
Trust & Influence in B2B
I’m Joel Harrison, founder of B2B Marketing.net (formerly B2B Marketing magazine) Propolis and the B2B Marketing Awards. It’s been my mission for the past 21 years to recognise, celebrate and evangelise for the amazing p...
Insights from recent episode analysis
On the show
- Karen Feldman1 ep
- Tony Larks1 ep
- Archana Dhankar1 ep
Also: Jason Miller, Karl Van den Bergh, Rida Oyebade, Fiona McKenzie, Lottie O'Donoghue, Robin Caller, Tom Rudnai
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Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
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Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
Built from
By chart position
- 🇺🇸United States · MarketingHOME#12440K to 2.3M
- 🇬🇧United Kingdom · Marketing#1304K to 1.6M
- 🇮🇩ID · Marketing#18458 to 307
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
744K to 3.9M🎙 Biweekly cadence·72 episodes·Last published 1w ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
1.1M to 5.6M🇺🇸59%🇬🇧41% - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
425K to 2.2M
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/14/26 | How to win trust in ABM's biggest deals | Why AI makes human experiences more valuable, not less, with Claire Ellis of JPCABM was supposed to be about relationships. As AI makes targeting and personalisation cheap and abundant, the thing ABM was meant to build in the first place, trust with the people who actually decide, has become the real differentiator. Nowhere is that more acute than in ABM's biggest deals, where a single account can be worth millions and keeping it can matter even more than winning it.➡️ Joel Harrison is joined by Claire Ellis, Managing Director of JPC, to unpack experiential ABM: human moments designed to move specific stakeholders, rather than events that simply fill rooms. Claire explains why buyers are now using AI to form preferences early and out of sight, why so much supplier activity is noise rather than relationship progress, and how to work out who really carries the room. She shares how BT moved from infrastructure provider to strategic partner with Translink, where organisations should deliberately keep human judgement in the loop, and why accountability matters more than accuracy when AI shapes what a senior buyer sees. If you run ABM, or are weighing up where your next experience budget should go, this conversation will sharpen how you plan, measure and own those moments. This episode is sponsored by JPC.What you’ll learnWhy AI has made trust harder to earn in complex deals, and what buyers rely on instead.How to design experiences around the change you need in specific stakeholders, rather than around the format.How to spot who really carries the room, and when to rethink your account plan.Where to deliberately keep human judgement, and how open to be about AI's role.What credible relationship movement looks like, and who should own what happens next.Chapters00:00 Introduction: trust and ABM in an AI world01:55 Claire Ellis and JPC04:29 Where suppliers go wrong in complex deals08:26 AI cuts both ways: why trust is harder to earn11:59 Influencing an account before the opportunity exists15:30 What experiential ABM is, and what it isn't18:06 Why the format gets decided first, and what it costs22:00 Finding who really carries the room26:17 BT and Translink: when co-creation is real31:14 Where to keep human judgement in the loop35:13 Accuracy, authenticity and accountability in AI37:44 What credible relationship movement looks like41:47 What a CMO should ask before booking anything44:11 Close and where to find out moreFollow Claire EllisClaire Ellis on LinkedIn ▶ https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireellisjpc/JPC ▶ https://thinkjpc.com/Find out moreRead JPC's report, The human advantage in an AI-powered world ▶ https://thinkjpc.turtl.co/story/experiential-abm-roundtable-recap/page/1?pid=6aabbc5b8632548bf34bd33cHear Claire and JPC at the Global ABM conference ▶ https://events.b2bmarketing.net/abmconferenceIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach, whether you're a marketing leader, an ABM practitioner, or working alongside sales on your most important accounts.🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬 What's the last event in your account plan that actually moved a relationship? Let us know in the comments below.🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing.📲 Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ABM, #AccountBasedMarketing, #ExperientialABM, #ExperientialMarketing, #B2BTrust, #AIinMarketing, #EnterpriseSales, #StrategicAccounts, #SalesAndMarketing, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BStrategy, #CMOLeadership, #B2BGrowth | 40m 14s | ||||||
| 10/7/26 | Everyone's talking about BGM, but how do you measure maturity? | Analysis from Pretzl's new Buying Group Index | Everyone's talking about buyer group marketing. Far fewer are doing it well, and most organisations have no reliable way of knowing how mature their approach really is. For this sponsored episode, Joel Harrison is joined by Greg Salmon, CEO of Pretzl, and Jeff Lowe, Pretzl's go-to-market advisor and a former CMO and Chief Commercial Officer at SMART Technologies, to unpack the 2026 Buyer Group Index. Produced in association with the ANA and research firm NewtonX, the Index surveyed 200 senior go-to-market leaders and measured 28 practices against commercial outcomes, from pipeline velocity to time to market.