In this final episode of 2025, we bring you a compilation of the best, most actionable advice from B2B marketing leaders on how to build a new marketing playbook for a complex buying environment. Stop chasing MQLs and the "badge of busyness." Learn the strategic shifts necessary for real growth, covering everything from campaign planning and MarTech to AI and fighting for your budget.

Episodes Referenced:1. Kelly Santos, Intelex - Strategic Campaign Planning: https://www.inverta.com/resources/the-transformative-power-of-strategic-campaign-planning 

2. Mike Rizzo, Marketingops.com and Darrel Alfonso, Indeed.com (now at Foundever) - MOps as Strategic Partners: https://www.inverta.com/resources/executing-the-new-playbook-marketing-ops

3. Brian Schmid, Inverta and James Lamberti, Georgian - AI Content Production: https://www.inverta.com/resources/stop-asking-ai-to-write-a-blog-post-start-building-a-content-engine

4. Kerry Cunningham, 6sense and Kathy Macchi, Inverta - Revenue Accountability: https://www.inverta.com/resources/marketings-mql-breakup

5. Brittanee Dawson, AlphaSense - Customer Marketing Evolution: https://www.inverta.com/resources/the-evolution-of-customer-marketing-from-advocacy-engine-to-revenue-driver

6. Jeremy Schwartz, Palo Alto - Buying Groups Transformation: https://www.inverta.com/resources/breaking-free-from-the-mql-machine and https://www.inverta.com/resources/from-mqls-to-buying-groups-the-how-behind-palo-alto-networks-marketing-transformation

7. Julie Wiethop, Ocrolus - Direct Mail Renaissance: https://www.inverta.com/resources/why-you-cant-afford-not-to-do-direct-mail 

8. Madhav Bhandari, Storylane - Influencer Marketing Strategy: https://www.inverta.com/resources/making-influencer-marketing-work-for-b2b 

Resources: The RevRoom Podcast https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/the-revroom-podcast

Most marketing leaders inherit chaos and respond by adding more: more people, more tech, more campaigns. Douglas Nelson did the opposite—and grew originated revenue contribution to over 30% with an overall marketing  influence of 58% of all new ARR in three years.

As Chief Marketing Officer at ExtensisHR, Doug was handed a rare gift: leadership said "build the marketing structure we need to be  successful”. Instead of going on a hiring and spending spree, he applied surgical discipline. He built a three-part marketing organization that separates strategic work from operational execution. He kept his team lean at 12 people when he could have hired more. He ditched underperforming tech and resisted shiny objects. He focused on vintage tactics like direct mail for new verticals while implementing smart personalization tech where it actually moved the needle. 

The result? A marketing team that punches far above its weight, drives a high-performing direct pipeline engine while enhancing their broker relationships - ensuring both channels grow stronger together  as we prepare for an AI-enabled future. 

With AI disrupting traditional marketing roles and budgets under constant scrutiny, CMOs face an identity crisis: scale up or slim down? Doug's story proves you can grow revenue contribution dramatically by being more strategic, not just more active. His Marketing 3.0 framework shows what to protect, what to optimize, and what to eliminate—giving overwhelmed marketing leaders a clear path forward.

Guest:Doug Nelson - CMO, ExtensisHRLinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglascnelson/ 

Resources: The RevRoom Podcast https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/the-revroom-podcastInverta on Marketing Orgs: https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/strategic-planning 

Direct Mail: S2, Episode 13 https://www.inverta.com/resources/why-you-cant-afford-not-to-do-direct-mail 

Marketing leaders are caught in a perfect storm: shrinking budgets, rising expectations, and an avalanche of AI promises. Everyone's talking about AI transformation, but few are clear on where it actually belongs in their marketing strategy.

In this episode, we sit down with Brian Schmid fresh from MAICON, the premier AI conference for marketers, to cut through the noise. Brian shares what's actually working in AI implementation and introduces a critical framework every CMO needs: the distinction between Strategic (Core) and Operational (Support) marketing work.

The conversation reveals a counterintuitive truth: AI isn't here to do your strategic thinking—it's here to free you up to do more of it. We explore how smart marketing teams are using AI to automate operational drag (content production, reporting, campaign execution) while protecting and amplifying the strategic work that truly differentiates their business (positioning, messaging, account selection).

You'll discover practical frameworks for auditing your team's work, real-world examples from companies getting AI right, and a clear path to implementation that starts small and scales smart. This isn't about replacing marketers with machines—it's about building a revenue engine where humans focus on what humans do best, and AI handles the rest.

Guest:

Brian Schmid, InvertaLinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianschmid/ 

Resources / Links:

Invera’s AI Marketing Services: https://www.inverta.com/services/ai-consulting-pilot-governance-rollout 

Inverta’s AI Resources: https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/artificial-intelligence 

2024 Post-MAICON Episode: https://www.inverta.com/resources/ai-marketing-trends-2024 

Overview: B2B marketing has fundamentally changed, but most teams are still stuck playing "spray and pray" with their content strategy. While everyone's talking about AI writing tools, the companies actually winning are building systematic content workflows that respond to buyer signals, not marketing calendars.

In this episode, we go deep with practitioners who've cracked the code on AI-powered content that drives real revenue. You'll hear how one company grew their ChatGPT referral traffic from under 5% to over 20% in just nine months by completely reimagining their content team structure and processes.

