B2B Marketing
B2B marketing is increasingly expected to deliver the level of experience buyers are used to having as consumers. Success depends on marketers adapting — and quickly. Explore our B2B marketing insights to stay ahead.
Insights
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AI Is Reshaping B2B Brand And Communications Investments
AI is changing how B2B brand and communications teams invest, operate, and prioritize work. As companies look for practical ways to apply AI across marketing, leaders are reevaluating program investments, talent needs, and the capabilities required to drive growth. Forrester’s 2026 Brand And Communications Survey reveals a more deliberate approach to these decisions, particularly in areas tied to digital engagement, brand visibility, and influence.
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As AI Use Expands, B2B Marketers Become More Selective About Agency Spend
B2B marketers have long relied on agencies for scale, specialized expertise, and execution support across brand and communications. In fact, 93% of respondents to Forrester’s 2026 B2B Brand And Communications Survey use agencies in some capacity. What is changing is the relationship itself, as AI-driven efficiencies enable teams to bring more work in-house.
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Use 2027 Budget Optimism To Drive An AI Reset
Budget optimism is rising as 2027 approaches — but more spend alone won’t improve outcomes. Use this moment to reset your AI investments. Prioritize the readiness, governance, and context required to make it truly work.
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High-Performing Portfolio Marketing Isn’t About Doing More: It’s About Saying No
Many teams struggle because they try to do everything — and when everything is a priority, nothing is. Learn how the best portfolio marketing teams protect and use their time.
What is B2B marketing?
B2B marketing refers to strategies and tactics that firms use to reach, engage, and influence business buyers or organizations rather than individual consumers. It often involves longer buying cycles, multiple stakeholders, and more complex decision criteria. The goal is to generate demand, build relationships, and support revenue growth.
How has B2B marketing evolved in recent years?
B2B marketing now demands the level of personalization, agility, and experience that customers expect in consumer settings. Today’s buyers are more informed, independent, and digitally driven. Marketing leaders must embrace new tools, data, and cross-functional alignment to stay competitive.
What are the biggest challenges facing B2B marketers?
Common challenges include poor data quality, misaligned business and marketing goals, and lack of trust in measurement. In addition, marketing must adapt to the complexity of buying groups, rapidly shifting customer expectations, and AI-driven search.
What key metrics should B2B marketers track?
Though funnel metrics such as lead conversion, pipeline influence, and marketing-generated revenue remain the most common, marketers should also track brand perception and preference, engagement metrics, account-level outcomes, customer retention, and customer lifetime value.
How does Forrester support B2B marketing leaders?
Forrester offers research, frameworks, and advisory services to help B2B marketers refine their strategies, improve execution, and measure impact. We guide clients in integrating marketing with sales, applying data and AI, and evolving in complex environments.
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CMOs Are Asking The Wrong Question About AI And Marketing Roles
Every B2B CMO I talk to right now is asking a version of the same question: What roles do I need on my team for the future? It is a fair question. It is also the wrong one to lead with. AI is not changing marketing by introducing a fixed set of new jobs to […]
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Marketing Matters More To Growth Momentum Than Ever
Growth momentum is one of the most sought-after objectives in business. When it builds, buying groups move with greater confidence, internal teams align almost effortlessly around common priorities, and individual successes compound into larger business outcomes. Many B2B organizations undervalue one of the strongest contributors to growth momentum: marketing. Marketing doesn’t build momentum by simply […]
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Budget Planning 2027: B2B Marketing Leaders Must Prioritize Focus For Resilience
B2B marketing leaders entering the 2027 planning cycle must rethink traditional budget planning and shift toward focused, outcome-driven investment strategies. In an era of AI-driven disruption and market volatility, success will depend on where organizations concentrate spend, divest low-impact initiatives, and invest in resilience-building capabilities.
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European Marketers Are Playing It Safe With AI — That’s The Problem
European marketers are rapidly adopting AI, but most applications remain focused on efficiency rather than customer value. New research reveals a growing gap between AI adoption and customer impact, highlighting the need to move beyond productivity gains and use AI to create differentiated customer experiences and competitive advantage.