➡️ Greg explains why so much of what passes for buyer group marketing is persona-based nurture under a new name, why the single score of the MQL is so comforting and so misleading, and how to reach the hidden influencers and build trust with people a vendor may never meet. He also warns that AI can scale bad assumptions as easily as good ones. Jeff draws on his years client-side to argue that separate sales and marketing teams are an outdated idea, explains why connected data has become a CMO's problem, and sets out what the leading organisations do differently.What You'll LearnWhy so much of what passes for buyer group marketing is persona-based nurture under a new name, and how to tell the difference.How to identify the hidden influencers in a buying group and build trust with people you may never meet.Why AI is speeding up go-to-market activity without automatically improving growth, and what to do about how AI represents your brand.Why connected data and genuine sales and marketing alignment are the highest-impact practices, and among the weakest.What the leading organisations do differently, and how to benchmark your own maturity in around 15 minutes.Chapters00:00 Introduction: Pretzl and buyer group marketing01:57 Introducing the 2026 Buyer Group Index03:59 When buyer group marketing is persona nurture by another name04:38 What a maturity score of 63.2 tells us07:01 Why the MQL is so hard to let go of10:06 Who the hidden influencers are11:25 Building trust with people you never meet12:28 Practical step: mapping your buyer group14:57 When most buyer research happens out of sight16:31 Why AI isn't automatically improving growth17:36 How AI represents your brand18:49 Practical step: the next 90 days20:09 Jeff Lowe: from client-side to Pretzl20:59 Why the real benchmark is lower than 63.222:18 Connected data and the systems gap24:00 Should sales and marketing be one team?26:56 What the leading organisations do differently29:23 Practical step: benchmark your own maturity31:31 Wrap-upFollow Greg Salmon, Jeff Lowe and PretzlGreg Salmon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-salmon-280a1412/Jeff Lowe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflowe2/Pretzl: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pretzlco/Take the free Buyer Group Index assessment: [link]If you're responsible for go-to-market and want an honest view of where your organisation stands, this conversation is for you. It's practical, candid and packed with first steps you can act on now.🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬 Is your buyer group marketing the real thing, or persona nurture with a new name? Let us know in the comments below.🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲 Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/ Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BStrategy, #BuyerGroupMarketing, #BuyerGroups, #GoToMarket, #GTMStrategy, #SalesAndMarketing, #ABM, #RevOps, #AIinMarketing, #CMOLeadership, #B2BGrowth | 32m 23s | ||||||
| 9/29/26 | B2B nostalgia: how and when to go retro in your campaigns | Five creative approaches from the B2B Marketing Awards entries, with Guy O'Brien of Custom Influence | Nostalgia sells everything from trainers to TV reboots, yet it barely registers in B2B marketing. To find out why, Joel Harrison went through three years of B2B Marketing Awards entries in search of the exceptions, and invited Guy O'Brien, co-founder of B2B influencer marketing agency Custom Influence, into the studio to make sense of what he found.➡️ Together they unpack five ways B2B brands are going retro, from Exel Composites retelling the Three Little Pigs to Allica Bank's bowler hat, and ask why so few try it. Guy's verdict is that nostalgia isn't wrong for B2B, it's just hard: target the wrong generation and you alienate the buyers coming through; lean too far into the joke and people remember the ad but not the brand. Joel adds a warning of his own about nostalgia that stirs the wrong memories. If you're weighing a bolder creative idea, this conversation will help you judge when going retro will pay off.What You'll LearnWhy nostalgia is everywhere in consumer marketing but rare in B2B, and why that comes down to difficulty rather than suitability.The five creative approaches B2B brands are using to go retro, with campaign examples from the B2B Marketing Awards.How to avoid alienating buyers from other generations as B2B buying groups get younger.Why the brand, not the nostalgic idea, has to be what people remember.How a nostalgic idea can build a community rather than a one-off moment.Chapters00:00 - Introduction: where this conversation came from01:52 - Guy O'Brien and Custom Influence03:44 - Nostalgia and the humanisation of B2B04:27 - Trend 1: Generational era cues (Just Group)09:45 - Why nostalgia is so rare in B2B11:25 - Trend 2: Childhood storytelling (Exel Composites)17:16 - Trend 3: Retro media formats (Infoblox and 6sense)22:45 - Trend 4: Period-specific aesthetics (Ecolab)27:14 - Trend 5: Iconography of tradition (Allica Bank)34:29 - The verdict: is nostalgia viable in B2B?36:14 - When nostalgia backfires40:47 - Where to find the campaignsFollow Guy O'BrienLinkedIn: [link]Custom Influence: https://custominfluence.com/Closing boilerplateIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to creative and thought leadership, whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬 Would you take your B2B brand retro, or is nostalgia best left to consumer marketers? Let us know in the comments below.🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲 Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/ Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #NostalgiaMarketing, #B2BCreative, #CreativeEffectiveness, #BrandBuilding, #InfluencerMarketing, #B2BMarketingAwards | 39m 06s | ||||||
