How can B2B marketing teams evolve to make the most of AI? That was the focus of this session, hosted in The Marketing Practice’s just-opened London office.
It’s a difficult question but an important one, and several expert speakers were lined up and ready to answer. Amongst an audience of B2B marketers, I sat myself down with a coffee – freshly made in our new machine – and prepared to take it all in.
There’s a lot going on in B2B
Paul Everett, Chief Marketing Officer at TMP, opened the session by laying out the reality B2B marketers face today. One thing’s for sure: it’s never been harder to make confident decisions about the future.
Why? Because, for B2B marketers, AI has created a perfect storm.
- It’s caused the biggest shift in positioning since SaaS and the race to the cloud. Marketing leaders across the B2B technology & services space are scrambling to make themselves credible and stand out in the AI market.
- It’s triggered a wave of internal change – from re-organisation to re-platforming – as teams rush to adopt new tools, demonstrate efficiency and find new opportunities.
- And it’s opened a wealth of new communication channels, paving the way for new buyer behaviours and self-guided buying journeys.
Paul certainly gave us pause for thought, but the following speakers were waiting to step in and provide us with some positive ways forward.
Adobe on Adobe: transforming B2B with AI
Orla Hennessy, Head of Enterprise Marketing UKI at Adobe, shared how Adobe is putting its own AI tools to work to centralise and reshape its B2B marketing.
It wasn’t always so streamlined. Personalisation at scale sounded good in theory but was hard to deliver in practice. So, Adobe made a decision: prove the value of its platform by using it end-to-end across its own marketing.
That meant building a unified customer view, powered by predictive analytics and real-time profiles. It also meant replacing generic content with dynamic, AI-driven experiences – and shifting from a fragmented content model to a fully integrated supply chain.
Adobe AI tools like GenStudio and Firefly helped scale content creation, while Adobe Express let teams quickly localise and adapt assets across markets. In one campaign, AI-driven variations boosted click-throughs by 50%. In another, localised content conversion rates improved by 24%.
Of course, tech is only part of the story. Orla stressed that change management made it possible. It took clear leadership, a shared understanding of the brand, and a willingness to rethink how people work – not just what they work on.
Rewriting the org chart for the AI era
Chris Bailey, former Senior Director of Global Marketing at ServiceNow, set out to design the ideal B2B marketing team for a post-AI world. He started by looking at how marketing has evolved – and how AI fits in.
In theory evolution should mean faster, smarter marketing, but it’s also brought new challenges: disconnected data, more complexity and slower decisions. As teams become more technical, they risk losing their agility.
He included a memorable reminder from Peter Drucker: “Only three things happen naturally in organisations: friction, confusion and underperformance.” Technology alone isn’t enough; it’s the team and how they work together that really makes the difference.
Chris imagined a post-AI marketing model where intelligent automation drives analytics, campaign optimisation and even handles tasks like content creation and approvals. This promises more agility, lower costs and better personalised marketing – but only if teams adopt and manage these tools effectively.
Human trust in a machine age
Margi Lynn, Senior Director of Growth Marketing at Sprinklr, set out to address another big question facing B2B marketers today: how do you build trust when machines are taking centre stage?
Her answer: AI should enhance the human experience, not diminish it. Sprinklr has seen impressive results from continuing to include the ‘human element’ in programs, for example with proof points showing the continued audience desire for contact at events.
Margi emphasised that trust is always the foundation – between customers and brands, teams and tools. When buyers don’t trust a brand, they’re 53% less likely to engage at all. And that trust isn’t earned by flooding people with content. It’s about being relevant, not just visible.
So how can marketers earn buyers’ trust? With a little help from AI, of course. Margi imagined a ‘wish list’ of where AI can support…
Firstly, AI can highlight what customers want and when they’re ready, using predictive models, intent data and real-time summaries. Then it can improve the buying experience itself, guiding sellers in live conversations, surfacing timely social proof and personalising content like case studies and analyst reports.
And when it matters, AI helps build confidence – generating tailored proof points, matching buyers with peers or even powering custom GPTs that can answer tough questions in the buyer’s own words.
One of the stand-out thoughts of the event was Margi’s call to shift the narrative around AI away from “do more with less” and towards “do better, more.”
The marketing time machine
To wrap up, Alastair Hussain, Chief Strategy and Solutions Officer at TMP, took us on a tour of the future – inviting us to imagine how AI might reshape marketing teams.
He started by asking the room how many had already reorganised around AI. The answer? Not many. To explore what could be, the group split into two teams – each tasked with designing their ideal AI-powered marketing function.
Team A championed a fast, flexible model: four pods focused on growth, brand, experience and platform, all supported by shared data and AI tools. The idea was to move quickly and scale smarter, without losing control.
Team B went for a more centralised approach, building an AI Centre of Excellence at the core. This team prioritised consistency, oversight and ethical guardrails – especially important in complex or regulated environments.
Alastair gave Team A the edge for the near future, thanks to its speed, learning potential and ability to deliver quick wins. But Team B’s model could suit businesses that need tighter controls or operate in stricter industries.
At the end, Alastair led a Q&A. We discussed how AI can enhance but never replace human connection. Buying still relies on personal trust, especially for big decisions, and marketers must create genuine, cohesive experiences. Creativity and authenticity are essential for success.
Phew, that was a lot to take in – but it’s just the beginning
Curious about what this could mean for your own team? Talk to us and we can bring the ‘Marketing Team Time Machine’ workshop to you. You can start by trying out Ali’s Marketing Team Time Machine to get yourself thinking about the future.
Alternatively, join us for an ‘Art of the possible’ AI showcase, which is exactly what it sounds like – exploring what AI can really do in a B2B marketing context.
We’re excited to keep learning together. Get in touch below.
