The Problem With B2B Marketing – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Problem With B2B Marketing

VOLUME

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/35d. Total Eps: 14

Welcome to The Problem with B2B Marketing, the podcast for everyone working in B2B marketing and sales today.
In each episode we tackle the issues keeping B2B CMOs up at night—from the biggest challenges to emerging threats.
By talking to experts who have dealt with these problems - or are leading the charge to find new answers - we aim to share with you clear, pragmatic, and actionable insights to inspire you to develop solutions of your own...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
13/05/2026
#71
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
25/04/2026
#76
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
13/02/2026
#83
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
06/02/2026
#99
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
06/01/2026
#48
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
02/01/2026
#56
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
29/12/2025
#89
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
28/12/2025
#40
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
25/12/2025
#98
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
24/12/2025
#55

Spotify

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https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law
2 shares
https://geoffreyamoore.com/
1 share
https://craftycounsel.co.uk/
1 share

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Score global : 79%

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Episode 1 Matthew Gale, Deloitte: The Problem with B2B Podcasts

Season 1 · Episode 1

Thursday, July 25, 2024 • Duration 52:50

Welcome to the very first episode of The Problem with B2B Marketing! We talked to Matthew Gale, Director of Brand & Creative Content at Deloitte and architect of The Green Room, one of the most successful podcasts from a brand, about the problem with B2B podcasts...

From getting started and working out exactly who you are for, to working hard to earn your audiences’ time and attention, what makes for effective distribution and how you define the ROI for the business, Matt shares his experience, the good and the bad, common pitfalls, and how to deal with them.

Key talking points:

Matt didn’t set out to make a podcast, but having discovered that Deloitte’s insight reports were amongst the lowest performing content, they looked for other formats as a way to share expertise and cut through.
The podcast format has inspired a new approach; they don’t simply talk about Deloitte’s new automation report but instead explore topics like “What will be the last job on Earth?”
Unexpected benefits: The Green Room format, topics and talent have all helped build a greater understanding of the business and culture at Deloitte, benefitting the employer brand.
Hear about Deloitte’s ‘7 Principles’ for creating great content, and how they act as ‘guidelines, not rules; help experts across the business to create content for niche audiences that ‘respects busy with excellence,’ and the benefits of ‘debunking best practice.’

Links and references:

The Green Room podcast from Deloitte
The Green Room special series / Olympic tie-in - The Power of First
Every Other Friday newsletter from Deloitte

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 2 Lucy Ferguson, DeepL AI: The Problem with Thought Leadership

Season 1 · Episode 2

Tuesday, September 10, 2024 • Duration 46:52

Lucy Ferguson, Content and AI Marketer, and former Head of B2B Content at Google, discusses the problem with Thought Leadership. Focusing on the common mistakes she has seen over the course of her career across media owner, agency and platform roles, we discuss how and why B2B brands are turning clients and potential customers off with content that's more 'inside-out' than outside in. Lucy shares insights on how to develop the content your customer needs and the huge ROI potential from taking distribution seriously, including a practical view on how AI can make this better (or worse) depending on the approach you choose.

Key talking points:

How Google’s lens of ‘Helpfulness’ shapes the content the business creates and “helps the user to do their job better”
How to plan thought leadership content effectively when 95% of your audience isn’t ready to buy
The importance of moving on from a campaign / “one and done’ mindset to creatie once, using everywhere.
The case for long term investment in brand platforms and owned IP to grow ‘mental availability’

Internal vs. External Influencers: Deciding who to partner with externally and how to “help the voices inside the organisation become more vocal."

Authenticity Matters: The importance of asking "Is this the best use of your brilliance?" and finding ways to channel what individuals are genuinely passionate and knowledgeable about for creating effective expert content

Generative AI in Content Marketing: Avoiding the risk of anodyne content: "The problem... is using AI in a way that just churns anodyne content... it wasn't written with love… and anything that moves us away from really understanding our audience, really helping people, and sharing new knowledge is going to be a problem." But harnessing the possibilities; "use it as a hypothesis as a test, alongside existing content and compare how it works”

Episode 7 Joel Harrison of B2BMarketing.net and Katy Howell of Immediate Future: The Problem with B2B Influencer Marketing

Season 1 · Episode 7

Tuesday, February 18, 2025 • Duration 51:50

In this episode of The Problem with B2B Marketing, Kevin Sutherland is joined by Joel Harrison of B2BMarketing.net and Katy Howell of Immediate Future to discuss the problem with influencer marketing.

