Nobody ever stated being a B2B advertising chief can be simple. The reality is that at present’s B2B entrepreneurs are busier than ever, with a remit to drive measurable enterprise development within the midst of recent purchaser behaviour, the AI revolution and a risky financial system.
And but, the tone at this yr’s Propolis Leaders Discussion board was distinctly optimistic. As all the time, there may be a lot to be carried out, however the sense at this yr’s occasion was that B2B advertising leaders do really feel empowered to behave as business entrepreneurs, lead transformation and drive measurable enterprise development of their companies.
Hosted within the magnificent Savoy Place in London (courtesy of Propolis member, The Establishment of Engineering and Know-how), this yr’s occasion supplied delegates with thought-provoking periods on the financial system, group constructions, purchaser behaviour and extra, with a roundtable after every session, permitting delegates to debate the implications amongst themselves, and map a brand new route ahead. So, what did we study throughout the speaker periods and the roundtables?
As with all Propolis roundtables, this occasion was performed beneath Chatham Home Guidelines, that means no delegates have been named. Nonetheless, with notetakers stationed on every desk, we’ve been capable of analyse the entire roundtable conversations that occurred throughout the day, and share the important thing findings with you on this write-up. So, let’s start.
How B2B entrepreneurs can climate the storm
In our first session, Propolis Knowledgeable, Shane Redding, spoke to James Roberts, UK Economist and Director, Avison Younger, and Joanna Moss, International Senior Director of Advertising and marketing, FICO, to grasp how political and financial occasions this yr have affected the world of enterprise.
Particularly, our panellists mentioned the impression of tariffs, commerce wars, struggle, financial volatility and the altering function of China, with Joanna noting that 62% of B2B advertising budgets at the moment are beneath assessment, partly on account of this difficult financial system. James went on to spotlight the sheer quantity of disruption prior to now few years, evaluating it to the financial interval from 1992 to 2007, which noticed low inflation and low rates of interest. Clearly, the world financial system simply isn’t the identical because it was.
Some issues could also be exterior of entrepreneurs’ management, however there may be all the time extra we are able to do to drive development for our companies. The query, due to this fact, is that this: how can B2B advertising leaders to plan to mitigate financial uncertainty?
Nicely, based on B2B advertising leaders we spoke to on our roundtables:
- Lengthy-term imaginative and prescient with agility is essential: Regardless of a risky financial system, advertising leaders should preserve a transparent multi-year technique (utilizing a ‘North Star’), whereas being agile of their precise techniques. Brief-term considering and fixed pivots undermine model and outcomes, and so constant course is essential (even when the route shifts quarter-to-quarter!).
- Buyer-centric, data-led approaches win: Campaigns should begin with actual buyer perception and give attention to delivering worth (i.e. buyer tales, advocacy, and belief). Knowledge (each qualitative and quantitative) drives smarter, braver selections and helps entrepreneurs show ROI and affect stakeholders, regardless of finances pressures and uncertainty.
- Give attention to organisational alignment and group expertise: Success depends on aligning gross sales and advertising (together with ABM), involving key stakeholders early, and being courageous sufficient to say ‘no’ to distractions or requests from different departments that don’t assist us obtain our final goals. Investing in upskilling and mentoring (particularly with rise of AI and working-from-home) retains groups efficient and resilient. Excessive-performing groups phase sources between lengthy and short-term priorities and use proof to defend budgets and technique.
The psychology of at present’s purchaser
Within the subsequent session, we had been joined by Patrick Fagan, Behavioural Scientist and Founding father of NudgePanel.com, who supplied a layman’s information to what’s happening in our patrons’ heads, reminding us that constructing actual connections with human beings is in the end on the coronary heart of what we do as B2B entrepreneurs. Particularly, Patrick recognized three key implications of human psychology for B2B advertising leaders: messaging clients persuasively; overcoming danger aversion; and understanding goal markets psychologically.
