B2B Brief | 29 Aug 2025
TL;DR:
Reaching a growth target requires understanding where your company stands. Too often, companies rely on outdated comparisons that miss the nuance of fast-moving markets.
While AI-driven solutions offer speed, efficiency, and convenience, recent analysis suggests that the demand for genuine human engagement is far from diminishing.
Most B2B CEOs never worked in marketing- fewer than one in five held the title. No surprise then, that budgets shrink and marketing gets boxed in as support instead of growth.
AI is no longer new to B2B marketers. It is part of the daily workflow. Yet while nearly every team is using it, most are still only operating at a basic level.
Almost 40% of B2B deals don’t close, as noted in the Challenger’s B2B Buyer Study? And, according to Gartner, 60% of deals lost are due to non-decisions.
Despite the increased attention on B2B brand building, many marketers are reporting that it’s still difficult to win support for increased investments in brand marketing programmes...
91% of marketers say they’re increasing content output this year, and nearly half (46%) report producing 3-5x more than in 2024, but only 75% received budget increases.
Every CMO discussion I've had in the last 90 days starts with the AI question. Love to see more of Grove's POV on advising benchmarking on how to take analog to AI marketing operations.