As the B2B creator economy gains momentum, brands are rethinking how they connect with professional audiences. With LinkedIn becoming more conversational, the traditional “stuffy” approach to thought leadership is shifting toward a more human, expert-driven model. But what does this mean for B2B brand building and marketing comms?

Trust in business communications is at an all-time low, and the explosion of AI-generated content isn’t helping. So, where does that leave B2B brands looking to build credibility? In this episode we explore the evolution of B2B influencer marketing, why it’s not actually new, and how brands can leverage trusted voices to cut through the noise.

Key Talking Points

The concept of influencer marketing has always existed in B2B, from PR editorial to thought leadership
The challenges of working with individual influencers versus traditional media platforms
How B2B media publications are adapting to the influencer era
The role of subject matter experts within organisations and how businesses can nurture and empower them
The blurred lines between thought leaders, internal influencers, and those who build their personal brands outside their employer’s umbrella
Why niche expertise matters more than broad industry influence when selecting collaborators
The growing importance of long-term collaboration over transactional relationships in B2B influence strategies
The tricky topic of risk: How can brands ensure they partner with the right influencers? What does due diligence look like?
Why AI-generated content is making thought leadership harder, not easier—and how brands can stand out with

Episode 6 Gemma Greaves, Nurture & Partners: The Problem with B2B Networking (and why we need to reframe it)

Season 1 · Episode 6

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 • Duration 52:49

In this episode of The Problem with B2B Marketing, Kevin Sutherland is joined by Gemma Greaves, co-founder of Nurture & Partners, to tackle an issue many find uncomfortable: networking. Gemma shares her candid perspective on why traditional networking methods often fail, how to overcome the awkwardness, and why reframing it as “not working” can unlock more meaningful connections.

Drawing from her personal experiences and professional insights, Gemma challenges the stereotypes around networking and explains how focusing on authenticity, generosity, and curiosity can lead to stronger, more impactful relationships in business.

Key Talking Points:

Why the Word “Networking” Needs a Rebrand:

Gemma explains her dislike for the term “networking” and its connotations of transactional, insincere interactions
Traditional tactics like exchanging business cards or pitching immediately are not only ineffective but often damaging to long-term relationships

Reframing Networking as “Not Working”:

Approaching events with the mindset of meeting interesting people rather than seeking immediate outcomes
Building genuine connections starts with being yourself and fostering a welcoming environment for others

The Importance of First Impressions:

How event organisers can set the tone for meaningful interactions from the moment someone walks into a room
Why “first impressions are made fast, and they last.”

Three Pillars of Effective Connection Building:

Episode 5 Mat Morrison, Digital Whiskey: Breaking B2B Marketing Orthodoxy

Season 1 · Episode 5

Thursday, November 14, 2024 • Duration 53:00

Mat Morrison, co-founder of Digital Whiskey, media agency for the professional services sector, joins us to discuss the challenges of breaking free from entrenched B2B marketing orthodoxies. In this episode, Mat shares his insights on why traditional approaches to B2B marketing—rooted in performance metrics and short-term gains—are holding companies back from true growth. He tackles the persistent struggle to balance brand building with lead generation and offers fresh perspectives on how businesses can rethink their strategies to drive long-term success.

Key talking points:

The Problem with Performance Overload: Exploring the common over-investment in lead generation and performance marketing at the expense of brand building, and why this short-sighted focus hinders growth.
The Brand Advertising Leap of Faith: Why it's so difficult for businesses to invest in brand advertising when it's hard to see immediate returns—and how to navigate that challenge.
The 95% Rule: Discussing the reality that 95% of your target audience isn’t ready to buy at any given moment and the dangers of over-targeting the small percentage that is.
Rethinking Attribution Models: How current attribution methods, like Google's, often skew our understanding of what’s truly driving long-term business growth—and what we can do about it.
If You Build It, They Won’t Just Come: The myth of content marketing as a 'build and they will come' strategy, and why today’s market demands more than just publishing reports or creating content hubs.
The C-Suite Obsession: Why too many B2B marketing strategies focus solely on the C-suite and overlook the wider decision-making unit, and the importance of reaching all influencers in the buying process.
Authority Content as a Starting Point: How B2B brands can leverage in-depth content like reports and thought leadership pieces, not as end goals, but as catalysts for broader, sustained marketing efforts.
The HubSpot Effect: A look at how HubSpot’s success in content marketing has influenced B2B strategies and why it’s time to rethink the rigid content-first approach.

