Trust & Influence in B2B

Every social platform wants the same three things from B2B marketers: attention, engagement and data. Freely given, rarely questioned.Luan Wise has spent 25 years teaching marketers how to earn attention on those platforms. A Chartered Marketer, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and now a PhD researcher, she has co-written Privacy in the Age of Social Media: Beyond the Like with cybersecurity academic Dr Manimuthu Arunmozhi. It asks whether we should be more careful about what we hand over in return.Luan remains an optimist about what social media can do for good, and she is clear that she is not telling marketers to post less. Her argument is that impersonation, data exposure and platform trust are not just IT issues, because they land on marketing's desk. She tells the story of a fake, AI-generated LinkedIn profile that posted a scam link under one of her own posts, explains why the like button was the start of the monetisation of the platforms, and lists the everyday posts that expose businesses, from passwords on post-it notes to the tools you name in public. If your team publishes on social media, this conversation gives you a practical place to start.What You'll LearnWhy a self-described optimist about social media co-wrote a book urging B2B marketers to be more careful.How the like button evolved into today's AI-driven engagement machinery, and what that shift means for brands.Why LinkedIn impersonation and fake profile scams are a marketing problem, not just an IT one.Which everyday posts expose your business, and the digital hygiene habits marketing and comms teams should adopt.Why trust has become the currency for platforms and for the brands that use them.Chapters00:00 - Introduction: the privacy problem behind B2B social media02:06 - Luan Wise: what she does day to day03:25 - From optimist to cautious: why write this book?06:17 - The TEDx talk that led to the book08:00 - Co-writing with a cybersecurity academic09:48 - How the like button became a data machine11:41 - From likes to AI-driven algorithms14:19 - Fake profiles: when impersonation becomes a marketing problem17:51 - The everyday posts that expose your business20:06 - Trust as the new currency21:14 - Why brands left X23:30 - Where to start without becoming a data protection expert26:24 - Auditing your social media set-up28:04 - Why Luan stays optimistic29:24 - The one reframe: be proactive30:07 - Where to get the bookFollow Luan WiseLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luanwise/Website: luanwise.co.ukPrivacy in the Age of Social Media: Beyond the Like (Routledge): https://www.routledge.com/Privacy-in-the-Age-of-Social-Media-Beyond-the-Like/Arunmozhi-Wise/p/book/9781041102816If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful and memorable, this conversation is for you.🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community: https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/💬 What's the first privacy setting you will check on your company's social accounts? 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=1Get notified in your inbox each time an episode drops with the Trust & Influence in B2B podcast newsletter - sign up here: https://trustandinfluenceb2b.beehiiv.com/📲 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, #B2BSocialMedia, #SocialMedia, #DataPrivacy, #Cybersecurity, #BrandTrust, #BuyerTrust, #LinkedIn, #DigitalHygiene, #BeyondTheLike, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BStrategy, #ThoughtLeadership