| 9/22/26 | Think you control the buyer journey? Think again... | Why LLMs and influencers are in the driving seat, with John Rockhold of Spotlight | The winning vendor is usually already on the buyer's shortlist before a single sales conversation happens, and increasingly, it isn't a salesperson or a website that put them there. It's a large language model, quietly checking what real people are already saying about you.John Rockhold, VP of Market Engagement at Spotlight, joins Joel Harrison to unpack Influence Orchestration, Spotlight's new research into how buying preference now forms in AI answer engines, peer communities and analyst conversations, long before a deal ever reaches a pipeline. John's team interviewed 23 leaders who build and measure B2B influence, reviewed 27 published studies of buyer behaviour, and analysed millions of AI engine answers and citations across B2B technology categories. The conversation also draws on Spotlight Summit, the event John's team ran in Kansas City the week this episode was recorded, where Joel spoke alongside Bijou Barry, Megan Burns and other voices shaping this shift.What you'll learnWhy buyer preference now largely forms out of sight, in AI prompt windows, peer conversations and communities, before a vendor even knows a deal existsWhat separates the vendors AI answer engines actually recommend from the ones they ignoreWhy earned trust compounds over time, while paid attention resets the moment you stop paying for itWho should really own influence inside a B2B company, and why almost nobody does todayWhat to check in your own AI visibility on Monday morning, and what to do if you don't like what you findIf you find this conversation valuable, please take a moment to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating or review. It really helps other B2B marketers discover the show.Chapters00:00 Introduction: the shortlist is already written01:47 Welcome, John Rockhold02:08 Inside Spotlight Summit04:22 What Spotlight does, and where the report began08:25 Why “Influence Orchestration”11:22 The day one shortlist: 95% and what it means for the buyer journey15:05 Robots, humans, and the return of intermediaries16:55 The verification loop: how buyers check what the machine tells them19:20 Earned versus owned: the quote, the sidebar, and the flip22:13 Megan Burns and the internal trust problem25:28 Why nobody owns influence, and why that has to change26:42 The 50% ceiling: when owned content collapses your visibility28:20 Three predictions for 2027 and 202833:48 What to check on Monday morning35:15 Does compounding influence favour challengers or incumbents?38:33 What John learned at Spotlight SummitChapter times are taken from the pre-edit transcript. Re-time against the published cut once the final edit is locked.Follow John RockholdLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrockhold/Spotlight: https://spotlight-io.com/More from Trust & Influence in B2B🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community: https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬 What's the one place your buyers are checking that you haven't thought about yet? Let us know in the comments.🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing: https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲 Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast: https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/Instagram: https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#B2BMarketing #TrustAndInfluence #InfluenceOrchestration #AIinMarketing #GEO #AEO #BuyerJourney #AnalystRelations #B2BPodcast #MarketingPodcast #JoelHarrison #Spotlight #JohnRockhold | 38m 32s | ||||||
| 9/15/26 | Automating judgment, not just tasks | Michelle Huff on building AI trust the way you'd onboard a new hire | Every B2B vendor now has an AI story. Michelle Huff, Chief Marketing Officer at Alteryx, argues that's exactly the problem: when everyone makes the same promise, positioning around AI stops being a differentiator and becomes table stakes. Michelle brings more than 25 years leading marketing and go-to-market strategy at Oracle, Salesforce and UserTesting to the question of how a 25-year-old analytics brand earns its place in the AI era without sliding into hype.Joel and Michelle talk through how Alteryx replaces claims with proof – a 760,000-member user community, customer stories, and a framework (Visible, Understandable, Repeatable, Auditable) for what makes an automated decision trustworthy. Michelle also unpacks a strikingly simple way to think about handing judgment to AI: treat it like onboarding a new hire, earning autonomy step by step rather than switching it on and walking away.What you'll learnWhy positioning around AI is now table stakes rather than a differentiator – and what to do about itHow to move a brand beyond me-too claims to demonstrable, genuine valueWhat proof of substance actually looks like to a buyer who's heard every AI promise beforeWhy the real AI story is about automating judgment, not just tasksA practical framework for deciding what's ready to automate and what still needs a human in the loopChapters00:00 Introduction: why AI positioning is now table stakes02:02 Meet Michelle Huff and Alteryx's 25-year evolution04:54 25 years across tech shifts: the instinct that carries through08:49 Beyond the AI me-too: proving value, not just claiming it10:36 Community and advocacy at scale12:21 Building movements, not monuments: the Salesforce influence14:00 Where AI genuinely changes the product vs. just the language15:50 Vision vs. reality: staying grounded while pointing ahead16:19 Repositioning a legacy brand without over-claiming20:15 The BIRA framework: visible, understandable, repeatable, auditable23:50 Data vs. story: which one wins when they pull apart26:45 Automating judgment: the new-hire analogy and the trust score31:02 Task-owners vs. problem-owners: staying valuable as AI reshapes marketing32:58 Advice for teams that don't trust their AI output yet34:29 Closing thoughtsFollow Michelle HuffLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellehuff/Alteryx: https://www.alteryx.com/Closing boilerplateIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership – whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬 Where's the line for you between AI that's a genuine step change and AI that's just new language on old capability? Let us know in the comments below.🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲 Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/ | 34m 47s | ||||||
| 9/8/26 | B2B marketingtrust building+3 | Karen Feldman | Iron MountainIBM Consulting+1 | — | Iron MountainCMO+5 | — | 39m 36s | ||