We explore the emergence of the "content engineer" role, the critical shift from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and why your traditional nurture sequences are dead. Plus, you'll get a practical roadmap for transforming your content operations without overwhelming your existing team.

This isn't another conversation about AI writing better blogs. This is about building content systems that actually move the revenue needle.

Perfect for: Content marketers, demand gen managers, marketing ops professionals, and CMOs looking for tactical implementation guidance on AI-powered marketing workflows.

Brian Schmid, Inverta

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianschmid/ 

James Lamberti, CMO Georgian

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslamberti/ 

Resources / Links:

Invera’s AI Marketing Services: https://www.inverta.com/services/ai-consulting-pilot-governance-rollout 

Inverta’s AI Resources: https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/artificial-intelligence 

Georgian AI Lab Research: https://georgian.io/ai-lab/research/ 

Overview: Marketing planning season is here, and most teams are about to repeat the same frustrating cycle: waiting for sales numbers that never come, getting vague revenue targets without context, and building campaign plans that look suspiciously like last year's with inflated numbers. But what if there was a better way?In this episode, Rachel and Danielle break down how marketing teams can shift from reactive order-takers to strategic revenue drivers by owning their planning process. Drawing from Inverta's experience with hundreds of B2B companies, they reveal the frameworks that bridge the gap between high-level strategy and tactical execution - including the Revenue Map that creates "aha moments" in planning workshops.

Guest: Danielle Contreras, Inverta

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/daniellercontreras 

Resources:

Inverta Planning and Templates: https://www.inverta.com/services/strategic-planning

The traditional event playbook is dead – host a webinar, collect MQLs, pass to sales, celebrate pipeline. Today's successful events serve as relationship accelerators and community builders that extend far beyond the initial touchpoint. Event strategy expert Andrea Rutherford shares real-world insights on transforming events from one-off lead generation tactics into sustainable revenue engines. We explore practical challenges like stagnant budgets and shrinking attention spans, plus what's actually working: content multiplication strategies, AI-driven personalization, and measurement frameworks that prove relationship value to skeptical stakeholders. Whether you're defending your event budget or evolving your strategy, this episode provides actionable tactics to transform transactional moments into strategic movements.

Andrea Rutherford, Vineacular Events

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/anrutherford/

In this episode of The RevRoom, we explore how field marketing creates irreplaceable human connections that demonstrably drive revenue in today's B2B landscape. Our guests share their contrasting but complementary approaches to field marketing, revealing how they've balanced strategic objectives with sales partnerships through practical frameworks like the "Field Marketing Menu" and strategic territory planning. They discuss how field marketing delivers 2.2x higher close rates despite changing work environments and budget constraints, offering insights on different event types for various buyer journey stages. From navigating sales relationships without becoming order-takers to leveraging AI while maintaining the human element, this conversation provides both strategic vision and tactical implementation details for marketing leaders looking to optimize their field marketing approach in a digital-first but relationship-driven world.

Beth Tiltges - Director of Marketing at Channel99

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethtiltges/ 

Christine Farrier Rosemin - Head of Partner Marketing at Rho 

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinefarrierrosemin/

In this episode of The RevRoom, we sit down with Julie Wiethop from Ocrolus to explore how direct mail is making a powerful comeback in B2B marketing—not as a nostalgic throwback, but as a strategic revenue driver. Julie shares how her team achieves impressive ROI from direct mail campaigns with a modest annual budget, proving that you don't need massive resources to see meaningful results. We dive into their "Fintech Bros" campaign strategy, the art of persona-specific curation, and how to integrate direct mail with digital channels for maximum impact. This conversation challenges the "we can't afford it" mindset and reveals why smart marketers are using physical touchpoints to cut through digital noise and accelerate deal cycles. Whether you're looking to stand out in a crowded market or justify marketing spend with concrete results, this episode delivers actionable strategies for making direct mail a cornerstone of your revenue-focused marketing playbook.

Julie Wiethop - Director of Growth Marketing at Ocrolus

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewiethop/ 

For your direct mail needs, check out our friends at Sendoso: https://www.sendoso.com/

In this episode of The RevRoom, we explore how B2B marketers can move beyond traditional channels to embrace video as a powerful relationship-building tool. Our guest, Ademola Adelakun from A2 Media, debunks common misconceptions about video marketing being too expensive, time-consuming, or difficult to measure. Through practical examples and firsthand experience, we'll discover how batch recording can dramatically reduce production time, explore the untapped potential of interactive video experiences, and learn why authentic content consistently outperforms high production value. Join us for actionable strategies to incorporate video into your marketing mix without overwhelming your team or budget, ultimately helping you build deeper connections with prospects and accelerate the buying journey.

Ademola Adelakun - CEO at A2 Media

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/ademola-adelakun/ 

This episode of The RevRoom explores how B2B companies can successfully implement influencer marketing strategies, featuring insights from Madhav Bhandari of Storylane. The conversation traces Storylane's journey from complete beginners to running a successful B2B influencer program generating 700K monthly impressions. We unpack the challenges of building an influencer program without an established playbook, reveal their two-tiered approach to influencer types, and discuss how they measure success and integrate this channel with their broader marketing strategy.

Madhav Bhandari - VP of Marketing at Storylane

LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavbhandari/