The Prompt

In this episode of the OnBase podcast, host Paul Gibson sits down with Kate Mackie to unpack why humanizing B2B marketing is no longer optional—and how brand resonance directly impacts modern go-to-market success. Kate shares her journey from agency to EY, revealing why the traditional separation between brand and demand no longer works in today’s complex, elongated B2B buying cycles.

She explains why trust is a brand’s most valuable currency, how buying groups have doubled in size, and why marketers must deliver consistent yet human experiences across every GTM motion. From aligning sales and marketing, to building creative consistency without losing personalization, to proving brand impact on revenue, this episode is a masterclass in modern enterprise marketing.

Kate also explores the disruptions defining today’s market, how AI will accelerate personalization, and why human differentiation will matter more as buyers increasingly use AI as part of their research process.

Key Takeaways

• Brand and demand work as one spectrum

Brand builds broad awareness and trust; demand converts that trust into action. Separating them weakens both.

• Buying groups have doubled in size

Enterprise decisions now involve 15 people, meaning brands must influence far more stakeholders, many of whom never speak to sales.

• Human-centered branding drives trust

Emotional relevance and clear purpose help companies stay top-of-mind through long, nonlinear buying cycles.

• Overconsistency reduces relevance

Rigid, one-size-fits-all branding prevents teams from tailoring messages to different roles, needs, and motivations.

• Alignment across brand, GTM, and sales is critical

Disconnected campaigns and target lists create massive audience wastage and inconsistent buyer experiences.

• Customer expansion offers the quickest wins

Building brand trust with existing clients is cheaper, faster, and often more impactful than new-customer acquisition.

• Measurement must combine brand and demand signals

Brand salience requires tracking awareness, consideration, social listening, and pre/post lift, not just revenue metrics.

• AI accelerates personalization but needs guardrails

AI can tailor creativity at scale, but only when backed by strong segmentation, a clear brand truth, and human oversight.

• Human differentiation will matter more as buyers use AI

As customers rely on AI for research, human experience, emotion, and trust become the true competitive advantage.

• Marketers must speak the language of the C-suite

To secure buy-in, brand value must be tied directly to commercial outcomes, not marketing jargon.

Quotes

“Brand and demand are one and the same. It’s just the difference between talking to a mass audience or a targeted one.”

“When buyers use AI as part of their research, the human experience becomes the biggest differentiator.”

Resource Recommendations

• B2B Marketing Fundamentals, a book by Kate Mackie
• Wired

Shout-Outs

• Jennifer Aaker, General Atlantic Professo at Stanford University Graduate School of Business
• Caroline Day, Global Director, B2B Institute at LinkedIn
• Denise Persson, CMO at Snowflake

About the Guest

Kate Mackie is a Partner (EYGP LLP) and the Global Marketing Lead at the global EY organization. She is a transformational global leader who drives innovative marketing strategies and helps the business embed lasting change. Her passion lies in transforming the narrative around B2B marketing and driving a humanized approach to growth. She is the author of 'B2B Marketing Fundamentals: Drive Impact Across Brand, Reputation, Relationships, and Revenue'.

Connect with Kate.

In this episode of OnBase, host Paul Gibson sits down with Soumyajit Dey for a deep dive into why continuous brand building outperforms one-off campaigns every time, and how ABX becomes truly powerful only when rooted in purpose, consistency, and relevance.

Soumyajit shares his journey from early days in experimental digital marketing to leading global campaigns at ThoughtWorks, where he merges brand strategy with buying-group intelligence to drive sustained account growth. He explains why brand versus demand is the wrong debate, why ABX should be an experience, not a tactic, and how companies can orchestrate connected outreach that resonates emotionally and commercially.

From the importance of purpose-led storytelling, to measuring brand influence, to navigating AI and evolving buyer behavior, this episode is a masterclass in modern B2B marketing that actually works.