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Pricing Platforms Are Converging — Are You Ready?
Recent moves in the price optimization and management (PO&M) market point to a clear shift: The category is no longer just about pricing science. Vendavo has expanded its reach in semiconductor and channel-heavy markets through its agreement to acquire Model N’s high-tech business unit. This agreement adds deeper capabilities in distributor data, rebates, and channel […]
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European Marketers Say AI Won’t Replace Employees, But The Reality Is More Complicated
Will AI replace marketing jobs? European marketers largely believe the answer is no. Yet many organizations have already reduced headcount or replaced employees with AI. The reality is more nuanced: AI is not simply replacing marketers — it is redesigning how marketing work gets done. As AI takes on more execution-oriented tasks, the value of human contribution shifts toward strategy, creativity, judgment, and leadership. The organizations that succeed will not be those that deploy the most AI tools but those that most effectively combine human and artificial intelligence to create business value.
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AI Will Redefine B2B Marketing Models — Get Ahead Of The Shift At AI Forum Singapore
Buyer behavior is changing faster than most go-to-market models can adapt. At AI Forum Singapore, learn how to align strategy, execution, and AI adoption to compete in a world of autonomous buyers.
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New Analysis Suggests The CMO’s Role In The Fortune 500 Is At A Crossroads
For years, the chief marketing officer has been one of the most scrutinized roles in the C-suite, and that scrutiny isn’t easing, according to Forrester’s third annual analysis of CMOs in the Fortune 500. But the data suggests that the prevailing narrative of CMO decline masks the real story: reinvention.
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Net Zero In 2026: Why Pragmatism Drives Companies To Take Different Paths
Long‑term net-zero commitments, typically framed as emissions reductions aligned with a 2050 timeframe, were a fad across global companies in the past decade. It was the de facto way to signal virtue to both customers and investors. Recently, however, the signals have become more mixed. Some organizations have scaled back or stopped emphasizing these targets, […]
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My Takeaways From Money 20/20 For Your GTM Team
Over three packed days at Money20/20 in Amsterdam, the halls were buzzing about two things: trust and agentic commerce. Behind the buzzwords, trust is really three concrete demands from banks: whether they can rely on AI they didn’t build; whether customers’ money, identity, and data stay safe with the bank (including how the bank itself […]
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AEO Changes What Content Is Worth Creating
The question is no longer how to optimize more content, but what content is worth creating. In an AEO-driven world, marketers gain visibility by investing in original evidence that demonstrates expertise, builds credibility, and contributes something new to the market conversation.
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Get Ready For The GTM Singularity At Forrester’s B2B Forum EMEA
The ground is shifting beneath B2B go-to-market strategies — and the old rules no longer apply. At B2B Forum EMEA, learn how to navigate the GTM singularity and turn disruption into a catalyst for growth.
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B2B Social Media Influencers Have More Influence Than Ever
B2B marketers have engaged in influencer marketing for decades, working with journalists, analysts, experts, and others. What’s changed is that social media is now central to the buying journey.
Save 10% On B2B Forum EMEA This Summer
Register by July 31 to lock in Summer Advantage savings — 10% off your ticket to B2B Forum EMEA (28–29 Sept, London). Leave with a plan to win in the GTM singularity as AI‑driven buyers rewrite the rules.
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The Next Era Of B2B Events: Eight Data-Backed Shifts Defining 2026
Tighter budgets, rising expectations, and increased competition are reshaping B2B events — driving a shift toward fewer, more targeted experiences, greater audience participation, and a renewed role for digital.
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Answer Engines Will Select Your Content. Your Digital Experience Has To Do More.
As AI intermediates how buyers discover and interact with content, competition is shifting from ranking to being selected — and from visibility to delivering context-rich, credible experiences. Organizations must align content, data, and systems now to compete in AI-mediated journeys where inclusion is only the starting point.
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The Cost Of AI Productivity Is Less Creativity
AI is now standard across marketing agencies — but its impact remains constrained. Forrester’s “The State Of AI Inside US Marketing Agencies, 2026” finds that CMOs must shift their AI ambitions toward creativity, differentiation, and growth to unlock real value.
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