🥃 What does crafting a holiday-season Manhattan have in common with building a B2B strategy for the age of AI? Not much… but that didn’t stop me from creating a video in which I make the first and talk about the second. 🤣 Watch me as I mix up a chocolate brownie Manhattan (recipe in comments!) and reflect on two powerful forces reshaping B2B go-to-market: the decline of the traditional demand gen playbook, and the meteoric rise of AI. The old playbook of bombarding buyers with emails and gated content isn't building relationships — it's burning them. Meanwhile, AI is filtering promotional emails and providing zero-click search results. Soon, AI buying agents will research solutions, disintermediating our marketing and fundamentally changing how buyers discover and evaluate vendors. So what will break through in this AI-filtered future? Three things that can't be effectively summarized: ☑️ Experiences that stir emotion (sort of like I’m stirring the cocktail) ☑️ Relationships that build authentic trust at scale ☑️ Content that offers truly original insights OK, here’s a connection: just as my Manhattan blends rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, creme de cacao, and walnut bitters into something greater than its parts, the future of B2B marketing will combine human creativity with AI capabilities. When AI handles the "ing" in marketing, we can focus more on the "market" — developing deep customer understanding, crafting differentiated positioning, creating unique human experiences, and building lasting relationships. 🎯 Watch the video for more insights like that, plus the recipe for the Chocolate Brownie Manhattan. Want the full recipe for B2B success in 2025? Check out my detailed 2025 predictions for B2B (🔗 in comments). I explore 11 predictions that map out the collision of AI agents, brand building, and the complete reinvention of how we'll market and sell in 2025, and beyond. PS: this is my first video in this format, please let me know what you think (good or bad)! And I'm curious: what other cocktails should I explain marketing concepts with next? 🤔 #B2BMarketing #MarTech #AI #FutureOfMarketing #RevOps
Nat Guy
1w
Yeah, might be the clash of logical + emotional: 1. “Hey Vendor Research Bot, cut through all the marketing fluff and personalities and build me a hyper logical shortlist of vendors using this hyper logical set of requirements…” Vs. 2. “I’ve built trust and emotional connection via Brand X’s content and personalized experiences. Hey Vendor Research Bot, make sure Brand X is on the list so I can see how they stack up.” ? Or likely: 1 & 2 gets you on the shortlist, but a variation of 2 is the post-awareness, consideration hase, hyper personalized “nurture email automation” replacement and “consultative selling” helper delivering real personalized early value that proves, “Yeah, I trust that this one can help us best. They already seem to know a lot about our business and have helped some already. Let’s go with them.”
Louise White
1w
So I asked AI for a spin on this and it came up with your next one. Cocktail Name: The Algorithmic Abyss The Algorithmic Abyss embodies the deep-seated fears and uncertainties that B2B marketers experience in the face of relentless AI advancements. This dark and brooding cocktail reflects the anxiety of being overshadowed by technology while still holding onto creativity and the human touch. Ingredients • 2 oz Black Vodka: Represents the darkness of looming AI threats. • 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice: A sharp contrast, symbolizing the clarity needed amidst chaos. • 0.5 oz Activated Charcoal Syrup: Adds a spooky black hue, representing the unknown dangers of AI. • 1 oz Cranberry Juice: For a splash of color, evoking blood-red fears of obsolescence. • 2 dashes of Bitter Orange Liqueur: Reflects the bitter reality of competition from AI. • Garnish with a Black Licorice Twist: A haunting touch that adds to the eerie aesthetic. Tasty
Something that agents could research instead of vendors are results… could they look for “how did this company achieve that?” Information and relate it with tech / practice / method?
Love this. The playbook isn't working anymore! Every firm needs to watch this video and then craft their playbook accordingly. Sadly, many will keep doing the same things that don't work just so they can measure it not working. Then, at the start of Q3 of next year...they'll look up and say, "Why is our pipeline so limp and small?" Humanity + AI = The cocktail recipe for growth! Going to repost!!!
Jay Tuel
1w
Nice Jon! I was hoping you would do this cocktail making session! That looks incredible. I completely agree with your notion of AI being the "ing" and people focusing on the market. You know I like a good connecting the dots story too! Loved your predictions for B2B post too. Some highlights for me: -MOPs using AI to trade tactical tasks for strategic impact --> seeing some really cool things happening here -AI will replace junior roles while augmenting strategic sellers --> if you are one of the people still batching and blasting whole departments, your days in that role are numbered -AI agents will be adopted but fall flat in automated cold prospecting --> can probably handle inbound MQLs, but not much else - Experience, relationships and original content will stand out --> this is how people want to engage and determine which brands they want to work/partner with Now, it's time for me to try making this beautiful concoction. Great stuff Jon!
There's not a good enough emoticon in the set for this, so I went with "love". As for future cocktails, I'd either go with a Caipirinha or an extra-extra dirty spicy vodka martini.
Rutger Katz
1w
With only %5 of your audience ready to buy, you need to figure out how to entertain and educate the remaining 95%. Events, valuable content, and taking part in communities help build that brand.
Love this, though you know me I would love a tequila-based cocktail next. No manhattans for me! But I would try most anything you make once 😉
Nick Zeckets
1w
Especially interested in this idea that agents are going to do product research for buyers. Changes EVERYTHING
MarTech entrepreneur, cofounder at Marketo and Engagio, board member, keynote speaker
1wPost with all 11 predictions for B2B in 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7270091143546073088/ And here's the Chocolate Brownie Manhattan recipe: 2 oz Angel’s Envy rye 1.0 oz sweet vermouth 0.25 crème de cacco 2 dash walnut bitters Stir and serve over a big ice cube Garnish cherry