Key Takeaways

• Brand and demand shouldn’t compete, they should connect

Soumyajit argues that ABX succeeds when it amplifies a strong brand narrative. Disconnected efforts create drop-off; integrated storytelling builds trust that sustains long-term growth.

• ABX is an experience, not a pipeline hack

Effective ABX expands reach inside accounts, engages the full buying group, and nurtures trust over time. It’s a long-term motion, not a magic wand for instant deals.

• The tech stack makes or breaks digital ABX

Integrating engagement scoring, intent, and outreach into a unified ecosystem creates the intelligence needed for relevance and personalization at scale. At ThoughtWorks, this has driven an 18–23% increase in reach.

• Purpose-driven brands outperform

Buyers, especially millennials and Gen Z, make decisions based on values like transparency, ethics, and inclusion. Purpose creates memorability and long-term loyalty.

• Sustained brand building warms the ground for ABX

When a brand shows up consistently through content, social proof, thought leadership, and human storytelling, ABX campaigns land on receptive audiences, not cold inboxes.

• AI orchestration and buying-group intelligence are the future

Agentic AI, buying-group-level insights, and responsible use of automation will redefine how teams run always-on ABX and brand plays.

Quotes

“Brand creates receptivity. ABX activates relevance. Together, they expand your circle of influence.”

Resource recommendations

Podcasts:

• B2B Marketing and More with Pam Didner

Books:

• ABM is B2B: Why B2B marketing and sales is broken and how to fix it — by Sangram Vajre & Eric Spett

About the Guest

Soumyajit Dey is a digital first marketing and communications leader with 20 plus years of experience at the intersection of marketing, technology and communication. Currently, he serves as the Global Head of Digital Campaign Delivery and AI for marketing Lead at Thoughtworks. He has worked with multiple global tech organizations in various capacity and is equally at home with campaign delivery, execution and executive strategy. Soumyajit is passionate about building future ready functions and teams that blend in creativity, automation and measurable performance.

⁠Connect with Soumyajit⁠.

In this episode of OnBase, host Paul Gibson sits down with Joel Harrison for a wide-ranging and deeply insightful conversation about one of the most pressing issues in modern B2B: trust. Together, they unpack how trust is eroding across society, why it has become the backbone of successful ABX programs, and how marketers can differentiate in an era flooded with AI-generated “average content.”

Joel shares his personal journey from magazine editor to industry leader, and why he believes trust, not just technology, is the true engine behind influence, brand affinity, and long-term customer relationships. The conversation explores how AI is challenging credibility, how strategic thought leadership can reclaim it, and why authenticity must be built intentionally rather than assumed.

Whether you’re a marketer, seller, or B2B leader navigating the new era of AI-driven engagement, this episode provides a powerful framework for building trust at scale, without losing the human touch.
Key Takeaways

• Trust is the new competitive differentiator

Trust isn’t a soft metric, it’s the oxygen of B2B relationships. Without it, brands will struggle to generate engagement, earn consideration, or influence buyers who are increasingly overwhelmed and time-poor.

• Average content is everywhere, quality is the real moat

AI has made it easier than ever to produce content, but most of it lacks authenticity, depth, and accuracy. Joel argues that this creates an opportunity: brands that invest in high-quality thought leadership will stand out faster than ever.

• Thought leadership must be strategic, not random

According to Joel, true thought leadership:

• Is rooted in robust data
• Connects to a long-term narrative
• Influences every stage of the funnel, from brand to demand to sales
• Includes credible experts and voices internally and externally

When executed well, these programs deliver 52% better ROI than traditional marketing.

• Advocacy is massively underutilized in B2B

Customer recommendations, peer validation, and community influence play a foundational role in trust, but most companies underinvest in structured advocacy programs. Joel highlights emerging “TrustTech” tools that are beginning to change this.

• AI must be used with oversight, not blind automation

AI is powerful for efficiency, research, and content acceleration, but hallucinations and inaccuracies can damage credibility. Human oversight is non-negotiable, both at the beginning and the end of the workflow.