Episode 4 Emma Clarke, CUSP: The Problem with B2B Communities

Season 1 · Episode 4

Thursday, October 17, 2024 • Duration 42:33

Emma Clarke, founder of community-building consultancy CUSP, explores the challenges of building effective B2B communities. Drawing on her experience working with brands like Soho House, Soho Works and 180 Studios, Emma explains why community building is essential for fostering authentic customer connections, but also outlines why many B2B brands struggle to implement it. She discusses the shift from top-down marketing to customer-led engagement, and offers strategies for overcoming internal resistance, maintaining engagement, and measuring success.

Key talking points:

The Shift to Authenticity: People crave genuine connections, especially post-COVID, and B2B communities can meet this need.

Top-Down vs. Community-Led: The outdated model of brand-controlled messaging versus the benefits of empowering customers to connect with each other.

Why community strategy often isn’t prioritised in B2B marketing and how to make the business case for it.

The difficulty of sustaining customer participation, and how to build communities that offer real value without feeling like an obligation.

The importance of internal champions and a dedicated community lead to drive engagement and sustain momentum.

How to assess the success of a community, and why “fuzzy” metrics like testimonials matter.

Links and references:

Emma Clarke

Soho Works: Community-driven workspaces

Crafty Counsel:

Episode 3 Nick Andrews, Knight Frank: The problem with the B2B Blandemic

Season 1 · Episode 3

Thursday, September 26, 2024 • Duration 39:22

Nick Andrews, Partner and Head of Commercial Marketing at Knight Frank, delves into what he calls the "B2B Blandemic"—a term borrowed from designer Thomas Heatherwick to describe the wave of uninspired, forgettable content in B2B marketing.

Drawing from his experience, Nick breaks down why so much B2B messaging fails to resonate and outlines actionable strategies to stand out without resorting to gimmicks. He also explores the implications of over-investing in performance marketing at the expense of brand building, and the importance of balancing short-term gains with long-term value creation.

Key talking points:

The B2B Blandemic: The overwhelming prevalence of generic, forgettable content in B2B spaces and the need to move beyond this trend.
Standing Out Without the 'Jazz Hands': Why B2B brands struggle to differentiate and how to create authentic, memorable messaging.
The Real Cost of Blandness: How dull content results in significantly higher media spend to achieve the same level of cut-through as more creative, engaging campaigns.
The 80% Engagement Problem: A staggering 80% of B2B content fails to engage, with ads seeing a similarly high rate of neutral responses.
Performance Marketing vs. Brand Building: The risk of over-investing in performance marketing and neglecting brand-building efforts, and why this imbalance can lead to long-term consequences.
The 95/5 Rule: Why 95% of your target audience isn’t ready to buy and the dangers of focusing exclusively on the small percentage that is.
Customer Orientation: The importance of shifting from a product- or sales-oriented mindset to one that prioritises customer needs and market insights

Knight Frank

Peter Weinber and John Lombardo - The Principles of B2B Marketing

Episode 8 Michelle Booth, former Natwest and Lloyds: The Problem with B2B… Change

Season 1 · Episode 8

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 • Duration 57:19

In this episode of The Problem with B2B Marketing, Kevin Sutherland is joined by Michelle Booth, former head of marketing strategy & innovation at NatWest, and former head of Growth & innovation at Lloyds, now on Sabbatical studying performance at Central St Martins to talk about the challenge of making real change happen inside organisations.

Episode Summary

Change may be constant, but making it happen is another matter. Whether it’s digital transformation, cultural shifts, or just evolving the processes that make the business work, many organisations struggle to turn ambitions into real action, or adapt effectively to changing markets.

Michelle and Kevin discuss the realities of organisational change, why so many initiatives stall, and what makes the difference between a plan that gathers dust and one that actually delivers results.