| 9/1/26 | B2B marketingNPS+4 | Tony Larks | Bain & Co.Gartner+4 | — | NPSshortlist score+5 | — | 38m 35s | ||
| 8/11/26 | B2B marketinginfluence+4 | Archana Dhankar | Proofpoint | — | B2B marketinginfluence+6 | — | 32m 44s | ||
| 8/5/26 | B2B marketingmusic industry+4 | Jason Miller | V7 LabsLinkedIn+5 | — | B2B marketingaudience attention+5 | — | 37m 12s | ||
| 7/25/26 | leadershipauthenticity+4 | Karl Van den Bergh | IllumioGigamon+1 | — | trustauthenticity+5 | — | 30m 55s | ||
Want analysis for the episodes below?Free for Pro Submit a request, we'll have your selected episodes analyzed within an hour. Free, at no cost to you, for Pro users. | |||||||||
| 7/23/26 | employee advocacyB2B marketing+5 | Rida Oyebade | Workday | — | employee advocacycontent strategy+7 | — | 31m 58s | ||
| 7/14/26 | B2B marketingCannes Lions+4 | Fiona McKenzie | MarketbridgeFT+3 | Faroe Islands | Cannes LionsB2B marketing+6 | — | 39m 28s | ||
| 7/8/26 | B2B marketingrecommendation strategies+4 | Lottie O'Donoghue | SaaSAccenture | — | B2B dealsrecommendation marketing+5 | Velo | 30m 24s | ||
| 7/2/26 | lead generationB2B marketing+4 | Robin Caller | Leadscale | — | lead generationB2B+5 | — | 42m 30s | ||
| 6/23/26 | B2B marketingAI influence+3 | Tom Rudnai | Demand GeniusDark AI study | — | AIB2B marketing+5 | — | 35m 47s | ||
| 6/16/26 | Why Replacing Junior Marketers With AI Is a False Economy | Professor Laura Chamberlain on Next-Gen Talent | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Professor Laura Chamberlain, Professor of Marketing at the University of Warwick and Founder of Think Talk Thrive. They tackle one of the most pressing questions in the profession right now: Do we still need junior marketers—and if so, what do we owe them? As AI absorbs entry-level tasks and graduate vacancies continue to shrink, is marketing quietly destroying its own talent pipeline?➡️ Laura draws on years of teaching across every level of the profession—from undergraduates to C-suite executives—to challenge the notion that AI can simply replace junior roles. She makes a compelling case that young professionals bring far more than cheap labour: native AI fluency, cultural proximity, fresh thinking, and an eagerness that senior hires can't replicate. She and Joel explore how the erosion of mentorship, rising imposter phenomenon among 18–25-year-olds, and the compression of entry-level roles are creating a long-horizon crisis no single company will feel—until it's far too late. If you're in any way responsible for building or leading a marketing team, this episode will challenge how you think about who you hire, how you develop them, and what the profession stands to lose if we keep pulling the ladder up behind us.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: The Junior Marketer Crisis 02:06 - Laura's Background and Teaching Perspective 03:13 - Is Marketing a Career Young People Choose or Fall Into? 06:29 - What's Preoccupying Students Entering the Profession 09:48 - The Graduate Jobs Squeeze and AI's Role 11:37 - Debunking the "We Don't Need Juniors" Narrative 14:31 - What Young Professionals Uniquely Bring to Marketing Teams 17:20 - The Case for Mentorship and Why It's Breaking Down 23:42 - How Junior Marketers Learn Without Entry-Level Tasks 25:42 - Learning to Be Strategic: The New Junior Skillset 30:06 - Specialists vs. Generalists in Marketing Education 34:51 - Are Young People Better or Worse at Using AI? 39:33 - The Long-Term Cost of Abandoning Junior Talent 41:09 - What Needs to Change: Laura's Call to ActionFollow Laura Chamberlainhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lmchamberlain/ If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬What do you think comes first—investing in junior talent or letting AI fill the gap? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/ Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #JuniorMarketers, #MarketingTalent, #AIinMarketing, #MarketingEducation, #EarlyCareer, #FutureOfMarketing, #MarketingMentorship, #TalentPipeline | 43m 28s | ||||||
| 6/9/26 | What Access Group Learned from a Year on the AI Bus | Kate Hassler's Inside Track on How a $9 Billion B2B Software Powerhouse Has Made AI Business as Usual | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Kate Hassler, Group Director of Brand and Comms at Access Group—a $9 billion global B2B software company serving 160,000 customers across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. While headlines scream of AI-driven redundancies at tech giants, Access Group took the opposite approach: hiring more people, running company-wide hackathons, and building a culture where AI is simply business as usual. So what does a genuinely human-led AI transformation actually look like from the inside?➡️ Kate walks through every stage of Access Group's journey—from pockets of shadow AI usage and no formal governance, to enterprise Claude licenses with custom brand skills built in. She reveals the story behind the now-legendary "AI bus" metaphor that united 9,000 employees around a single, simple idea, and explains how structured playtime - not mandates - turned the biggest sceptics into the most vocal champions. She digs into why Access chose to protect junior talent rather than cut it, how one senior designer reinvented himself as an AI strategist, and why the "human at the start, human at the end" principle is what separates meaningful content from AI slop. Whether you're a marketing leader navigating an AI rollout or just trying to get your team over the line, Kate's blueprint is grounded, practical, and genuinely inspiring.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: AI and the B2B Marketing Workplace02:12 - Kate Hassler and Access Group Overview04:03 - Company-Wide AI as a Strategic Priority07:26 - The London Bus Metaphor: Origin and Impact11:04 - Why the Metaphor Has Endured a Year On12:32 - From Shadow AI to Structured Adoption14:33 - Copilot, Claude, and the Licensing Journey17:27 - Building Custom Claude Brand Skills19:00 - Human at the Start, Human at the End21:14 - Hackathons, Play, and AI Champions25:37 - Job Security and Empathy-Led Leadership28:07 - Splash Maker: A Creative Reinvents as Strategist32:49 - Biggest Lessons from 12 Months of AI Transformation36:37 - Junior Talent and the Future PipelineFollow Kate Hassler https://linkedin.com/in/kate-hassler https://www.theaccessgroup.comIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬What do you think comes first—getting your team on board with AI, or putting the governance in place? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #AIAdoption, #AIInMarketing, #MarketingLeadership, #AITransformation, #FutureOfWork, #CreativeServices, #B2BTech | 39m 59s | ||||||