• ABX thrives when trust comes first

Signals alone aren’t enough. Buyers won’t engage with sales if they've never heard of you or don’t trust your brand. Trust-building must begin long before intent signals surface, and it must extend through the entire customer lifecycle, not just new logo acquisition.

Quotes

“Thought leadership isn’t a blog post. It’s a strategic, data-driven idea deployed across the entire customer journey.”

Resource Recommendations

• Andy Lambert’s newsletter
• Luan Wise’s newsletter
• CDP Institute’s newsletter
• Paul Cash’s LinkedIn posts

Shout-Outs

• Scott Stockwell, Founder at Workmatik
• Graham Wylie, Growth CMO, B2B SaaS & Services
• Barbara Stewart, Buyer & Customer Experience Consultant
• Robert Norum, ABM and Growth Expert, B2B Marketing

About the Guest

As editor-in-chief of B2B Marketing and one of its founders, Joel plays a strategic role in the company, focusing on the development of all B2B Marketing’s content, products and services – including events, training, reports and the magazine.

He’s also an ambassador and evangelist for B2B more generally, and a regular speaker at conferences and at in-house marketing team meetings.

Connect with Joel.

In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Corrina Owens to explore the evolution of account-based marketing, the misconceptions that still persist, and why most companies miss their biggest growth opportunity: their existing customers.

Corrina details her non-traditional path into marketing, the value of being a generalist, and how ABM shifted from a set of disconnected tactics to a true go-to-market operating model. She breaks down the critical role of ICP development, the importance of analyzing first-party data, and why sales alignment is still the strongest predictor of ABM success.

The conversation also dives into customer expansion strategies, the rise of AI as a democratizer of data, and the ABM plays every B2B organization should be running. Corrina shares practical examples, thoughtful commentary on relationship-building skills in the age of automation, and the mindset sellers and marketers need to stand out in modern B2B.

Key Takeaways

• ABM is a go-to-market strategy, not a set of tactics

Most teams still define ABM as direct mail or targeted ads, but sustainable ABM success requires cross-functional alignment, sales process maturity, and clarity on the ICP.

• Your first-party data holds the real ICP insights

Instead of wish-list accounts or executive bias, the strongest ICP definitions come from analyzing a full fiscal year of closed-won and closed-lost data to uncover patterns.

• Customer expansion is the biggest missed opportunity

On average, companies land only about 30% of a customer’s total ARR potential on initial purchase. Yet most marketing and ABM efforts stop immediately post-sale. Customer ABM should be a core motion.

• AI is democratizing data access

What once required multiple tools and data science resources can now be achieved with ChatGPT and well-structured prompts. AI helps teams iterate faster, brainstorm creatively, and pressure-test messaging.

• Human connection is the new differentiator

Sellers struggle with relationship-building across channels, especially in a digital-first world. The ability to communicate authentically, not from templates, is becoming a critical skill.

• Give-first ABM plays drive the deepest brand impact

Podcast invitations, industry award nominations, and sponsoring internal team events create memorable, non-transactional experiences that earn trust.

Quotes

“The best ABM plays are pure give tactics. You’re not asking for anything back.”

Tech recommendations

• Lovable
• ChatGPT
• Gemini

Resource recommendations

• The Power of Onlyness by Nilofer Merchant – a powerful exploration of embracing your unique perspective and bringing your fullest self to your work.

• 12 ABM plays by Corrina Owens

Shout-outs

• Christina Le, Head of Marketing at Plot.

About the Guest

Corrina Owens is the go-to GTM mind behind some of the most effective ABM plays in B2B SaaS. She’s led award-winning programs at Gong and now works fractionally, advising and implementing pipeline-driving strategies at companies like Orum, TripleLift, Navattic, and UserGems.

⁠Connect with Corrina⁠.

