Trust & Influence in B2B

Latest Episodes:

The Four Pillars of Success in The Agentic AI Era: Governance, Judgement, Taste and Orchestration | With Angela Tangas of Oliver May 12, 2026

Show notes

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 Transformation

02:09 - How Oliver and Brandtech Group Work

04:05 - What's Driving Urgency Behind AI Adoption in B2B

07:09 - The Capability Gap in B2B Marketing Teams

08:15 - Where Marketing Teams Are Focusing Their AI Efforts

10:37 - Efficiency vs. Effectiveness: Are Teams Getting It Right?

14:02 - The In-House Agency Model Explained

18:26 - How Oliver's Role Has Evolved with AI

20:24 - Managing the Resource Mix: Internal Teams, Agencies & AI

23:11 - The Environmental Cost of AI in Marketing

25:59 - What's Holding Organisations Back from Real Transformation

29:37 - What Marketing Operations Will Look Like in 2–3 Years

32:39 - Where Marketing Leaders Should Start This Quarter

Follow Angela Tangas, linkedin.com/in/angelatangas oliver.agency

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, #AgenticAI, #AITransformation, #InHouseAgency, #MarketingOperations, #GenerativeAI, #AIinMarketing, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandtechGroup

Is PE killing the B2B ROI imperative? | Nick Eades on what PE-backed marketing teaches the rest of B2B May 04, 2026

Show notes

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 Marketing

02:09 - Nick Eades: Background and Career

03:13 - How PE Transformed the B2B Landscape

06:06 - Buy and Build: The SaaS Era and Cheap Capital

08:08 - What PE Owners Actually Expect 12:09 - Marketing Inside a PE-Backed Business

14:25 - Why MQLs Don't Matter (And What Does)

17:03 - Building a GTM Engine That Drives SQLs

18:15 - The CMO Role in PE: Myth vs. Reality

22:02 - Riding Two Horses: Brand vs. Demand in PE

25:14 - Evidence Builds Confidence: Metrics That Matter

28:16 - Personal Wellbeing and Capacity in PE

32:18 - GTM as a Silo Buster

36:11 - The Death of ROI as a Standalone Metric

36:53 - Future-Proofing Your Career for a PE World

Follow Nick Eades

https://linkedin.com/in/nickeades/

https://freemarket.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—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

Chaos is B2B's problem. Coherence is the answer | Why B2B marketers need to fix their operating model, with Alastair Hussain of TMP Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

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 Marketers

02:12 - What Is the Chaos Cascade?

05:30 - The Human and Commercial Cost of Chaos

09:00 - Why Faster and More Tech Makes Things Worse

13:15 - Defining Coherence: What It Actually Means

17:00 - The CMO as Chief Market Officer

19:45 - Why Product Is the Most Disconnected Area

22:20 - Making the Business Case for Coherence

24:00 - 97% of Buyers Notice Vendor Coherence

26:30 - Cognitive Fluency and Buyer Trust

30:00 - Buyer-Side Barriers: Decision Makers, Messaging, and Trust

33:45 - Realistic Expectations for CMOs Under Pressure

36:00 - Where Coherence Breaks Down in Practice

38:00 - Advice for Overwhelmed Marketing Leaders

Follow Alastair Hussain,

https://linkedin.com/in/alastairhussain/

https://tmpb2b.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—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

Is fractional the future — or a warning sign? | Skip Fidura on what the rise of the fractional CMO really tells us about B2B marketing Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

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 Trend

02:13 - Defining the Fractional CMO Role

05:00 - Fractional vs. Consultant vs. Contractor

07:10 - Why the Term "Fractional" Has Exploded

09:00 - How Skip Got Into Fractional Work

10:30 - Cost and Structural Drivers Behind the Model

13:35 - Marketing's Place in the Revenue Function

18:20 - The Fractional CMO in Unstable or Transitioning Orgs

21:55 - Marketing's Failure to Speak the Language of Finance

25:00 - Is a Little Marketing Better Than No Marketing?

