At this year’s Forrester B2B summit in Phoenix, one theme stood out: artificial intelligence is no longer emerging—it’s embedded.
GenAI and agentic AI tools are now central to how buyers explore, evaluate, and narrow down their options. This shift is accelerating how decisions are made and expanding the number of stakeholders involved in every step of the journey.
Alongside this change comes a growing imperative for B2B marketers: building and maintaining trust in a buying environment increasingly shaped by both human and machine input.
The summit was packed with bold insights into the future of B2B marketing, here are my standout themes from the event.
The buyer journey is evolving, but it’s still buyer-led
Today’s B2B buyers are making decisions with the support of AI tools, not in place of them. According to Forrester’s 2024 Buyers’ Journey Survey, 87% of B2B buyers used GenAI during their purchase process, and that number is expected to rise. These tools enable buyers to surface relevant options faster and evaluate a broader range of providers—often before engaging with a sales team.
What hasn’t changed is the central role of the buyer. AI has not streamlined decision-making; it has added new layers. Buying decisions are now influenced by larger, more complex groups—averaging 13 internal stakeholders—and include external participants such as analysts, consultants, peer networks, and review platforms. The buyer journey has never followed a predictable path, but it’s now more interconnected and fluid than ever.
From MQLs to buying groups, and now, a broader network
For many enterprise marketers, shifting from MQLs to buying groups remains an ongoing priority. But at the Summit, Forrester introduced the next step in that evolution: the buying network.
A buying network goes beyond the internal decision-making team to include the full spectrum of people and platforms influencing a purchase—from trusted third parties and peers to AI agents gathering and synthesizing data. These networks reflect the true context in which decisions are made.
That doesn’t mean abandoning the focus on buying groups. Instead, marketers must first operationalize that model effectively—then extend their strategies to engage the broader ecosystem. Doing so requires personalization at scale, responsive content frameworks, and infrastructure that can adapt to changing roles, behaviors, and preferences.
Younger buyers are redefining the research process
Millennials and Gen Z now make up nearly 60% of B2B buying groups. While final sign-off may still rest with more senior decision-makers, these younger professionals are setting the pace when it comes to research and vendor evaluation.
They favor self-service access to information, expect seamless digital experiences, and rely heavily on third-party validation. They’re comfortable using GenAI tools to assist with research and are often further along in their journey by the time they connect with a provider. Meeting their expectations requires accessible, high-quality content that is easy to discover—and designed to build trust early.
Trust remains the most valuable currency
As AI becomes more embedded in how buyers gather and assess information, skepticism is also growing. Forrester’s research shows that buyers place greater trust in peers and analysts than in provider sales reps. Misuse of AI—particularly when it compromises transparency or authenticity—can undermine credibility quickly.
Marketers must approach AI with clear intent and human oversight. GenAI can be a valuable tool for scaling content and improving efficiency, but only when it supports the brand’s voice and builds trust with the audience.
Agentic AI brings new opportunities and responsibilities
Agentic AI—autonomous tools that can engage, qualify, and support decision-making—is the next phase in marketing automation. But these tools are only as effective as the strategy behind them.
The goal is not to automate for the sake of efficiency, but to orchestrate intelligently: aligning data, segmentation, and engagement to support the buyer at each stage. When used well, agentic AI can help scale relevance without sacrificing nuance.
The channel still plays a critical role
Partner ecosystems remain a key part of many go-to-market strategies. As buyer expectations evolve, partner enablement must evolve with them. Predictive analytics can help identify high-potential partners and tailor support to their specific needs.
Buyer-centricity shouldn’t stop with internal teams. A consistent, well-aligned message across both direct and indirect channels is essential to maintaining relevance within the full buying network.
Agility and analytics are powering proactive marketing
In a more fragmented and competitive landscape, two qualities set high-performing marketing teams apart: agility and analytical maturity.
Predictive analytics enables marketers to anticipate buyer needs, while agility ensures the organization can respond quickly to new signals. Together, they support a shift from reactive marketing to proactive engagement—moving from chasing leads to shaping outcomes across the entire buyer lifecycle.
A new foundation, not a shortcut
AI isn’t a shortcut or a temporary trend—it’s a foundational shift. But the fundamentals of effective marketing still apply: relevance, timing, empathy, and trust.
As buying networks become more central to how decisions are made, success will come from marketers who understand not just the buyer, but the broader network of influence surrounding them. That means leveraging AI where it adds value, building systems that can scale personalized engagement, and continually refining strategies based on real buyer behavior.
If you'd like to discuss any of the above themes in more detail, I'd love to connect - drop me an email and find out how TMP can help you align your marketing strategy to the modern buyer.