In this episode of OnBase, Paul Gibson talks with Tejal Patel about why ABM often falls short in large enterprises and how companies can fix it. Tejal shares how her B2C background shaped her customer-centric approach and explains the key issues she sees inside big tech—misalignment, data quality gaps, siloed teams, and overreliance on ABM as a standalone strategy.

She contrasts this with the agility of smaller organizations and outlines practical ways to improve targeting, use intent data, strengthen sales–marketing alignment, and unify brand and demand. This conversation offers clear, actionable advice for anyone trying to make ABM work at scale.

Key Takeaways

• ABM is a tactic, not a standalone strategy

Tejal argues that ABM only works when paired with brand, awareness, nurture, and customer-centric messaging. Without broader demand creation, ABM becomes narrow and ineffective.

• Sales and marketing alignment remains the biggest barrier

Large enterprises struggle with global vs. regional disconnects, mismatched KPIs, and long internal approval cycles, slowing execution and creating misfire between strategy and action. Smaller companies excel because they have fewer layers, faster decision-making, and shared prioritization.

• Data quality is the silent killer of ABM

Messy CRM data, fragmented systems, mismatched account naming, and inconsistent scoring models undermine targeting, personalization, and sales handoff. Clean data and agreed lead quality criteria must come first.

• Intent data only works when paired with first-party signals

Great ABM prioritizes first-party data, then layers on external intent. Messaging should be mapped to where accounts are in their journey, not just industry segmentation. Audience clusters can be built based on behaviors, not just firmographics.

• Brand and demand must run in parallel

Brand builds trust with the 90% who aren’t yet buying; demand captures the 10% who are. Both motions must reinforce each other with consistent messaging across all touchpoints, internal and external.

• Simplification accelerates performance

Tejal shares examples where hundreds of micro-campaigns were consolidated into fewer, audience-grouped programs, leading to clearer measurement, stronger engagement, and faster pipeline.

• AI will finally unlock true personalization at scale, but only with clean inputs

AI can accelerate content, sales enablement, and buying-group messaging, but only when built on a foundation of strategy, quality data, and customer-centric principles. Otherwise, AI simply amplifies the noise.

Quotes

“Smaller companies succeed because they’re aligned, agile, and closer to the spirit of ABM.”

Tech recommendations

• Miro
• ChatGPT
• Canva

Resource recommendations

• The Rundown AI newsletter
• Lisa Adams (LinkedIn) – insights on AI and modern marketing org design
• Harvard Business Review

Shout-outs

• Juskiran Sond, Senior Global Digital ABM Marketing Manager at Riverbed Technology
• Suyasha Kale, Senior Paid Social Advertising Manager - Global at TeamViewer

• Brett Rieser, EMEA & LATAM Growth Marketing, Senior Manager at Palo Alto Networks

About the Guest

Tejal Patel has 25+ years experience in marketing transformation, strategic planning, organisational design & change management. She has held senior leadership roles at Cisco, Microsoft & Nokia. She specializes in creating practical yet ambitious strategies that deliver tangible success. She is skilled at building and retaining high-performing teams. Known as a turnaround expert, Tejal combines strategic vision with hands-on execution and inspires a culture of collaboration and empowerment.

⁠Connect with Tejal⁠.

In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Chelsea Wells to discuss how AI is reshaping the future of demand generation, campaign creation, and attribution. Chelsea shares practical insights from her role at MasterControl, how clean, accessible data powers scalable, high-quality campaigns and how marketers can balance automation with creativity to stand out in a crowded digital landscape.

From solving data challenges to embracing multi-touch attribution, Chelsea explains how she’s redefining what effective ABM looks like today. She also shares a behind-the-scenes look at a successful one-to-few ABM campaign that leveraged both digital and physical tactics, achieving rapid funnel movement and opportunity creation.

Whether you’re navigating the complexities of AI adoption or rethinking your attribution models, this episode offers an actionable roadmap for marketers aiming to stay ahead of the curve.