On this session, Patrick appeared on the worth of social proof – the concept, if everybody else is doing one thing or it’s fashionable, then it’s perceived as being ‘the appropriate factor to do’. He additionally defined the significance of ‘framing’ when speaking with clients (the way you current one thing, whether or not that’s a product or a value) and ‘nudges’ (delicate, non-coercive actions that affect individuals’s behaviour in a selected course).
Following this crash course in purchaser psychology, it was as much as our delegates to debate the implications for their very own advertising methods and campaigns. In response to delegates in attendance, the important thing issues they’ll be trying to do shifting forwards are:
- Mix emotion with rational messaging: Efficient B2B campaigns faucet into the emotional drivers of patrons (belief, security, values), not simply product options or ROI. Standing out means constructing model distinctiveness, utilizing empathy, and creating memorable purchaser experiences (i.e. ABM microsites, playful campaigns, influencers, and so on).
- Deep purchaser understanding and tailor-made engagement: Going past demographics, and growing personas primarily based on actual human insights, challenges and motivations. Utilizing buyer language, drip feeding precious info, and adapting engagement all through the complete purchaser journey. Inside alignment and gross sales/advertising collaboration to make sure consistency and impression.
- Leverage a mixture of psychology and information: Psychological methods ought to join again to the model (not simply gimmicks), utilizing social proof, incremental engagement, and a spotlight to purchaser group dynamics. Make use of inside and exterior influencers, use suggestions from buyer success and gross sales groups, and guarantee each marketing campaign aligns with a transparent strategic purpose (not simply speedy leads or type fills).
What’s subsequent in AI?
In our subsequent session, we spoke to Ed Greig, Chief Disruptor, Deloitte Digital, and Jamie Brighton, Director of Product Advertising and marketing, EMEA, Adobe, to debate the way forward for AI and its implications for B2B entrepreneurs.
On this session, Jamie and Ed emphasised the necessity to distinguish between sensible AI instruments which are presently out there and the extra superior ‘synthetic normal intelligence’ (AGI) – a sort of AI that will match or surpass human capabilities throughout extra advanced cognitive duties. The latter typically receives an enormous quantity of consideration and results in dialogue round what the way forward for enterprise could appear like, however, in the end, it’s not possible to say precisely how superior AI will develop into and at what level it could attain this new degree.
Subsequently, moderately than getting distracted by the chances of future AI instruments, Ed requested that we fall in love with the issue, not the answer. In different phrases, B2B advertising leaders ought to take into consideration the largest challenges their companies face, after which see how AI can assist clear up these options, moderately than being enamoured with the chances supplied by varied new applied sciences.
Our panellists additionally emphasised the next:
- The significance of knowledge hygiene: To ensure that entrepreneurs to achieve success when implementing any type of AI know-how, it’s crucial that the information is clear and up-to-date. In any case, the instruments you utilize are solely ever as sturdy as the information that feeds them.
- The human contact won’t ever be misplaced: Though AI will proceed to enhance human capabilities, moderately than exchange staff, it’ll result in a give attention to authenticity and high quality relating to content material creation.
After this session, we moved into the roundtables, the place the last word query was: “what do B2B advertising leaders must do to thrive within the age of AI?” In response to delegates:
- Combine AI well, however maintain the human contact: AI brings effectivity (automation, information evaluation, content material refinement), however advertising leaders should steadiness this with crucial considering and creativity. Groups ought to be skilled each in utilizing AI and in advertising fundamentals. AI is a instrument, not a alternative for human perception.
- Encourage experimentation inside clear frameworks: Organisations must foster a tradition of curiosity, psychological security, and sharing (wins and failures) to drive progress with AI. Present guardrails and clear strategic frameworks to keep away from misuse, tackle information/privateness considerations, and be certain that experimenting with AI is purposeful, not simply pushed by hype.
- Break down silos and upskill constantly: To succeed, groups should collaborate throughout features (advertising, IT, authorized, operations) for AI integration, and share finest practices and use circumstances. Entrepreneurs must evolve their expertise (immediate era, information literacy, purchaser perception), align on who ‘owns’ AI technique, and stay targeted on fixing enterprise issues – not simply deploying tech for its personal sake.
