Trust & Influence in B2B

Latest Episodes:

Employee voices drown out brand voices in B2B – so how do you orchestrate them? Rida Oyebade of Workday on employee advocacy Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Why is employee advocacy so often mistaken for a content strategy? Rida Oyebade, Senior Social Media Manager at Workday, explains why handing employees “ready-made content” isn’t enough — advocacy only works when it still sounds like the person sharing it, not the brand behind them.

In this episode of Trust & Influence in B2B, host Joel Harrison talks to Rida Oyebade about employee advocacy — the discipline of turning colleagues into credible, willing voices for the brand. Rida traces her own path into advocacy, breaks down the different tiers of an advocacy programme, and is candid about what she’s learned building one from scratch at Workday: why participation has to stay genuinely optional, why no programme survives without real buy-in from leadership, and why the whole discipline is really about borrowed trust rather than borrowed content.

In this episode

Why brand-originated content is losing ground to individual voices in B2B
Why handing employees ready-made content isn’t the same as earning their voice
The three tiers of employee advocacy, and why each needs different handling
Why employee advocacy means borrowing someone’s “personal real estate” — and why participation has to stay optional
What actually makes advocacy programmes work, and why persuasion alone isn’t enough
Whether employee advocacy is a specialism worth building a career around

Guest

Rida Oyebade is Senior Social Media Manager at Workday, where she leads employee advocacy — working with colleagues, or “influencers” as she prefers to call them, to carry the brand into places a corporate account can’t reach.

Growth, creativity and trust: the B2B story of Cannes Lions 2026 Jul 15, 2026

Show notes

In this special edition of Trust & Influence in B2B, Joel Harrison is joined by Fiona McKenzie of Marketbridge to make sense of Cannes Lions 2026. Fresh from five days of multi-stream content, installations and fringe events, they let the dust settle and distil what actually matters for B2B marketers – viewed through a growth lens, not creativity for its own sake.

They unpack why B2B is visibly on the rise at Cannes, the tension between creativity and commercial measurement, and the CFO buy-in conversation (brand as future cashflow). They dig into three important releases from the week: the FT's work on trust (including the finding that 82% trust a source more when it challenges than when it agrees), Bloomberg on reputation pulling weight across the full funnel, and Bain & Co.'s new model positioned as a rival to NPS, scoring a buyer's likelihood to choose you before any deal is on the table.

The conversation moves through the B2B Lions winner – an obscure Swedish ball-bearing company using tidal energy in the Faroe Islands, and why a big idea told as a wider go-to-market story is a step in the right direction – the rise of creators and influence in B2B, Joel's framework of five "trust champions," and a notably optimistic read on AI: a technology that surfaces existing misalignment and removes grunt work rather than replacing human judgment. They close on what Cannes could do better for the B2B community.

In this episode:

What Cannes actually is, and why it's so hard to navigate. B2B moving up the agenda. The growth-versus-creativity lens. CFO buy-in and brand as future cashflow. Why CMOs are exhausted by the measurement debate. Three key releases: FT on trust, Bloomberg on reputation, Bain's NPS rival. The B2B Lions winner and what it signals. Creators, influence and Joel's five trust champions. A grounded, optimistic take on AI. What's missing, and what would take Cannes to the next level in 2027.

Reports and resources mentioned (links below):

FT – research on trust in B2B https://dimensionsofinfluence.ft.com/
Bloomberg – reputation across the funnel, B2B Summit presentation https://www.bloombergmedia.com/blog/corporate-rep-study-2025/
Bain & Co. – new buyer-choice model positioned against NPS https://www.bain.com/insights/raising-the-odds-on-a-deal-how-likelihood-to-buy-rewires-b2b-growth/

Chapters:

(00:00) Welcome and why we waited for the dust to settle
(01:13) What Cannes actually is, and how to navigate it
(03:04) B2B on the rise at the festival
(04:28) The growth lens: creativity anchored in commercial value
(05:21) CFO buy-in and brand as future cashflow
(07:54) Why CMOs are exhausted by measurement
(10:23) Is B2B creativity judged by the wrong (B2C) playbook?
(11:26) Three key releases: FT, Bloomberg and Bain
(16:45) Talking the language of the boardroom
(19:36) The B2B Lions winner: a Swedish ball-bearing story
(24:29) Creators, influence and the five trust champions
(30:11) AI: surfacing misalignment, not taking our jobs
(35:17) What Cannes could do better
(37:46) Wrap-up and how to share your own take

Connect with Joel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/

Connect with Fiona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-mckenzie-8a16921a/

The deal is won before you're in the room | Why the recommended choice now beats the visible one, with Lottie O'Donoghue from Velo Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

Most of the conversations that decide a B2B deal happen in a room you'll never be in. Buyers swap recommendations, compare notes and build their shortlists in spaces marketers can neither see nor measure – and by the time you're in contention, the decision is often half made.