Key Takeaways

• Data quality drives AI success.
   AI is only as strong as the data it learns from. Clean, accessible, and compliant data is essential to generate accurate insights and scalable, high-quality campaigns.
• Keep humans in the loop.
   AI can ideate and optimize, but human oversight ensures creativity, empathy, and brand authenticity.
• Choose attribution models that reflect intent.
   No model is perfect. Evaluate channels based on their role in the funnel, top, mid, or bottom, and consider equal or multi-touch models to see the full journey.
• Mix digital with physical experiences.
   Reintroduce tactile, real-world touches, like thoughtful swag or events, to complement digital plays and deepen relationships.
• Test, learn, and personalize.
   Successful campaigns rely on experimentation, feedback, and personalization at every stage, from message testing to channel sequencing.

Quotes

“Every channel has a purpose. Measure them by their role in the funnel, not by a single model.”

Tech recommendations

• Demandbase – For ABM orchestration and intent data.
• Domo – For real-time visibility across data and attribution models.

Resource recommendations

• OnBase podcast
• ABM Answered

Shout-outs

• Kelly Starmon, CMO at MasterControl

• Cassidy Milder, VP of Demand Marketing at MasterControl

About the Guest

With 8 years of demand generation experience in the tech SaaS space, Chelsea Wells is a seasoned B2B marketer with a proven track record of driving pipeline growth in complex industries including cybersecurity and life sciences manufacturing. She currently serves as a Senior ABM Program Manager and Demand Generation Team Lead at MasterControl, where she leads the strategy and execution of high-impact, omni-channel campaigns. Chelsea specializes in campaign orchestration, account-based marketing, and full-funnel demand strategies, leveraging data and insights to optimize performance across every stage of the buyer journey. Her approach is grounded in experimentation and agility, continuously testing and iterating to keep ahead of the rapidly evolving marketing landscape. She is passionate about aligning sales and marketing, delivering customized experiences at scale, and using data to uncover what truly moves prospects from awareness to closed-won. Chelsea holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin, a certificate in Global Management, and an MBA from Southern Methodist University (SMU). She brings a global, cross-functional lens to marketing strategy and thrives in fast-paced environments that demand strategic thinking and executional excellence.

Connect with Chelsea.

In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Jasmeet Sawhney to explore what it means to lead marketing in an AI-driven world. Jasmeet shares his unconventional journey from engineer to marketing executive, emphasizing how technical fluency and creativity are now inseparable in leadership roles.

They dive deep into the evolving responsibilities of marketing leaders, how AI is reshaping strategy, execution, and team structures, and why the biggest risk is failing to evolve. From scaling personalization to rethinking attribution and ROI, Jasmeet offers a candid and forward-looking perspective on how leaders can guide their teams through this transformation.

This episode is a must-listen for marketing, sales, and business leaders navigating the AI revolution and seeking actionable insights for long-term success.

Key Takeaways

• AI is no longer optional:
   AI is no longer a buzzword, it’s a business necessity. Marketing leaders must integrate it across every function, from data analytics to customer engagement.
• Leadership must get technical:
   Future marketing leaders can’t avoid data or tech. Understanding AI, automation, and analytics is critical for setting effective goals and strategies.
• Don’t just hire AI experts, build internal fluency:
   Instead of creating isolated “AI teams,” leaders should train and empower existing staff to integrate AI into daily workflows.
• Personalization at scale is the new standard:
   AI enables hyper-personalization down to the stakeholder level, not just the account level. This is where real competitive advantage lies.
• Measure what matters:
   AI offers new opportunities to track touchpoints across the customer journey, finally making ROI and attribution measurable with greater accuracy.
• Change requires courage:
   Creativity, experimentation, and risk-taking are essential to unlocking AI’s potential, leaders must champion innovation even when outcomes are uncertain.