28:00 - How Fractional CMOs Build Trust

31:45 - The Gig Economy and the Fractional Lifestyle

34:45 - Is the Fractional Model Here to Stay?

Follow Skip Fidura,

linkedin.com/in/skipfidura

🌐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

When AI agents handle your B2B buyers, who owns trust? Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

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 product
Why trust in B2B is already being broken by human failures — and how agentic workflows are designed to fix them
The real risks: scaling bad decisions fast, fragmented data systems, and the governance gap most organisations haven't addressed
Who's accountable when an AI agent gets something wrong — and how well-designed workflows should handle it
What 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 workflows
Where Andy sees this all heading by 2030 — and what B2B marketers should be doing right now to get ready

About Andy Johnson

Andy 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 links

Find out more about HUT3 at hut3.co.uk
Connect with Andy Johnson on LinkedIn
Subscribe to the Trust & Influence in B2B podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
Read the accompanying LinkedIn newsletter article: Can you orchestrate trust with AI agents?

Subscribe and connect

If 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.

The Advocacy Gap: The huge missed opportunity of employee voices in B2B campaigns Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Robyn Hartley, Managing Director at Paper Kite Media. Drawing on a rigorous analysis of B2B Marketing Awards entries, they expose the uncomfortable truth behind employee advocacy: most brands are deploying it as content distribution, not genuine advocacy. And the data suggests they're missing a significant commercial opportunity as a result. Is your advocacy program building real trust—or just adding noise?

➡️ Robyn and Joel explore why LinkedIn dominates employee advocacy (and why that concentration carries risk), why 70% of campaigns are triggered by brand moments rather than deployed always-on, and why measurement still stops at impressions even in commercially rigorous campaigns. They make the case for "inside-out" sequencing—activating employees internally before any external spend—and discuss how thought leader advocacy is increasingly powering ABM and demand gen strategies, not just brand activity. Robyn's perspective is clear: great advocacy isn't about scripted posts. It's about empowering your team's real experts to build genuine trust with buyers over time. This episode will challenge how you think about your people as a marketing channel.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: The Promise and Reality of Employee Advocacy

01:30 - Meet Robyn Hartley, Managing Director at Paper Kite Media

04:30 - Defining Employee Thought Leaders vs. Employee Amplifiers

06:00 - The Data: Only 14% of Award Entries Use Employee Advocacy

10:00 - LinkedIn's Total Dominance: Strength or Structural Risk?

13:30 - Why LinkedIn Works for B2B (And Where the Risk Lies)

17:00 - Employee Advocacy Beyond Brand: ABM and Demand Gen

20:00 - The Brand Moment Trigger: Episodic vs. Always-On Advocacy

25:00 - Inside-Out Sequencing: Employees as the First Media Channel

29:00 - The Commercial Measurement Gap: Why Reach Isn't Enough

33:00 - CPM Equivalents: A Creative Workaround or a Misleading Metric?

37:00 - Sales and Marketing Convergence Through Employee Advocacy

41:00 - Where Employee Advocacy Is Headed and How to Stand Out

Follow Robyn Hartley,

https://linkedin.com/in/robynhartley/

https://paperkitemedia.co.uk

➡️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 "employee advocacy" really advocacy, or just content distribution? 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/

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#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #EmployeeAdvocacy, #LinkedInMarketing, #B2BGrowth, #SalesAndMarketing, #ABMMarketing, #B2BLeadership, #DemandGeneration, #InfluenceMarketing

Trust: the antidote to machine-gunned AI slop | Why AI's content explosion is putting humanity at the forefront, with Phil Treagus-Evans Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Phil Treagus-Evans, Co-founder and CEO at Giraffe Social. Phil discusses his 2025 book, "Human First Marketing," which provides a framework for putting people back at the center of marketing strategy during a time of AI-generated content saturation. They explore why marketing has drifted away from human connection and how to rebuild trust in a cynical B2B landscape.

💬 Can your brand survive the "AI slop" era by being more human, or will you get lost in the machine-gunned noise?