| 6/2/26 | B2B Tech Marketing's Human-First Future in The Age of AI | Exclusive Insights from B2B Marketing Awards Data, Focusing on Four Key Trends, with Tejal Patel | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Tejal Patel, Independent Marketing Consultant and former marketing leader at Cisco, Microsoft, and Nokia. Together, they examine how B2B technology marketing is changing as AI reshapes content creation and digital channels become more saturated than ever. Using exclusive insights from B2B Marketing Awards data, they reveal four emerging trends that are helping leading brands stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.➡️ Tejal explains why marketers are moving beyond traditional buyer personas and investing more heavily in developers, practitioners, employees, and advocates who influence purchasing decisions from within. The conversation explores the growing importance of employee advocacy, experiential marketing, proof-of-concept campaigns, and highly targeted direct mail programs that cut through digital noise. They also discuss why trust, authenticity, and human experiences are becoming more valuable competitive advantages—and why many marketing measurement frameworks may be preventing organizations from fully embracing these strategies.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction and Why Tech Marketing Leads B2B Innovation01:23 - Meet Tejal Patel and the Rise of Human-Centric Marketing05:21 - The Shift Toward Internal Influencers and Practitioner Audiences10:22 - Why Marketers Are Targeting Doers Instead of Decision-Makers12:15 - The Measurement Challenge Behind Long-Term Marketing Success14:02 - Employee Advocacy and Authentic Brand Influence16:51 - Proof of Concept as a Marketing Campaign18:01 - Why Demonstration Beats Persuasion20:52 - Quality Over Quantity in Modern B2B Marketing23:19 - The Growth of Experiential and Sensory Marketing25:11 - What Gen Z Buyers Teach Us About Engagement27:29 - Creating Experiences That Prove Value31:13 - Building Impactful Experiences on Smaller Budgets33:53 - The Return of Direct Mail in B2B37:21 - Has Digital Marketing Lost Its Distinction?39:59 - The One Thing Marketing Leaders Should Change Today42:34 - Final Thoughts and Closing RemarksFollow Tejal Patelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tejal/https://tejalpatel.co.uk/If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It’s honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬 What do you think will matter more in the future of B2B marketing—AI-powered efficiency or human-centered experiences?🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with the marketers, leaders, and innovators shaping the future of B2B.📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #TechMarketing, #ExperientialMarketing, #EmployeeAdvocacy, #ABM, #DemandGeneration, #MarketingInnovation, #MarketingLeadership, #CustomerExperience | 43m 07s | ||||||
| 5/27/26 | Best in show B2B | Why The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is blooming for Addleshaw Goddard's full-funnel campaign, with Brian Macreadie | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Brian Macreadie, Head of Marketing at Addleshaw Goddard, one of the UK's most creatively ambitious international law firms. Brian reveals how his team did something no legal firm had ever done before—becoming the first-ever official legal partner of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show—and built a full-funnel campaign around it called Flourish in the City. Could flowers, billboards, and a garden at Chelsea really deliver 350% ROI and 40 new clients in under a year?➡️ With over 30 years of B2B marketing experience across telecoms, media, and legal, Brian doesn't just talk about creativity—he proves it pays. He breaks down the strategic thinking behind Flourish in the City: why a noisy, content-saturated legal market demanded something radically different, and how a single emotionally resonant idea can anchor an entire integrated campaign. From 19 digital billboards at Bank and London Bridge, to handing flowers to city commuters, to hosting 400+ VIP clients across 57 intimate Chelsea events—this is full-funnel B2B marketing at its boldest. Brian also tackles the harder questions: how do you build internal buy-in for long-term, creative marketing investment? How do brand and ABM complement rather than compete? And what does it really take to build the kind of trust that turns one conversation into a 25-year client relationship? His two golden rules haven't changed in 30 years—and they're more relevant than ever.Chapters:00:00 Podcast Welcome00:30 Meet Brian McCredie00:55 Inside the London Office02:01 Flourish in the City03:50 Episode Learning Goals04:36 Brian Career Journey05:40 Why Legal Needs Creativity07:19 About Addleshaw Goddard08:33 The Attention Problem09:55 Trust and Top of Mind11:58 Why Chelsea Flower Show13:34 Authentic Brand Fit16:28 Pilot Proof and Client Love17:39 Behind the Scenes at Chelsea19:17 Flourish in the City21:05 Making the Long Term Case23:22 Sponsorship as Full Funnel25:06 VIP Events at Chelsea27:54 Citywide Media Blitz31:31 Measuring Impact and ROI33:16 Building Creative Buy In36:08 Results and Payback37:18 Transferable Marketing Lessons40:17 Final Takeaways and CloseFollow Brian Macreadie, https://linkedin.com/in/bmacreadie?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://addleshawgoddard.comIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬What do you think comes first—insightful data or a compelling story? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/ Podcast▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #LegalMarketing, #B2BCreativity, #SponsorshipMarketing, #FullFunnelMarketing, #BrandBuilding, #B2BEvents, #IntegratedMarketing | 42m 16s | ||||||