Quotes

“This is the biggest opportunity of our generation. If we don’t leverage AI, that’s what’s really at stake.”

Tech Recommendations

• Claude (Anthropic) – For content creation and ideation.
• Veo (Google LLM) – For AI-driven media and video content.
• Lovable – For AI-powered design support.
• Figma – For creating lightweight AI agents and workflows.

Resource Recommendations

Book:

• Nexus: The History of Information Networks by Yuval Noah Harari

Podcast:

• Marketing Against the Grain by HubSpot

Shout-Outs

• Mohanbir Sawhney, Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management – mentor and thought leader in marketing innovation.
• Dharmesh Shah, Co-founder & CTO of HubSpot – admired for bridging strategy, culture, and technology.
• Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX, CEO of VaynerMedia – inspiration for fearless creativity and constant evolution.

About the Guest

Jasmeet is a marketer with deep roots in technology, data analytics, and AI. He is currently Global Head of Marketing at Axtria. Earlier, Jasmeet was CEO of YibLab, which was one of the fastest growing marketing technology and solutions providers, ranked Top 50 among the fastest growing companies in NJ. Jasmeet has 20+ years of experience building and scaling marketing operations for both small and large companies. He is an investor, advisor, and mentor to multiple firms, and has received several company and individual awards - Inc. 500, Deloitte 500, Crain’s Fast 50, SmartCEO Future 50, Red Herring, NJBiz Business of the Year, Top CMO, and Forty Under 40, among others.

Connect with Jasmeet.

In this episode of the OnBase Podcast, host Chris Moody sits down with Craig Abramson of Workday to discuss how data quality, timing, and automation shape the future of account-based marketing (ABM) and experience (ABX).

Craig’s story, starting as a content writer, evolving through startup marketing, and now running enterprise-level ABX programs at Workday, offers a rare view into how strategy scales with data maturity. From early experiments targeting QuickBooks users to Workday’s global predictive engagement models, Craig breaks down how precision targeting drives faster deals, cleaner funnels, and measurable growth.

Key Takeaways

• Data quality is the foundation
   “Garbage in, garbage out” isn’t a cliché, it’s a law. Whether at a startup or Workday, the success of ABM hinges on accurate, verified, and purposeful data. A bad contact record can derail an entire funnel.
• Timing is the game-changer
   Intent data and predictive scoring help pinpoint the exact moment an account is ready to engage. Craig’s own campaign once closed a $250M+ enterprise deal in just three months, half the usual cycle, simply because the timing was right.
• Start small, learn fast
   Even at large companies, Craig applies a startup mindset: test, pivot, refine. His early ABM wins came from focusing on a narrow list of accounts with shared pain points rather than broad campaigns.
• ABX + demand gen = harmony, not competition
   At Workday, the ABX team focuses on the top 15% of high-scoring accounts, while demand gen drives scale. Together they operate like retail tiers, demand gen as the “big box store,” ABX as the “personal shopper,” and 1:1 ABM as the “bespoke tailor.”
• Messaging makes or breaks sales
   Even the best solution fails with the wrong message. Alignment between marketing and sales must start with consistent, audience-specific messaging that speaks to pain points, not features.
• AI is the amplifier, not the author
   Craig uses AI tools like Gemini to analyze data sets in hours instead of days but stresses the importance of human instinct: “AI can’t feel what will resonate, but it can help you see what you’d otherwise miss.”

Quotes

“The right message at the wrong time is just as bad as the wrong message altogether.”

Tech Recommendations

• Demandbase
• Salesforce 
• Google Gemini
• Marketo
• HubSpot

Resource Recommendations

Blog:

• Niel Patel: Author: Neil Patel | Co Founder of NP Digital & Owner of Ubersuggest

Podcast:

• Martech Podcast: Marketing technology trends and tools.

Shout-Outs

Matthew Miller - Sr Principal, Global ABX. Workday.