➡️Phil argues that the trust deficit in marketing stems from an obsession with data-driven optimization that treats customers like spreadsheets rather than real people. He breaks down the three essential levers of human-first marketing—Audience, Team, and Personal Brand—showing how leveraging employee advocacy and authentic leadership can outperform any corporate facade. Phil also shares why the AI revolution actually makes humanity a "superpower" and a rare, valuable competitive edge for those willing to ditch the lazy templates for genuine community engagement. Listen to the full episode to learn the practical steps you can take this week to make your brand seen, trusted, and remembered in an increasingly automated world.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Trust in B2B Marketing

02:11 - Giraffe Social & Human-First Positioning

03:18 - Patterns of Successful Marketing: People at the Heart

05:47 - The Diagnosis: Why Marketing is Broken

07:57 - Symptoms of a Trust Deficit

09:40 - Squaring the Circle with AI: Anti-Lazy AI

12:55 - Defining Human-First Marketing

15:17 - The Three Levers: Audience, Team, and Personal Brand

20:40 - Authentic Marketing vs. Psychological Tricks

23:52 - Why Human-First is a B2B "Sweet Spot"

26:19 - Actionable Steps: Faces and Community Engagement

29:04 - The Future: Humanity as a Superpower

31:46 - Where to find "Human First Marketing"

Follow Phil Treagus-Evans

https://linkedin.com/in/philtreagusevans/

https://giraffesocial.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 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, #HumanFirstMarketing, #AISlop, #EmployeeAdvocacy, #MarketingTrust, #PersonalBranding, #B2BGrowth

Inside influencer marketing: the most powerful tool you're probably not using (yet) | Five trends driving success, based on B2B Marketing Awards case studies Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Kristen Esto, Founder of Customer Influence, a specialist influencer and creator marketing agency. They explore what the data actually tells us about how influencer marketing works in B2B—and what it reveals often runs completely counter to conventional wisdom. Could the most powerful tool in modern B2B marketing be the one you're not using yet?

➡️ Drawing on an AI-assisted analysis of over a thousand award entries from the B2B Marketing Awards and Elevation Awards (2024–2025), Joel and Kristen walk through five key trends shaping B2B influencer marketing today. Kristen—who brings more than a decade of paid media and data experience to her three years as a creator marketing specialist—shares why niche trade influencers consistently beat high-reach celebrities, why loosening brand control actually drives better performance, and how leading brands are connecting influencer activity directly to ABM platforms and pipeline. They also tackle the case for long-term influencer partnerships and why experiences like factory visits or live events produce content that brief-based campaigns simply can't replicate. Balanced, practical, and refreshingly free of hype, this is essential listening for any B2B marketer wondering whether influencer marketing belongs in their toolkit.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to B2B Influencer Marketing

02:14 - Kristen's Background in the Creator Economy

04:00 - How the Analysis Was Conducted Using AI

05:03 - Trend 1: The Credibility Discount – Why Niche Beats Celebrity

09:03 - Finding the Right Influencers for B2B

12:39 - Trend 2: The Control Paradox – Why Freedom Outperforms Scripts

17:00 - Building Brand Alignment Without Brand Control

20:33 - Trend 3: The Pipeline Connection – Linking Influencers to Revenue

25:24 - Making Influencer Measurement Work for Your Team

27:17 - Trend 4: The Relationship Compound – Long-Term vs. One-Off Partnerships

31:24 - The Case for Long-Term Influencer Partnerships

33:02 - Trend 5: The Experience Dividend – Real-World Content vs. Brief-Based Content

38:42 - Summary and Key Takeaways

Follow Kristen Esto,

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-sesto/

https://customerinfluence.co.uk

🌐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—finding the right influencer or building the right brief? 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, #InfluencerMarketing, #B2BInfluencer, #CreatorEconomy, #AccountBasedMarketing, #NicheMarketing, #CreatorMarketing, #InfluencerStrategy, #B2BPipeline

Breaking down marketing's closed door | Why widening access makes marketing better for everyone, with Martin Troughton of the Marketing Skills Trust Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Marketing is often described as a profession that welcomes everyone. The reality is rather different. Entry still depends too heavily on who you know, which school you attended, and whether marketing even appeared on your radar as a viable career path. For many people — particularly those from non-traditional or underrepresented backgrounds — the door into our profession remains firmly closed.