| 5/19/26 | Why Data is Still The Achilles Heel of B2B Marketing | Trust in Data Remains at Rock-Bottom for Enterprises — Maureen Blandford Explains What Marketers Can Do About It | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Maureen Blandford, Founder of Serendipitas and co-author of the Diginomica Enterprise Data Health Study. Together, they expose one of B2B marketing's most uncomfortable truths: that senior leaders across major enterprises don't actually trust their own data—even when they say they do. Could the data powering your most critical business decisions be far less reliable than anyone is willing to admit out loud?➡️ Maureen draws on nearly twelve years as a B2B tech CMO and frank conversations with eighteen senior practitioners—CEOs, CDOs, and commercial leaders—to unpack the dangerous gap between stated and behavioral trust in enterprise data. She introduces the "verification tax," where organisations are burning 30 to 70% of professional time simply assembling and reconciling data rather than analysing it. They dig into why 94% of organisations still have siloed data despite years of integration projects, why legacy MarTech was never built for strategic business needs, and why vendor-funded research is feeding a narrative that doesn't match reality on the ground. On AI, the findings are stark: vendor surveys claim 93% of organisations plan to deploy autonomous AI agents within two years—yet only 3 of 18 interviewed organisations have anything resembling agentic AI in practice. Maureen also shares what genuine AI readiness requires and, crucially, three things any senior marketer can do this week—with no new budget and no board approval—to start making real, lasting progress.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to the B2B Data Trust Crisis02:28 - Why Data Became Maureen's Central Obsession04:10 - What the Current Data Narrative Gets Wrong05:37 - Stated Trust vs. Behavioural Trust: The Key Discovery11:26 - The Verification Tax and Its Hidden Cost14:12 - Why MarTech Was Never Built for Strategy15:55 - 94% of Organisations Still Have Siloed Data19:29 - Why Vendor Research Misleads Buyers23:39 - The AI Readiness Gap: 93% vs. Reality29:08 - The Three Types of AI Organisations (and the Most Dangerous One)31:00 - Rays of Sunshine: What's Actually Working34:41 - Three Things You Can Do Starting MondayFollow Maureen Blandford, https://linkedin.com/in/maureenblandford/ https://serendipitas.comIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬What do you think is the biggest barrier to data trust in B2B—the tools, the culture, or the narrative? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1👉Subscribe now and tap the bell icon to get notified whenever a new episode drops—from the show floor, the studio, or the front lines of B2B.---------------📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/---------------#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #DataTrust, #B2BData, #AIReadiness, #DataHealth, #EnterpriseData, #VerificationTax, #MarketingAnalytics | 37m 04s | ||||||
| 5/12/26 | The Four Pillars of Success in The Agentic AI Era: Governance, Judgement, Taste and Orchestration | With Angela Tangas of Oliver | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Angela Tangas, CEO of Oliver, part of the Brandtech Group—the original pioneers of the in-house agency model. Together, they tackle one of the most urgent questions facing B2B marketing leaders right now: how do you move beyond AI experimentation and drive genuine, scalable transformation? And is the operating model you choose as important as the technology itself?➡️ Angela draws on her experience working with eight of the world's ten largest advertisers across forty-eight countries to deliver a frank, practical, and genuinely eye-opening conversation. She explains why 2025 became the year of "pilot purgatory" for so many organisations—and what separates the brands that broke through from those that didn't. She unpacks the layered pressures on B2B marketing teams today, from longer deal cycles and more decision-makers to the commoditisation of AI-generated content, and makes the case for why volume without effectiveness is a dead end. Angela also tackles the environmental footprint of AI adoption—an issue she argues deserves far more attention—and sets out a clear, actionable framework for marketing leaders who want to build momentum this quarter. From governance and change management to agentic workflows and the future of the resource mix, this episode is packed with real-world insight.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to AI-Led Marketing Transformation02:09 - How Oliver and Brandtech Group Work04:05 - What's Driving Urgency Behind AI Adoption in B2B07:09 - The Capability Gap in B2B Marketing Teams08:15 - Where Marketing Teams Are Focusing Their AI Efforts10:37 - Efficiency vs. Effectiveness: Are Teams Getting It Right?14:02 - The In-House Agency Model Explained18:26 - How Oliver's Role Has Evolved with AI20:24 - Managing the Resource Mix: Internal Teams, Agencies & AI23:11 - The Environmental Cost of AI in Marketing25:59 - What's Holding Organisations Back from Real Transformation29:37 - What Marketing Operations Will Look Like in 2–3 Years32:39 - Where Marketing Leaders Should Start This QuarterFollow Angela Tangas, linkedin.com/in/angelatangas oliver.agencyIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬What do you think comes first—insightful data or a compelling story? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ |Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #AgenticAI, #AITransformation, #InHouseAgency, #MarketingOperations, #GenerativeAI, #AIinMarketing, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandtechGroup | 37m 22s | ||||||
