team capabilities, embracing generalists versus specialists). Encourage ongoing professional development, mentoring, and curiosity at all career stages to handle constant change.
- Embrace transparency, diversity, and external input: Acknowledge and adapt to different team cultures (global/local), promote business transparency (i.e. mission-driven org charts), and use external agencies/freelancers effectively, while recognising the challenges in onboarding and integration. Involve teams in problem-solving, iterate quickly, and consistently measure success using both ROI and broader objectives (ROO).’
What next?
Let’s be honest, it’s hard to escape the sheer amount of upheaval happening in the world in 2025, whether that’s political, social, economic, or a combination of all three.
B2B marketers, unfortunately, have not escaped the effects of this change. In fact, as those responsible for driving growth, they’re often at the coal-face of economic volatility, grappling with tricky buyers, delayed sales cycles and pressure from the board.
And yet, the conversations had at the 2025 Propolis Leaders Forum were incredibly positive. B2B marketing leaders aren’t in denial of the challenge ahead, but they know they have the ability and the vision to take their businesses forward into whatever 2026 and beyond holds for us.
With changed buyer behaviour and the opportunity afforded by AI, B2B marketers today have a golden opportunity to transform marketing from a cost-centre and into a growth driver.
The key to doing this? Becoming a commercial marketer – a marketer who thinks about business objectives first and foremost, and marketing metrics second.
The commercial marketer is more than a role – it’s a movement redefining the impact of marketing. These are strategic change agents who fuse insight, financial acumen and agile thinking to unlock business growth. They put customer understanding at the core, break out of traditional silos, and elevate marketing from a function to a force. By aligning strategy with commercial outcomes, they don’t just drive results – they shape the future of business.
Learn how to become a commercial marketer by reading the full report here.