In this episode, Joel is joined by Martin Troughton, chairman of the Marketing Skills Trust — a charity established in part through a legacy from Professor Derek Holder, founder of the IDM, specifically to help the next generation access marketing as a career.

Martin brings a rare dual perspective: co-founder of Harrison Troughton Wunderman, one of the UK's most awarded direct marketing agencies, and a subsequent fifteen years on the client side. That breadth shapes a conversation that is frank, personal, and at times quietly powerful.

They discuss:

Why marketing remains a predominantly white, middle-class profession — and what that costs us creatively and commercially
The work the Marketing Skills Trust is doing to change who gets in, from funding the Brixton Finishing School's outreach programme to running the Dogs Legacy events for early-career starters
How AI makes the case for diversity stronger, not weaker — and why curiosity, storytelling and human insight are the skills that endure
What agency and client-side careers demand from talent — and why the industry is too quick to put people in boxes
The story of Guy Lambert: told by Ogilvy he wasn't smart enough for their graduate scheme, he went on to become their MD

If you lead a marketing team or agency, there's also a practical ask: the Trust's Hour of Power programme lets senior practitioners donate an hour of their time to raise money for the next generation. It's a small commitment with a meaningful impact.

Find out more and support the Marketing Skills Trust at marketingskillstrust.org.uk

From openness to insularity | Insights from Edelman's Trust Barometer on why trust is retreating and what B2B marketers must do about it Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Andrew Mildren, MD of Edelman Business Marketing for EMEA, to dig into the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer — based on nearly 34,000 responses across 28 countries. The headline finding is sobering: 70% of people globally now hold what Edelman calls an insular trust mindset, retreating into familiar circles and becoming reluctant to trust those who hold different views or values. And yet, businesses have held the title of most trusted institution since 2021. So what's driving this contradiction — and what must B2B marketers do about it?

➡️ Andrew brings Edelman's 26 years of trust expertise to the table and offers both clear diagnosis and practical direction. He explains the concept of "trust brokering" — where businesses act not as side-takers, but as facilitators bridging divided groups — and highlights examples from Microsoft and IKEA doing this credibly. He breaks down why insularity is no longer just a societal issue but a bottom-line business problem, affecting productivity, retention, and leadership. The conversation also explores local versus global trust dynamics, AI's growing impact on how content and companies are discovered, and closes with five concrete actions B2B marketers should be taking now — including treating trust as a commercial metric and building a GEO (generative engine optimization) strategy.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to the Edelman Trust Barometer

01:16 - What You'll Learn in This Episode

02:14 - The Secret Behind 26 Years of Trust Research

04:36 - Evolving Themes: From Polarization to Insularity

07:59 - The Insular Trust Mindset: What's Driving It

10:51 - Why Business Is the Most Trusted Institution

14:56 - Trust Brokering: What It Means in Practice

17:21 - Navigating Divisive Issues in B2B

21:00 - Local vs. Global Trust: Going Poly-National

24:47 - Insularity as a Bottom-Line Business Issue

27:06 - AI's Role in Shaping Trust

32:19 - Five Things B2B Marketers Should Do Now

35:32 - Closing Thoughts & Where to Find the Report

Follow Andrew Mildren,

https://linkedin.com/in/andrewmildren/

https://edelman.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 — rebuilding trust from the inside out, or leading with bold external communications? Let us know in the comments below.

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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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#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #TrustBarometer, #EdelmanTrust, #InsularTrust, #TrustBrokering, #B2BTrust, #GeopoliticsAndBusiness, #AIandMarketing, #EmployeeAdvocacy

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