| 5/4/26 | Is PE killing the B2B ROI imperative? | Nick Eades on what PE-backed marketing teaches the rest of B2B | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Nick Eades, Chief Strategy Officer at Freemarket and one of B2B marketing's most experienced senior leaders, having served as CMO five times across PE-backed, publicly quoted, and VC-funded businesses at companies including IBM, Dell, BT, and Fujitsu. Together, they explore one of the most consequential shifts reshaping the marketing profession: the rise of private equity ownership in B2B — and what it demands of marketers operating inside it. Could the high-pressure, outcome-driven discipline of PE-backed marketing actually be making all of B2B better?➡️ Nick holds nothing back. He dismantles the cult of MQLs — sharing real-world cases where marketing leaders were measuring leads that never converted to revenue — and argues that closed-won SQLs sourced by the GTM function is the only metric that truly counts. He introduces his operating mantra of "evidence builds confidence," explains why he talks about reputation and positioning rather than brand, and breaks down what a genuine GTM engine looks like in practice: daily standups, zero ego, AI-powered tech stacks, and full sales-marketing alignment. He also speaks candidly about the personal demands of PE culture and how to manage your own capacity without burning out. If you're a marketer whose organisation has been acquired, is at risk of acquisition, or simply wants to sharpen your commercial instincts, this conversation will challenge how you think about your role and what it's really there to deliver.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: PE and B2B Marketing02:09 - Nick Eades: Background and Career03:13 - How PE Transformed the B2B Landscape06:06 - Buy and Build: The SaaS Era and Cheap Capital08:08 - What PE Owners Actually Expect 12:09 - Marketing Inside a PE-Backed Business14:25 - Why MQLs Don't Matter (And What Does)17:03 - Building a GTM Engine That Drives SQLs18:15 - The CMO Role in PE: Myth vs. Reality22:02 - Riding Two Horses: Brand vs. Demand in PE25:14 - Evidence Builds Confidence: Metrics That Matter28:16 - Personal Wellbeing and Capacity in PE32:18 - GTM as a Silo Buster36:11 - The Death of ROI as a Standalone Metric36:53 - Future-Proofing Your Career for a PE WorldFollow Nick Eadeshttps://linkedin.com/in/nickeades/https://freemarket.com/If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬What do you think comes first—proving marketing ROI or building a GTM engine that makes ROI irrelevant? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web: LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/ Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #PrivateEquity, #PEMarketing, #GoToMarket, #GTMStrategy, #RevenueMarketing, #SalesAndMarketing, #CMOLeadership, #B2BGrowth | 41m 15s | ||||||
| 4/28/26 | Chaos is B2B's problem. Coherence is the answer | Why B2B marketers need to fix their operating model, with Alastair Hussain of TMP | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Alastair Hussain, Chief Strategy Officer at TMP (The Marketing Practice), a specialist B2B marketing agency. Together, they confront one of the most pressing realities in B2B marketing today: the chaos most marketers are experiencing isn't a streak of bad luck—it's the symptom of operating models that have fundamentally broken down. Is coherence the cure, and what does it actually take to build it from the inside out?➡️ Alastair draws on TMP's Cost of Chaos Report—research spanning over a thousand B2B marketers and tech buyers—to map out the "chaos cascade": how macro forces like geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, and rapid technological change filter down into fragmented teams, stalled deals, and burned-out marketers. He argues that the instinct to move faster or pile on more technology doesn't fix chaos—it accelerates it. The real answer is coherence: aligning brand, messaging, product, and strategy so every part of the marketing function pulls in the same direction. Along the way, they explore why product has become marketing's most disconnected discipline, how cognitive fluency underpins buyer trust, and why CMOs need to take back control of the strategic conversation rather than waiting to be handed objectives. Whether you're leading a stretched team or questioning the value of your marketing function, this episode delivers both the diagnosis and a clear direction forward.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: The Chaos Facing B2B Marketers02:12 - What Is the Chaos Cascade?05:30 - The Human and Commercial Cost of Chaos09:00 - Why Faster and More Tech Makes Things Worse13:15 - Defining Coherence: What It Actually Means17:00 - The CMO as Chief Market Officer19:45 - Why Product Is the Most Disconnected Area22:20 - Making the Business Case for Coherence24:00 - 97% of Buyers Notice Vendor Coherence26:30 - Cognitive Fluency and Buyer Trust30:00 - Buyer-Side Barriers: Decision Makers, Messaging, and Trust33:45 - Realistic Expectations for CMOs Under Pressure36:00 - Where Coherence Breaks Down in Practice38:00 - Advice for Overwhelmed Marketing LeadersFollow Alastair Hussain,https://linkedin.com/in/alastairhussain/https://tmpb2b.comIf you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬What do you think comes first—fixing internal alignment or improving external messaging? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #MarketingOperations, #CMOLeadership, #B2BGrowth, #CostOfChaos, #MarketingAlignment, #BuyerTrust, #B2BStrategy | 38m 43s | ||||||