How can leaders adapt and lead in a altering panorama?
In our closing session, Roland Glass, Chief Industrial Officer, HelloKindred, was joined by Sarah Thomas, Group Chief Advertising and marketing Officer, EVP, Capgemini, and Toni Allen, Chief Engagement & Development Officer, Establishment of Engineering and Know-how (IET) to debate how B2B advertising groups are rethinking construction, expertise and technique for a brand new period.
Our panellists highlighted the growing strain on advertising groups as CMO tenures shrink and finances constraints develop. Somewhat than seeing these limitations as solely unfavourable, there was a way that, in precise truth, tighter sources may very well be the driving force that advertising leaders want as a way to give attention to the applications that really drive development (corresponding to ABM), and might power groups to develop into extra agile and versatile of their strategy.
One other central theme that emerged on this session was the shift from conventional org charts in the direction of extra dynamic ‘useful resource networks’, which permit organisations to deploy the appropriate expertise on the proper moments. On this theme, our panellists mentioned the significance of constructing groups of ‘adaptable generalists’ with sturdy foundational talents, whereas additionally creating working fashions that may scale up or down effectively as and when required. Along with this, the necessity for senior-level expertise and exterior experience (whether or not by means of freelancers or specialised communities) was additionally referred to as out as essential for technique, planning and brainstorming.
At this level, it was to delegates for one more roundtable. The query: How can B2B advertising leaders adapt and lead in a altering panorama?
Right here’s what delegates needed to say:
- Foster cross-functional collaboration and suggestions: Breaking down silos between advertising, gross sales, product, and different departments is important. Leaders ought to arrange two-way suggestions loops, make clear obligations (utilizing instruments like RACI or swim lanes), and guarantee everybody’s work ties into a transparent ‘North Star’ and shared accountability for outcomes.
- Stability construction with agility and steady studying: Profitable leaders create organisational constructions and group roles that permit for each readability (mission, efficiency, cascaded goals) and adaptableness (reshuffling expertise, testing group capabilities, embracing generalists versus specialists). Encourage ongoing skilled improvement, mentoring, and curiosity in any respect profession phases to deal with fixed change.
- Embrace transparency, variety, and exterior enter: Acknowledge and adapt to completely different group cultures (international/native), promote enterprise transparency (i.e. mission-driven org charts), and use exterior companies/freelancers successfully, whereas recognising the challenges in onboarding and integration. Contain groups in problem-solving, iterate shortly, and persistently measure success utilizing each ROI and broader goals (ROO).’
What subsequent?
Let’s be trustworthy, it’s onerous to flee the sheer quantity of upheaval occurring on this planet in 2025, whether or not that’s political, social, financial, or a mix of all three.
B2B entrepreneurs, sadly, haven’t escaped the consequences of this modification. In reality, as these accountable for driving development, they’re typically on the coal-face of financial volatility, grappling with tough patrons, delayed gross sales cycles and strain from the board.
And but, the conversations had on the 2025 Propolis Leaders Discussion board had been extremely optimistic. B2B advertising leaders aren’t in denial of the problem forward, however they know they’ve the power and the imaginative and prescient to take their companies ahead into no matter 2026 and past holds for us.
With modified purchaser behaviour and the chance afforded by AI, B2B entrepreneurs at present have a golden alternative to remodel advertising from a cost-centre and right into a development driver.
The important thing to doing this? Changing into a business marketer – a marketer who thinks about enterprise goals initially, and advertising metrics second.
The business marketer is greater than a task – it’s a motion redefining the impression of selling. These are strategic change brokers who fuse perception, monetary acumen and agile considering to unlock enterprise development. They put buyer understanding on the core, get away of conventional silos, and elevate advertising from a perform to a power. By aligning technique with business outcomes, they don’t simply drive outcomes – they form the way forward for enterprise.
Learn to develop into a business marketer by studying the complete report right here.