In this episode of Trust & Influence in B2B, Joel Harrison is joined by Lottie O'Donoghue, strategy director at Velo, a specialist B2B agency built on recommendation. Lottie has led marketing client-side in scale-up SaaS and run ABM at Accenture, and now shapes recommendation strategies for Velo's clients across technology, industrial and professional services.

Together they unpack why becoming the recommended choice has shifted from a nice-to-have to a commercial imperative, the real difference between being known and being recommended, and the trust signals that quietly compound into advocacy.

In this episode:

Why the recommended choice now matters more than the visible one
The trust signals that accumulate into recommendation, and the ones marketers most underestimate
How to make the case for investing in influence that conventional attribution can't capture
Where to start if you suspect you're not being talked about in the right rooms
Velo's six Rs of Recommendation Marketing framework

Download Velo's report here: https://www.velo-b2b.com/ebooks/?utm_source=Joel+Harrison&utm_campaign=Recommendation+Marketing

This is a sponsored episode, produced in partnership with Velo.

Why lead gen is still B2B's trust free zone | How blind faith and 'tolerable mischief' underpins a global industry, with Robin Caller of Leadscale Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

Lead generation is the discipline B2B marketing relies on most and trusts least. In this episode of Trust & Influence in B2B, Robin Caller, founder and CEO of Leadscale, explains why, and what it would take to fix it.

Most people in B2B know that a good share of the leads changing hands every day are of questionable quality. Few will say so on the record. Robin is an exception. He calls it "a tolerable level of mischief", a grey zone the whole industry has quietly learned to live with, and in conversation with host Joel Harrison he explains why it persists, why he refuses to call it fraud, and how transparency could begin to put it right.

A note before you listen: Robin speaks freely, and not everyone in the industry will agree with all of it. That's rather the point.

In this episode:

– Why lead generation has been B2B's least-trusted discipline for 20 years

– What "a tolerable level of mischief" really means, and why it isn't fraud

– The "blind faith" model and the hierarchy of transparency

– Why marketers tolerate poor-quality leads: the quota trap

– How advertisers are part of the problem, not just the victims

– The provenance questions every buyer should be asking their suppliers

– Why "more leads will not be the answer" in the AI era

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Lead Generation Challenges

05:42 Transparency and Its Role in Trust

08:20 The Ambivalence of Stakeholders

11:26 Blind Faith in Lead Generation Practices

14:23 The Importance of Transparency in Data Collection

17:19 Navigating the Gray Areas of Lead Generation

18:22 Finding Fair Solutions for All Parties

21:37 Advertisers: Victims and Perpetrators

21:54 The Importance of Data Sharing

24:30 Data Decay and Its Impact on Performance

25:16 Trust and Transparency in Data Transactions

25:25 Generational Perspectives in Marketing

27:03 The MQL Mindset and Its Limitations

29:20 Dynamic Qualification of Leads

31:12 Managing Tolerances in Imperfect Systems

32:48 The Future of Lead Generation

36:23 Questions for Better Data Practices

39:56 The Ethical Implications of Data Sourcing

42:42 A Positive Outlook on Future Trends

About the guest

Robin Caller is the founder and CEO of Leadscale, a London-based lead generation and data quality business. He has spent more than two decades in lead and demand generation and is one of the industry's more outspoken voices on data quality, transparency and trust.

Robin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robincaller/

About the podcast

Trust & Influence in B2B is hosted by Joel Harrison, founder of Joel Harrison B2B. Each episode explores marketing strategy and practice with senior B2B practitioners, researchers and academics.

Joel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/

Enjoyed this episode? Follow the show in your podcast app and leave a rating or review – it helps other B2B marketers find it.

Stop claiming you're the best! AI will mark you down for it | Tom Rudnai on winning influence in the age of Dark AI Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Tom Rudnai, Founder of Demand Genius and author of the Dark AI study — a research project that analyzed hundreds of AI prompt clusters across major B2B categories to map where brands are truly winning and losing influence. Tom's central finding is as counterintuitive as it is urgent: the more boldly a brand claims to be the best, the more likely AI is to quietly sideline it during the buyer conversations that shape outcomes. So where is influence actually earned in an AI-led world — and what should B2B marketers be doing differently?

➡️ Tom cuts through the noise with sharp, data-grounded thinking on why AI is not a search channel — and why treating it like one is one of the most costly mistakes in B2B marketing today. He introduces the "Dark AI" concept: the 84% of buyer conversations where no brand gets cited, yet where the problem framing, requirements, and shortlist criteria are already being quietly formed. He unpacks how AI enters exploratory mode at the top of the funnel — and why confident, directive brand language fails at the exact moment influence is most available. He also lays out the concept of information gain, arguing that original research, clear perspectives, and genuinely new knowledge are now the highest-value signals a brand can produce. From convergence patterns to what to actually measure, this conversation will challenge how you think about authority, content, and trust in modern B2B.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: Why Bold Positioning Can Backfire in AI Search