About the Guest

Craig Abramson is a strategic and results-driven marketing leader with extensive experience driving growth for B2B software companies. He has proven expertise in developing and executing full-funnel marketing strategies that dramatically increase brand awareness, accelerate lead generation and drive pipeline, consistently exceeding KPIs. A master of implementing bootstrap marketing techniques to achieve outstanding results regardless of budget, he is skilled in Go-to-Market planning, AI optimization, SEO/SEM, Marketo automation, content strategy, and analyst relations, with a history of leading companies from startup to successful acquisition. Craig most recently was brought on to lead marketing at Zimit, a services configure price quote SaaS solution. Zimit was acquired by Workday in 2022. Craig continues to work at Workday on the Account Based Experience team, running global programs to drive pipeline from the top 15% of accounts that are most likely in the market for Workday’s solutions.

Connect with Craig.

In this OnBase episode, host Chris Moody reconnects with marketing visionary Jon Miller for a deep dive into the evolution of B2B marketing and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of go-to-market strategy.

Jon shares his remarkable journey, from studying physics to co-founding Marketo and Engagio, joining Demandbase, and now launching his next venture at the cutting edge of AI. He reflects on the lessons learned from past technology revolutions, drawing parallels between the early internet era and today’s AI boom.

Listeners gain an inside look at how AI is fundamentally changing both software innovation and buyer behavior, why marketers must shift from quantity to quality-driven personalization, and what it takes to build organizations that thrive in an AI-first world.

This episode is packed with insights for anyone navigating marketing’s AI transformation, from creative storytellers to data-driven tacticians.

Key Takeaways

• The Biggest Shift Since the Internet
   AI isn’t just another tech trend, it’s as transformative as the rise of the internet. We’re entering a new era where software can do things we never imagined, enabling businesses that couldn’t exist before.
  
• The “Jagged Frontier” of AI
   AI excels at some tasks and fails at others. The key is daily experimentation, understanding where AI amplifies your strengths and where human oversight is indispensable.
  
• From Quantity to Quality
   The goal isn’t to send more emails, it’s to deliver more relevant experiences. AI’s true power lies in helping marketers achieve genuine one-to-one personalization through smarter orchestration, not mass automation.
  
• The Human – AI Partnership
   Future success lies in collaboration: humans provide creativity and empathy; AI handles data, optimization, and orchestration. Together, they create outcomes neither could achieve alone.
  
• Culture Determines AI Success
   Technology adoption starts with leadership. Organizations must build AI fluency into their culture, encouraging training, experimentation, and open sharing of prompts and insights.
  
• Emotion Drives Storytelling
   Even in B2B, emotion matters. Great storytelling taps into curiosity, excitement, and drama, whether through stealth launches, community intrigue, or relatable human experiences.
  
• Marketing Measurement Is Broken
   B2B marketers are still judged on MQLs and short-term results, despite the nonlinear reality of buying behavior. We need new ways to measure marketing that reflect its true long-term impact.

Quotes

“Don’t use AI like a faster typewriter. Use it as a new form of intelligence that helps you think better.”

Tech recommendations

• Descript – For seamless AI-powered video and podcast editing.
• Crosby.ai – An AI-enabled law firm combining automation with human legal review.

Resource recommendations

Books

• The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni – A guide to building healthy, high-performing organizations.
• Setting the Table by Danny Meyer – Lessons on culture and leadership from the hospitality world.
• Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet – Empowerment and leadership through intentional communication.

Newsletter

• Almost Timely Newsletter by Chris Penn.
• Kieran Flanahan Newsletter on Medium.

Shout-outs

• Chris Penn – AI strategist and co-founder of Trust Insights.
• Kieran Flanagan – SVP, Marketing, AI & GTM (SVP) and B2B growth expert and AI prompt innovator.

• Kathleen Schwab – Author of Marketing in the Great Big Messy World.