Four in five CEOs still see B2B marketing as a support function, not a growth driver. That's the headline finding from new Propolis research, and it's the starting point for this conversation between Richard O'Connor, CEO of B2B Marketing's Propolis platform, and host Joel Harrison.Richard walks through the three blind spots the research surfaced: ghost revenue, the growth marketing creates that sales quietly gets credit for; a credibility crunch, where CEOs say they'd trust marketers more if they understood the numbers; and an AI value trap, where budget cuts are falling hardest on the very work that builds trust over time. He also makes the case, backed by real boardroom examples, for why commercial credibility buys marketers the freedom to take bigger creative risks, and what it will take for marketers to stop lingering in the shadows of the CEO's blind spot.What you'll learnWhy 84% of CEOs still see marketing as a support function, and why that starts as a visibility problem before it becomes a trust problem.What “ghost revenue” is, and why the growth marketing creates so often gets credited to sales instead.Why speaking the “language of business” isn't enough on its own, and what actually earns commercial credibility in the boardroom.Why AI is sharpening the CEO's blind spot, and the risk of cutting the very work that builds trust.What it will take for marketers to stop lingering in the shadows and own the growth agenda.Chapters00:00 Introduction: trust in the boardroom00:57 84% of CEOs call marketing a support function01:44 What Propolis is, and how it connects to B2B Marketing02:33 The shape of the research: 150 CEOs surveyed05:42 Is the CEO blind spot a trust problem or a visibility problem?08:41 Ghost revenue: the growth marketing creates that CEOs never see12:05 Why a CFO said he trusts his marketing function13:11 The credibility crunch: why “the language of business” isn't enough15:20 Account-based marketing as a model for commercial credibility17:51 Why marketing gets excluded from growth strategy and forecasting19:33 The AI value trap: cutting budgets without understanding the cost23:23 Richard's advice: own the agenda for growth24:42 What CEOs actually want from marketing26:03 Where to find the reportDownload the CEO Blindspots report here: https://www.b2bmarketing.net/reports/the-ceo-blind-spot-how-b2b-marketers-prove-protect-and-grow-their-commercial-impact/Follow Richard O'Connorhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/richardmpoconnor/https://www.b2bmarketing.net/propolis/Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/Podcast: htts://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/podcastHashtags#JoelHarrisonB2B #B2BMarketing #TrustAndInfluence #CEOBlindspot #GhostRevenue #B2BLeadership #MarketingTrust #BoardroomTrust #CommercialMarketing #B2BGrowth #MarketingROI #B2BPodcast

Here's an uncomfortable idea for any B2B business competing for a high-value deal: your biggest competitor may not be a better business. It may simply be one that's easier to believe.That's the starting point for the second year of the Trust Advantage research from Emmett & Churchman, which surveyed 200 senior technology decision-makers and sat down with 19 CEOs making real, high-stakes buying decisions. The finding: capable businesses lose deals constantly, not for lack of capability, but because of what the research calls the commercial credibility gap, the distance between what a business can deliver and what a buyer can see, believe and defend.Joel is joined by Lorraine Emmett, founder and managing director of Emmett & Churchman and the lead author of the research, to unpack why 45% of senior buyers say they've ruled out a supplier for failing to prove its credibility, and what leadership teams can do to close the gap in their own business.Download the 'Trust Advantage' report here: https://emmettandchurchman.com/trust/What you'll learnWhat the commercial credibility gap actually is, and why it explains lost deals that looked like safe wins on paper.The three questions buyers are really asking of every supplier, and which one businesses most consistently fail to answer.Why a frank discussion of limitations and risk can build more trust than a flawless pitch.What a smaller or less recognised B2B business can do to compete credibly against a better-known incumbent.The first practical step for any leadership team that wants to close this gap in its own business.ChaptersIntroduction: the commercial credibility gapWhy Emmett & Churchman ran this research for a second yearThe three questions every buyer is asking: can I see it, believe it, defend itWhy “can I see it” is the one businesses fail mostOverpromising versus candour: the biggest destroyer of trustThe human side of commercial negotiationEquipping your champion: evidence that travels beyond the roomChallenger opportunity: why 57% would choose a trusted smaller supplierReframing commercial credibility as a leadership issueThe CEO commercial credibility testClosing thought: where to start closing the gapFollow Lorraine EmmettLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorraineemmett-b2b-strategic-comms/Emmett & Churchman: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emmett-churchman/home/Closing boilerplateIf you found this conversation useful, the best way to support the show is to subscribe and leave a rating wherever you listen. It genuinely helps more B2B marketers find us.🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡ www.joelharrisonb2b.com💬 What's costing your business the deals it should be winning: capability, or credibility? Let us know in the comments below.🔔 Subscribe to my newsletter for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. www.joelharrisonb2b.com/podcast#JoelHarrisonB2B #B2BMarketing #ThoughtLeadership #TrustAndInfluence #B2BSales #CommercialCredibility #B2BBuyers #MarketingPodcast #B2BInsights #CMOLeadership #B2BGrowth

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

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