02:08 - Tom's Background and the Story Behind Demand Genius

03:59 - How Buyers Use AI Differently from Traditional Search

06:16 - The Dark AI Study: What It Measured and What It Found

10:30 - AI Visibility vs. AI Influence: The Iceberg Explained

13:18 - Convergence: How AI Narrows Down to a Recommendation

18:38 - Information Gain: The New North Star for B2B Content

22:11 - Why Confident Category Claims Fail in AI-Led Journeys

25:28 - What B2B Marketers Should Actually Be Measuring

30:49 - Patterns Across Categories and AI Models

33:22 - The One Takeaway Every Marketer Should Remember

Follow Tom Rudnai,

linkedin.com/in/tomrudnai

demandgenius.ai

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—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, #AISearch, #DarkAI, #AEO, #BuyerJourney, #InformationGain, #B2BGrowth, #AIMarketing, #DemandGeneration

Why Replacing Junior Marketers With AI Is a False Economy | Professor Laura Chamberlain on Next-Gen Talent Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

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 Action

Follow Laura Chamberlain

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmchamberlain/

🌐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

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 Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

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 Workplace

02:12 - Kate Hassler and Access Group Overview

04:03 - Company-Wide AI as a Strategic Priority

07:26 - The London Bus Metaphor: Origin and Impact

11:04 - Why the Metaphor Has Endured a Year On

12:32 - From Shadow AI to Structured Adoption

14:33 - Copilot, Claude, and the Licensing Journey

17:27 - Building Custom Claude Brand Skills

19:00 - Human at the Start, Human at the End

21:14 - Hackathons, Play, and AI Champions

25:37 - Job Security and Empathy-Led Leadership

28:07 - Splash Maker: A Creative Reinvents as Strategist

32:49 - Biggest Lessons from 12 Months of AI Transformation

36:37 - Junior Talent and the Future Pipeline

Follow Kate Hassler https://linkedin.com/in/kate-hassler https://www.theaccessgroup.com

🌐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

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 Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

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 Innovation

01:23 - Meet Tejal Patel and the Rise of Human-Centric Marketing

05:21 - The Shift Toward Internal Influencers and Practitioner Audiences

10:22 - Why Marketers Are Targeting Doers Instead of Decision-Makers

12:15 - The Measurement Challenge Behind Long-Term Marketing Success

14:02 - Employee Advocacy and Authentic Brand Influence

16:51 - Proof of Concept as a Marketing Campaign

18:01 - Why Demonstration Beats Persuasion

20:52 - Quality Over Quantity in Modern B2B Marketing

23:19 - The Growth of Experiential and Sensory Marketing

25:11 - What Gen Z Buyers Teach Us About Engagement

27:29 - Creating Experiences That Prove Value

31:13 - Building Impactful Experiences on Smaller Budgets

33:53 - The Return of Direct Mail in B2B

37:21 - Has Digital Marketing Lost Its Distinction?

39:59 - The One Thing Marketing Leaders Should Change Today

42:34 - Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

Follow Tejal Patel

https://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

Best in show B2B | Why The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is blooming for Addleshaw Goddard's full-funnel campaign, with Brian Macreadie May 27, 2026

Show notes

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 Welcome

00:30 Meet Brian McCredie

00:55 Inside the London Office

02:01 Flourish in the City

03:50 Episode Learning Goals

04:36 Brian Career Journey

05:40 Why Legal Needs Creativity

07:19 About Addleshaw Goddard

08:33 The Attention Problem

09:55 Trust and Top of Mind

11:58 Why Chelsea Flower Show

13:34 Authentic Brand Fit

16:28 Pilot Proof and Client Love

17:39 Behind the Scenes at Chelsea

19:17 Flourish in the City

21:05 Making the Long Term Case

23:22 Sponsorship as Full Funnel

25:06 VIP Events at Chelsea

27:54 Citywide Media Blitz

31:31 Measuring Impact and ROI

33:16 Building Creative Buy In

36:08 Results and Payback

37:18 Transferable Marketing Lessons

40:17 Final Takeaways and Close

Follow Brian Macreadie,

https://linkedin.com/in/bmacreadie?originalSubdomain=uk

https://addleshawgoddard.com

🌐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

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 May 19, 2026

Show notes

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 Crisis

02:28 - Why Data Became Maureen's Central Obsession

04:10 - What the Current Data Narrative Gets Wrong

05:37 - Stated Trust vs. Behavioural Trust: The Key Discovery

11:26 - The Verification Tax and Its Hidden Cost

14:12 - Why MarTech Was Never Built for Strategy

15:55 - 94% of Organisations Still Have Siloed Data

19:29 - Why Vendor Research Misleads Buyers

23:39 - The AI Readiness Gap: 93% vs. Reality

29:08 - The Three Types of AI Organisations (and the Most Dangerous One)

31:00 - Rays of Sunshine: What's Actually Working

34:41 - Three Things You Can Do Starting Monday

Follow Maureen Blandford, https://linkedin.com/in/maureenblandford/ https://serendipitas.com

🌐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.

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📲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/

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