Key Talking Points

The gap between strategy and execution - why change often gets stuck before it starts
How internal culture and behaviours shape whether change succeeds or fails
The risk of overcomplicating change with frameworks and methodologies
Why people, not just processes, should be at the heart of any change initiative
The balance between stability and adaptation - how to evolve without constant disruption
The myth of agility - why moving fast doesn’t always mean making progress
What B2B marketing’s brand vs. performance debate can teach us about long-term vs. short-term change
Why small, targeted interventions often work better than large-scale change programs
The power of asking the right questions - and why many organisations avoid the difficult ones
How external consultants can be useful - but why they’re sometimes brought in just to confirm what leadership already thinks
The tension between efficiency and growth - and why cutting costs isn’t the same as making progress

Episode 9 Matthew Magee, Pinsent Masons: The Problem with B2B… Thought Leaders

Season 1 · Episode 9

Thursday, April 24, 2025 • Duration 59:22

In this episode, we’re joined by Matthew Magee, Head of Digital Content at Pinsent Masons, which has been the most visited legal firm website in the world, every month, for the past 20 years. Drawing on his background as a journalist and his experience leading one of the most respected content operations in professional services, Matthew shares how the firm’s flagship platform, Out-Law, delivers true value to clients and prospects by getting the expertise and knowledge inside the firm out into the market, and why quality always wins out over quantity.

Matthew explains why so much content marketing often fails to deliver for the audience in B2B, how to create structures that elevate rather than dilute expertise, and what makes Out-Law a different beast to the sea of “thought leadership” swamping inboxes. He also shares his admiration for content powerhouses like EY and offers advice to aspiring content professionals.

Talking Points:

Why content should be led by content people - “If you want content done properly, get content people to do it — and give them the backing to challenge the status quo”
The importance of structure, process, and editorial confidence in surfacing firm-wide expertise
How Out-Law has built a trusted audience by behaving more like a newsroom than a marketing team
Why internal power structures often shape external content (and how to break that pattern)
Why AI-content 'gumming up' the channels might be good for firms like Pinsent Masons
What professional services firms can learn from the consistency and clarity of the Big Four
Why early-career content people still benefit from newsroom rigour - even as those environments disappear
The problem with data: how non-experts can learn to ask better questions about content performance
And, adding to our growing collection of marketing analogies, meet Shrödingers content marketing…

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law

Hosted on Acast. See for more information.

Episode 11 Dom Hawes, Selbey Anderson: B2B Marketing is “looking in the wrong direction”

Season 1 · Episode 11

Thursday, June 12, 2025 • Duration 01:04:14

Is marketing having an identity crisis? In this episode, Kevin sits down with Dom Hawes, CEO of agency group Selbey Anderson, to ask why so much B2B marketing has become narrowly focused on content and comms, at the expense of strategy, pricing, product, and customer value. Dom argues that we’ve reduced a business-critical discipline to “T-shirts, mugs, and websites” - and it’s time to fix it.

From the untapped power of pricing to the rise of “untitled marketers,” and the problem with even calling it ‘B2B…’ this episode is a thought-provoking take on what business marketing really is, and what we all should be doing instead of ‘looking in the wrong direction…”

We cover:

Why marketing needs to reclaim its role as a strategic business driver - “There's a generation of ‘untitled marketers’ - they’re in operations, customer success, even product - but they’re doing more real marketing than the marketing department.”
How brands lose value when marketing is reduced to comms - “If your marketing function isn’t touching price, product, or distribution, you’re not doing marketing.”
What marketers can learn from DevOps and why AI will reshape agencies - “AI won’t kill agencies, but the ones that can’t shift from outputs to outcomes will struggle.”
Why being “more human” is too lazy a goal.
The trouble with orthodoxies like 95/5, and how they mislead - “The 95/5 model is misused. It's become another stick to hit marketers with instead of helping them think.”
How to stop trying to “do more” and start focusing on impact - “A great marketer starts with three questions: Who is the customer? What do they want? And how do I create more value than the next guy?”
The ‘pile-on’ culture on LinkedIn, and why it undermines the profession - “People pile in to attack ideas they don’t like. That’s not thought leadership, it’s thought policing.”
Why ROI is the wrong conversation, and what to measure instead.

The Problem With B2B Marketing – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Problem With B2B Marketing – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

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