AI was a much bigger deal in 2024. It’s pushing B2B marketing towards accountability, better decisions, and bringing back the importance of brand reputation—a good thing! Tools like Causal AI are making it easier to measure what really matters, helping marketers align with sales, prove ROI, and earn trust. Heading into 2025, success will belong to those who embrace AI to stay accountable, focus on long-term brand value, and deliver clear, effective results.
2024 was a year of massive change in B2B marketing. AI is everywhere, on everyone’s mind, reshaping how we approach Go-To-Market (GTM).
A few things stand out since officially “turning the lights on” my consulting business in April. If I had to choose one, it would be this:
Causal AI will make it easier for the C-suite to hold everyone, especially GTM teams, more accountable for the promises they make and the incentives they are paid.
If this year taught us anything, it’s that the rules of engagement have radically changed. And those of us who see opportunity will adapt and thrive; those who resist will be left behind.
Here are four things I learned and how they can guide you in the coming months.
We know Generative AI’s impact on marketing with tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney. But Analytical and Causal AI will force more transparency and accountability in ways we’ve never seen.
In 2024, it became clear that AI tools are making GTM efforts more measurable—and as a result, more scrutinized. This is a wake-up call for anyone who’s been skating by on BS knowingly or not.
The days of making up shit, “cooking the books” and ass-covering are quickly coming to an end. And it won’t just be the C-suite calling it out—AI will also enable buyers to expose this stuff in minutes. This isn’t just a GTM thing—it’s a company-wide thing.
One of the byproducts of accountability is empathy. That’s a win-win for everyone.
Takeaway for 2025: Get up to speed on Causal AI but don’t forget the power of fundamentals and evidence-based strategies. The runway for most B2B GTM programs is longer than the tenure of the CMO and CRO. Marketers who adapt and use causal analysis to prove GTM investments will be in high demand and keep their jobs longer.
Dive Deeper: AI and the Accountability Era: GTM and Marketing in 2025
Mark Stouse and I spent a lot of time in Q4 discussing how AI is amplifying GTM accountability and risk.
Buyers will be able to spot inconsistencies in messaging or promises at the click of a button. Brand reputation will be on the line at every touch point and trust will become currency.
Marketers who succeed will not just build pipelines but actively mitigate reputational and legal risks for their companies.
Takeaway for 2025: Double down on aligning sales and marketing—your messaging has to be tight. Don’t make promises you can’t deliver. It takes years to earn confidence and trust but only minutes to destroy it. And once misinformation is out there, it’s hard to reverse it. Just don’t go there.
Dive Deeper: Proving Marketing’s Value in 2025 and Beyond
It’s easy to forget the fundamentals when AI is all the rage. But the fundamentals coupled with evidence-based strategies always deliver lasting results.
Many B2B tech companies continue to overinvest in short-term sales tactics at the expense of their brand reputation.
That’s largely due to GTM teams not providing any analytical basis for investing in the brand. And because the C-suite views Brand as “a blank slate on which no one has written any sort of convincing rationale,” as Mark Stouse recently said, it has been in a free fall since 2009.
That’s about to change in 2025—brand is making a comeback because short-term performance marketing like lead and demand generation have done everything but perform.
Takeaway for 2025: The best time to build your brand was yesterday. The second-best time is today. Confidence and trust are earned. The more B2B tech GTM teams prove the value of investing in brand reputation, the stronger the brand will become and the more it will be remembered.
Dive Deeper: Why B2B Tech Needs Brand Marketing to Earn Trust and Grow
Over the past decade, GTM teams have been overwhelmed and paralyzed by too much data mostly because of the crazy pressure to drive immediate results. It’s easier and faster to pick a number that looks and sounds good.
And although AI is making it easier to measure, not every metric matters.
Causal AI helps GTM teams model various scenarios, incorporating often ignored factors that impact the business, like headwinds and tailwinds, and time lag. These models can show how different investments in brand reputation and other long-term strategies affect growth over time.
Marketers can prove their value in tangible ways, earning confidence and trust—and keeping their jobs. Rather than obsessing over productivity and efficiency, they help Sales be more effective. And with strong marketing support, Sales is 8x more effective and 5x more efficient.
Takeaway for 2025: Audit your metrics. Eliminate the noise and zero in on KPIs that directly impact sales efficiency, growth, and brand strength. Use AI for predictive analytics and accountability, but don’t forget the human element: clear goals and evidence-based strategies are still essential.
Dive Deeper: Watch the Data Literacy Video Series with Liam Moroney and Dale W. Harrison. They discuss what to do, what NOT to do, and why every B2B marketer needs to level up their data skills in 2025.
Like every industrial revolution since 1784, the pace of change isn’t slowing down—BTW, we’re still in Industry 5.0 but soon heading into the next one.
AI is changing how we measure success, earn trust, and approach strategy. But the fundamentals—clear positioning, relevant messaging, and a strong brand reputation—matter more than ever.
AI is raising the stakes, making accountability and transparency non-negotiable. We’ll need to focus on empathy in everything we do going forward because people will only care about the brands that genuinely care about them.
The year ahead will challenge us all, but it’s also full of opportunity for those who are willing to adapt.
Make it a great year!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: A FREE GIFT FOR YOU
If you’re ready to take your brand to the next level, I’m sharing my Brand Playbook Template to help you clarify your positioning and strengthen your brand in 2025. Reach out if you have any questions.
If you like this content, here are some more ways I can help:
Cheers!
This article is AC-A and published on LinkedIn. Join the conversation!
Photo credit: iStock: natrot