| 4/21/26 | Is fractional the future — or a warning sign? | Skip Fidura on what the rise of the fractional CMO really tells us about B2B marketing | In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Skip Fidura, Fractional CMO, Non-Executive Director, and Board Advisor with over 20 years of experience across B2B and B2C marketing on the client, agency, and provider sides. The fractional CMO model is having a moment—but is it a real structural shift in marketing leadership, or just a buzzword that's been marketered up? And what does its rapid rise reveal about how organizations truly value marketing?➡️ Skip has been working fractionally since before it was fashionable, and he doesn't hold back. He breaks down the real distinctions between a fractional CMO, a consultant, and a contractor—and why getting that wrong can cost organizations dearly. He explores the cost and structural forces driving the fractional trend, from cash-strapped scale-ups to founders seeking an exit strategy. Skip also addresses the harder truths: how marketing's long-standing failure to speak the language of finance has made it easier for businesses to sideline strategic marketing in favor of cheaper, more piecemeal solutions. He shares how trust is built (and lost) when you're only present part-time, and offers a grounded take on whether this model is a genuine step forward—or a warning sign for the profession. If you're weighing up a move to fractional, hiring one, or simply trying to understand where senior B2B marketing leadership is headed, this is essential listening.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to the Fractional CMO Trend02:13 - Defining the Fractional CMO Role05:00 - Fractional vs. Consultant vs. Contractor07:10 - Why the Term "Fractional" Has Exploded09:00 - How Skip Got Into Fractional Work10:30 - Cost and Structural Drivers Behind the Model13:35 - Marketing's Place in the Revenue Function18:20 - The Fractional CMO in Unstable or Transitioning Orgs21:55 - Marketing's Failure to Speak the Language of Finance25:00 - Is a Little Marketing Better Than No Marketing?28:00 - How Fractional CMOs Build Trust31:45 - The Gig Economy and the Fractional Lifestyle34:45 - Is the Fractional Model Here to Stay?Follow Skip Fidura,linkedin.com/in/skipfidura If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/ 💬What do you think comes first—proving marketing's ROI or earning a seat at the leadership table? Let us know in the comments below.🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1 📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/ Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/ Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/ #JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #FractionalCMO, #MarketingLeadership, #CMO, #ScaleUp, #B2BTech, #MarketingROI, #GigEconomy, #SeniorMarketing | 37m 38s | ||||||
| 4/16/26 | When AI agents handle your B2B buyers, who owns trust? | Agentic AI is one of the most talked-about developments in B2B right now — but most marketers haven't yet asked the question that matters most: what happens to buyer trust when an AI agent starts acting on their behalf?In this episode, Joel Harrison speaks with Andy Johnson, founder and director of client strategy at HUT3, one of the most respected ABM agencies in B2B and one of the earliest adopters of agentic AI in the industry. Andy and his team haven't just been watching this technology evolve — they've been actively building with it for the past three years.Andy makes a case that will surprise many listeners: that agentic AI, done properly, isn't a threat to buyer trust — it's one of the most powerful ways to build it. But get it wrong, and you're not just making a single mistake. You're scaling bad decisions fast, across your entire account base.In this episode you'll learn:What agentic AI actually means in plain language — and why it represents a genuine step change, not just another AI productWhy trust in B2B is already being broken by human failures — and how agentic workflows are designed to fix themThe real risks: scaling bad decisions fast, fragmented data systems, and the governance gap most organisations haven't addressedWho's accountable when an AI agent gets something wrong — and how well-designed workflows should handle itWhat the buyer actually cares about when it comes to AI-driven communications (the answer may surprise you)How the marketer's role is changing — and why Andy's team has grown, not shrunk, on the back of building agentic AI workflowsWhere Andy sees this all heading by 2030 — and what B2B marketers should be doing right now to get readyAbout Andy JohnsonAndy Johnson is founder and director of client strategy at HUT3, an award-winning ABM agency operating across the B2B landscape. HUT3 have been among the earliest agencies to move from talking about agentic AI to building with it, developing workflows across research, content creation, personalisation and campaign activation. Andy brings over 30 years of experience in account-based marketing to his thinking on how AI is reshaping the discipline.Resources and linksFind out more about HUT3 at hut3.co.ukConnect with Andy Johnson on LinkedInSubscribe to the Trust & Influence in B2B podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTubeRead the accompanying LinkedIn newsletter article: Can you orchestrate trust with AI agents?Subscribe and connectIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps other B2B marketers discover the show. And if you're watching on YouTube, hit subscribe so you don't miss future episodes. | 35m 12s | ||||||
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Peaked at #1 in United Kingdom, top 10 in 1 of 4 tracked markets, currently #1 in United Kingdom.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | — | #1 | #1 | — |
| United States | — | #12 | #12 | — |
| United Kingdom | — | #21 | #21 | — |
| ID | — | #184 | #184 | — |
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4 placements across 3 markets.
Chart Positions
4 placements across 3 markets.