I walked away from yesterday’s B2B Marketing’s Ignite conference with one thought front and centre: marketing is going through a shift like we’ve never seen before.
The message throughout the conference was consistent – marketing has to become a strategic pillar of the business. Not a cost centre. Not a nice-to-have. A commercial engine.
The commercial marketer era is here
It doesn’t matter if you’re a CMO or a marketing assistant – we all need to deeply understand how our organisations make money. What drives growth. What do our executives really care about.
If we can’t connect what we do to pipeline and revenue – then let’s be honest, we’ll keep being sidelined.
There was a quote that stuck with me:
“Marketing needs to do a better job of marketing itself.”
I couldn’t agree more. We need to stop hiding behind MQL numbers and vanity metrics and start showing how we truly impact the things that keep our leaders awake at night.
AI is here. But so is the trust crisis.
It was no surprise that AI was front and centre of so many of the discussions. But it wasn’t the usual “AI will replace us all” narrative.
Yes, AI is a big reason for this change we’re experiencing. Yes, it’s making it easier to create content, but this increase in content isn’t bringing more credibility. If anything, it’s making trust harder to earn.
Alex Hill, Head of Strategy at Harte Hanks revealed:
- 64% of buyers prioritise vendor trust over everything else.
- 81% of B2B buyers need to trust a brand before they buy.
- And this one hit home: 61% of Gen Z struggle to know what information to trust.
In a world of AI-generated noise, being authentic matters more than ever.
Cold calling is dead. Brand isn’t.
Buyers don’t want to be ‘sold’ to anymore.
Cold calling? Dead.
Ghosting? Normal.
Buyers want as ‘sales-free’ a journey for as long as possible. Which means brand has never mattered more. Not in the fluffy sense, but in the are-you-good-enough-to-be-on-my-shortlist-when-I’m-ready sense.
One line summed it up perfectly:
“A strong brand will open a door, but you only understand the importance of brand when you can’t open it.”
That one will stay with me.
If only 5% of your market is in buying mode right now, how are you building pipeline for the other 95%? That’s a brand question.
Forget MQLs. Think revenue.
A few speakers were pretty blunt about this: the MQL is on life support!
Should we look beyond MQLs and SQLs and focus on “accounts engaged to accounts converted?” good food for thought from Sharon Forder.
And what if marketing, sales, and partnership teams worked together in account pods. I really liked this thought – a team of people working collaboratively to create ideas and drive impact with a group of accounts. This wouldn’t just bring alignment, but shared ownership. Shared success. Shared failure too.
ABM? Should we replace the ‘M’?
There’s been a subtle but important shift in how people are thinking about ABM – and I like it.
Account-Based Experience (ABX) was a term I heard for the first time. It actually feels more honest, but for ABX to work, three things are non-negotiable:
- Absolute executive alignment – the board’s got to be in.
- Total revenue team alignment – sales, marketing, CS, partnerships, all rowing in the same direction.
- A crystal-clear Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) – no vagueness, no assumptions.
It’s also a reminder: buyers don’t buy alone. They buy in groups. Under more scrutiny. With more internal pressure.
Which means it’s our job to know not just the account – but every person in the room. Their role. Their concerns. Their buying stage. Their intent signals. Their world.
Trust = Context + Credibility + Consistency + Clarity
And if you want to be seen as credible, by these buyers, you need four things in your comms:
- Context – show you understand the world they’re operating in.
- Credibility – back it up with proof, customer voices, and data.
- Consistency – brand tone, message, visuals, values… all aligned.
- Clarity – simple, human, easy to understand. If it doesn’t sound right, it isn’t.
It sounds obvious.
But it’s also how you’re using your comms to build authenticity. And more need to follow the lead of the excellent Sophie Bowkett and her team at legal firm Bird & Bird. They have built their brand around their people and are giving their partners the freedom to showcase their individual authenticity (and build trust) through Linkedin.
The CFO Panel: Some hard truths
A final session for me was a CFO/CMO panel discussion. Two key points. Build the relationship with your CFO early. Don’t wait until you’re defending spend. Don’t overspend your budget (obvious… until it isn’t). Have clear KPIs. They don’t care about your click-through rates, but one ‘rate’ they value more than any other, win rate.
So, if I had to boil Ignite 2025 down to a few key points for professional services marketers, it’s these:
- Marketing’s not a cost centre. It’s a growth engine.
- Know your firm. Know your customer. Know your ICP.
- Trust is the currency. AI makes noise. Authenticity cuts through it.
- ABM isn’t marketing/sales alignment. It’s a company-wide mindset.
- Pod thinking beats silo thinking.
- Brand isn’t a logo. It’s the reason buyers choose you – or don’t.
- If your sales team/consultants are asking buyers “Am I your first call today?” – and the answer’s yes – then your marketing’s doing its job. If they say you’re the second or third, you’ve work to do and you need to disrupt.