About the Guest

Jon Miller is a marketing technology pioneer and serial founder. He co-founded Marketo, Engagio, and later served as CMO of Demandbase, helping redefine how B2B companies go to market. Now building his next AI-focused startup, Jon also advises tech companies on strategy and growth. A frequent keynote speaker and author of The Definitive Guides to ABM and Marketing Automation, he’s been recognized as one of the world’s top B2B marketers.

Connect with Jon.

In this OnBase Podcast episode, host Chris Moody sits down with Brynna Self to unpack how Hexagon SIG moved from “running ads to accounts” to a true account-based GTM—and what changed when they adopted Demandbase as their shared sales–marketing system of record. Brynna details the journey from agency days to client-side leadership, why data discipline beats “order-taking,” and how a North America pilot became the blueprint for global rollout. 

They cover what actually fixes sales–marketing silos (hint: shared facts beat opinions), why clean CRM + intent + journey data created pull from sales, and how one-to-one onboarding for reps, weekly pipeline rituals, and regional frameworks turned ABM from theory into closed-won outcomes

Key takeaways

• Data-driven transformation is the foundation of growth
  Hexagon’s marketing evolution began with a cultural shift toward analytics and measurable outcomes. By implementing KPIs and attribution models, Brynna’s team moved from intuition-based decisions to data-backed strategy, aligning every initiative to revenue impact.
• Sales and marketing alignment is non-negotiable
  Brynna emphasized that ABM success depends on equal partnership between sales and marketing. Breaking the “order-taker” mindset and fostering collaboration built the trust required for true go-to-market alignment.
• Demandbase became the catalyst for ABM maturity
  Transitioning from Terminus to Demandbase allowed Hexagon to unify data, surface actionable insights, and bridge communication gaps between sales and marketing. The platform became the single source of truth for their account strategy.
• Start small, prove value, then scale
  Launching with a North America pilot allowed the team to test, refine, and validate their ABM approach before expanding globally. The result was a 53% increase in web visits and an 80% rise in closed-won opportunities, setting a model for global rollout.
• Data transparency builds adoption
  By personalizing reports and dashboards for each salesperson, Brynna’s team achieved over 90% adoption. Showing tangible, account-level insights built credibility and helped sales see marketing as a strategic partner.
• ABM success is globally adaptable
  While each region has unique challenges, the ABM framework proved scalable across geographies. Success came from combining consistent methodology with localized execution.
• Clean data powers the future of AI in marketing
  Brynna’s closing insight underscored that AI can only enhance ABM if the data foundation is clean, accurate, and consistent across systems.

Quotes

“We need each other. Sales and marketing can’t be order-takers; we’re partners driving growth.”

Tech Recommendations

• Consensus

• Demandbase 

Resource Recommendations

Newsletter:

• The Marketing Operations Leader by Darrell Alfonso
• The Marketing Operations Strategist with Sara McNamara by Sarah McNamara

Blog:

• Niel Patel: Author: Neil Patel | Co Founder of NP Digital & Owner of Ubersuggest

Shout-outs

• Sarah McNamara - Founding Revenue Operations & GTM Strategy Lead. Vector
• Darrell Alfonso - VP of Marketing Ops and Martech,Foundever.
• Neil Patel - Co-Founder at Neil Patel Digital
• Maureen Mack - Northam Marketing Director,Hexagon.
• Mallory Hilderbrand  - Senior Manager, Global Campaign Operations,Hexagon.

About the Guest

Brynna Self is a seasoned growth and marketing executive with 20 years of experience driving global digital strategy, demand generation, and account-based marketing. As Director of Global Digital Marketing at Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division, she leads initiatives that align marketing, sales and customer success to create stronger go-to-market execution. Recognized for advancing ABM adoption, AI-powered analytics, and data-driven decision-making, she has delivered measurable growth across the software, manufacturing and e-commerce sectors. Brynna holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Maryland.

Connect with Brynna.