With a full day of programming for B2B marketing professionals at Advertising Week for the first time, attendees heard from leaders in the industry on the challenges facing the industry and the best way to navigate them.
Sponsored by LinkedIn, the B2BMX lounge at AW New York included a spectrum of speakers from Bloomberg Media Group, JPMorgan Chase, LG Ad Solutions, Realm B2B, Pavillion, AdRoll, Snowflake, Gloat and IBM.
Two common themes throughout the sessions emerged at the jam-packed sessions: the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and the importance of trusted content creators.
AI Effect
The New Blueprint for B2B Marketing Success was the first session, hosted by Gina Kleiner, Senior Director of Product Marketing, LinkedIn. Kleiner highlighted how marketing has gotten more complex in the last 12 months as they face more scrutiny from all angels
“Buying has changed and AI is speeding everything up,” said Kleiner. “Millennials and Gen Z language is video— they scroll for trusted insight from credible sources and increasingly turn to content creators who influence their decisions.”
Importance of Creators
The panel agreed creator videos give brands credibility, breaking through the clutter and making impressions that stick.
“The rapid of a growing creators ecosystem is undervalued as not a lot of brands tapping into it— we are in the early days,” said Brendan Gahan, Co-Founder & CEO, Creator Authority, urging marketers to integrate creators at every step of the funnel.
Kathleen Booth, SVP Marketing & Growth, Pavillion, added that the “old playbook is not working, no playbook is really working because of the quick changes fueled by AI…community is the new Google as consumers are getting better and quicker answers that they trust it . Community Engine Optimization can’t be gamed by an algorithm.”
Growth Metrics
Following them on stage was The Business of Marketing LIVE: Redefining Growth in 2025 as a panel CMOs and senior executives from Gloat, Snowflake, and Pontera explored how creativity is meeting technology as well as how they are navigating disruption
Ali Jawin, CMO, Pontera, echoed the AI is making everything happen faster but nobody trust anything they see or read any more. “Consumers have such a good BS meter, the only people they are going to trust are the ones who are in the weeds like you,” Jawin told those assembled.
Tony Marlow, Chief Marketing Officer, LG Ad Solutions, explained that connected television (CTV) continues to grow. When a LG televisions is turned on, advertisers can connect with their targeted audience immediately. “Streaming is how television consumed for a certain age outside of sports— but that is growing as well,” he said.
Orchestrators
The term “orchestrator” from Ruslan Tovbulatov, CMO, Gloat, was one that all the panelists agreed was rising in importance with AI. “Orchestrators are field commanders, they have a strong point of view and command of your message,” said Tovbulatov.
Dennis Buchheim, Global Head of GTM – Adtech/Martech, Communications, Media, and Entertainment, Snowflake, added that “orchestrator can take advantage of AI skills sets to innovate what comes out.”
“Culture is important as AI is resetting expectation and standers everyone has to do more than less. You should be using AI tools and going deep on them” said Tovbulatov. “Community and influencers are bets that are paying off but you need other humans to promote you influencers.”
B2B Content
TechFinitive: The Future of B2B Marketing in the Age of AI explored the subject of in the age of machine-generated content, how B2B brands create content that feels genuinely innovative, human, and worthy of a buyer’s attention
Izzie Rivers, Founder & CEO, Realm B2B, stated that it currently is not hard to spot AI-generated content and that is where marketers must focus to make their copy standout.
“This is why influencers are gaining traction, giving them a rise to them as being authentic,” said Rivers. “Teams are currently tinkering around the edges with AI right now, looking at different ways using it for different purposes. But humans must make the decisions and critical thinking is what will be needed going forward.”
Chris Drago, Head of Global Media, NetApp added that employees must be shown how AI will enhance their job, not take it away or eliminate. “Humans need to be bold leveraging AI tools, making it a sidekick. But make sure human make the final calls,” Drago said.
Finding Marketing Signals
How to Capture & Engage In-Market Buyers Before Competitors was a presentation by Parya Behrouzian, Sr. Director, Revenue Marketing, AdRoll. This session covered how to build a signal-based GTM approach that ensures you’re on a buyer’s Day 1 shortlist.
Behrouzian walked marketers through how they must fine intent earlier in the funnel as 83% of buyers are willing to change their short list. The key is finding timely touchpoints that can gently redirect the journey— being early, being recent and being remembered.
“Most buyers have already decided before they show up; signals reveal what buyers won’t tell you,” explained Behrouzia. “Winning isn’t about more signals— its about better signals as timing will beat targeting to have you focus on the right accounts at the right time.”
Importance of Video
Alex Josephson, VP, Customer Brand Strategy, LinkedIn was the host for the Networks Over Noise: How Trusted Voices Accelerate Full-Funnel Growth panel discussion that explored how brands are driving success with B2B video from trusted networks. Josephson told the full session that 91% of global marketers believe that video will help accelerate ROI more than any other format.
As emerging technologies reshape decision-making, the panel noted professionals are increasingly turn to colleagues, creators, and experts they trust, not algorithms, for guidance. “Answer engine optimization (AEO) and word of mouth will be more valuable to B2B marketer,” explained Josephson. “Video continues to grow full outcome with B2B creators movement reaching an inflection point.”
Courtney Carroll, Head of Business and Lifestyle, North America Advertising Sales, Bloomberg Media Group, noted video is the opportunity for audience engagement as they have a 29% completion rate higher and are 18% more likely to convert to a lead.
“Tell your audience what they don’t know,” said Carroll. “Lead with insight that make participate stop and think. Thought leaders should be adding to the brand, not endorsing it.”
Maria-Angela Sanzone, Head of Paid Social, JPMorgan Chase, noted that “creators absolute must build trust….an authentic voice build overall loyalty which rises over time. Immersive experiences cut through the clutter.”
Joe Prota, Global Director, Brand Marketing, IBM added while AI is everywhere, the results are not. “Creators allow us to reach in a away they trust,” said Prota. “While 95% are not in market, buyers will call you when they are in market. You want to be sure you are at the top of their Day 1 list.”
