Author: Melissa Caffrey

B2B buying has never been more complicated—or more critical for marketers to master. 

In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by Dave Frankland, Forrester’s VP Research Director, for a sneak peek at Forrester’s 2025 B2B Summit and the theme of “Master Buying Mayhem.” Together, they explore the ever-evolving dynamics of buyer groups, self-service trends, and the growing influence of generative AI in the B2B landscape.

In this episode:

• Navigating Buyer Complexity: Learn how to effectively engage the 20+ people who influence B2B buying decisions, including internal and external stakeholders. 

• Elevating customer success: Discover how aligning promise-makers (sales) with promise-keepers (customer success) can drive loyalty and advocacy, even for unhappy customers. 

• Transforming revenue processes: Discover how companies like Siemens and Reltio streamlined buying journeys and aligned teams for a customer-first approach. 

• Self-serve buying journeys: Explore how the rise of self-service is reshaping traditional sales and marketing strategies—and what you can do to stay ahead.

Tune in for actionable insights and frameworks that can help B2B marketers thrive amidst the chaos—and walk away ready to tame the buyer mayhem in your own organization.  

And if you like what you hear, make sure you register for Forrester’s 2025 B2B Summit in Phoenix (March 31-April 3, 2025)! If you’re a Huddler, reach out to us for a special discount code.

Why you should go: 

• Best-in-class case studies: Showcasing Return on Integration and Program of the Year award winners on the main stage 

• Increased interactivity: Expect more roundtables and workshops than presentations, designed to foster collaboration, peer discussion, and actionable takeaways. 

• Hands-on planning: Leave with a Plan on a Page or an assessment to identify your strengths and where to focus for improvement. 

• Cross-functional focus: A unique opportunity to collaborate not just with marketing peers but also with sales, product, and customer success teams to align GTM strategies. 

• One-on-one analyst sessions: Personalized insights from Forrester experts, tailored to your organization’s challenges and opportunities. 

• Exclusive leadership exchange: Invite-only sessions for C-level executives, with opportunities to tackle strategic challenges in a private, focused environment. 

• Vision meets practicality: Gain forward-looking insights about where B2B is headed, paired with tangible next steps to implement immediately. 

Playing it safe might feel smart, but it’s the riskiest move of all. In this episode, Drew Neisser sits down with Steve Dennis, author of Leaders Leap, to explore the critical moments when leaders must embrace risk, drive innovation, and challenge the status quo.

In this episode:

• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: Why past successes might not guarantee future results, and how to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. 

• A Slightly Better Version of Mediocre Won’t Cut It: Why incremental improvements are no longer enough and how to aim for true remarkability. 

• Customer-Centric or Just Lip Service? The gap between saying that you’re customer-focused and actually delivering on it.

You’ll also learn:

• How CMOs can position themselves as strategic leaders within their organizations. 

• Why being “special, not big” can be a winning strategy in a competitive market. 

• Practical steps for balancing long-term transformation with short-term results.

Whether you’re navigating strategic pivots, championing customer-centric initiatives, or striving to build a remarkable brand, this conversation is packed with insights to help you leap with confidence into 2025 and beyond. 

As we step into 2025, Drew Neisser takes the mic solo for a special Drew-on-Drew episode, sharing his eight resolutions for the year ahead. From personal growth to professional goals, our penguin-in-chief dives into the habits, mindset shifts, and priorities that will guide him—and hopefully inspire fellow marketers—through the year.

In this episode:

• Resolution #1: Keep on learning – Embracing curiosity and connecting with experts to grow smarter every day. 

• Resolution #2: Think bigger and do better – Aiming higher, taking risks, and saying yes to bold opportunities. 

• Resolution #3: Manage time better – Prioritizing deep focus, smarter habits, and blocking time for what truly matters. 

• Resolution #4: Invest more in partnerships – Doubling down on meaningful collaborations that drive impact. 

• Resolution #5: Lighten up – Injecting humor and levity into everyday work and writing. 

• Resolution #6: Stay positive – Balancing realism with optimism, even in challenging times. 

• Resolution #7: Give back – Dedicating more time and energy to meaningful nonprofit causes. 

• Resolution #8: Express gratitude – Recognizing and celebrating the people who make a difference.

Tune in for an episode filled with thoughtful reflections, actionable takeaways, and a healthy dose of Drew’s signature wit. Here’s to a purposeful and impactful 2025!  

When it comes to marketing metrics, what you measure—and how you measure it—can make all the difference. In this episode, Drew Neisser is joined by six-time CMO Grant Johnson to explore how to create marketing dashboards that go beyond vanity metrics to tell a full story of marketing’s impact. 

In this episode:

• Grant walks through his “Marketing Performance Index,” a dashboard designed to measure marketing’s broader influence on pipeline health, brand strength, and market presence. 

• Learn why too many marketers fall into the trap of tracking vanity metrics that don’t resonate with the C-suite—and how to avoid it. 

• Discover the importance of aligning metrics with CEO and board priorities while maintaining a broader lens to capture momentum. 

• Explore how setting baselines and tracking trends over time are critical for showing marketing’s true value.

This is a sneak peek into a dashboard that doesn’t just measure what’s easy, it captures what actually matters—and elevates marketing’s voice in the C-suite. Tune in!  

How do B2B leaders successfully navigate brand transformations? In this episode, Drew Neisser explores the art and science of rebranding with three exceptional marketers—Joy Neely, Heather Salerno, and Will Meier. From reclaiming past equity to aligning brands with new business goals, this conversation reveals the key strategies behind effective brand evolution.

In this episode:

• Joy Neely shares the bold move to bring Medvantx back to its roots, the challenges of reintroducing an old name, and how she balanced sales and marketing priorities to support a successful rebrand. 

• Heather Salerno explains how Appcast’s rebrand evolved from a refresh to a strategic overhaul, aligning the company’s identity with its rapid growth and new offerings. 

• Will Meier discusses building a family of brands at FM, the decision-making process behind a house-of-brands approach, and the challenges of maintaining premium positioning across diverse markets.

You’ll also learn:

• How to involve employees in the rebranding process and ensure alignment across teams. 

• Metrics and KPIs to track brand health and measure rebrand success. 

• Tips for overcoming resistance and fostering organizational buy-in.

Whether you’re embarking on a rebrand, refreshing your identity, or simply curious about what makes brand transformations succeed, this episode is packed with actionable insights for B2B marketers.  

What does it mean to have a strategy? In this episode, Drew Neisser hosts Alex M. H. Smith, author of No Bullsht Strategy*, for a candid discussion on stripping away the jargon and getting to the heart of what makes a business thrive. Together, they dive into what it means to build a strategy that defines not just what your business does—but what makes it the only one of its kind. 

In this episode, Alex M. H. Smith explains:

• Why “only” is better than “best” when crafting a competitive strategy. 

• The pitfalls of focusing solely on communication while neglecting the operational and strategic foundations of the business. 

• The difference between strategy and positioning 

• How to align your strategy with true customer value, ensuring it resonates in the market while setting you apart from the competition. 

• How to identify the mistakes in your previous thinking to craft a strategy that truly moves the needle.

Whether you’re building a strategy from scratch or rethinking your current approach, this episode offers invaluable insights into creating a clear, actionable plan that delivers unique value to the market.