Future of B2B marketing in 2025: AI, globalisation trends

Brandon Friesen, CEO of B2B marketing agency Just Global, has outlined his predictions for the B2B marketing landscape in 2025, highlighting key trends such as the integration of AI, the importance of unified marketing approaches, and increased globalisation.

Discussing the need for a shift in marketing strategies, Friesen stated, "I believe this is the year the industry takes decisive steps to leave behind the inefficiency of disconnected, one-off marketing efforts. Gone are the days when scattered tactics and uncoordinated initiatives sufficed."

Friesen pointed to recent market trends, stating, "Trends in the market point to a singular truth: the path to meaningful engagement – and measurable results – in 2025 lies in unified marketing efforts."

One of Friesen's main predictions is about the "95/5 rule," which refers to the challenge of engaging the 95% of B2B buyers who are 'out-market'. He explained, "The most popular B2B Marketing research stat in 2024? The '95/5 Rule' from the LinkedIn B2B Institute. It highlights that 95% of B2B buyers are 'out-market' and only 5% are 'in-market', and will drive a shift in 2025 B2B budgets."

He also addressed the role of artificial intelligence in personalization, stating, "While the idea of personalization isn't new, with many AI and ML tools built into existing MarTech and AdTech platforms, GenAI will enable deeper personalization, targeting, and localization by analyzing customer data to deliver tailored content and offers."

Friesen predicted consolidation within the B2B marketing industry, highlighting the pressure on marketers to deliver results. "Efficiency. The bottom line. The pressure is real," he said. "To meet the demands of investors, shareholders, and boardrooms, B2B marketers will further consolidate platforms, media providers, and service partners."

Turning to lead generation, Friesen forecasted a greater emphasis on transparency: "The lead gen marketplace, specifically the obfuscation in Content Syndication, is getting out of control. 2025 will be the year of serious truth injection."

According to Friesen, B2B buyers' emotional engagement will play a vital role in influencing strategies. He noted, "In 2025, B2B marketers will get more savvy, understanding the need to make emotional connections with their audiences."

On the subject of AI and search optimisation, Friesen highlighted the impact of GenAI, suggesting, "The search game has changed. Forever. With the rise of GenAI as a search tool, incumbents like Google and Bing will need to evolve as users turn to the likes of OpenAI, Cohere, Perplexity and Claude."

Friesen also considered the evolving relationship between marketing and sales, saying, "While a long time coming in B2B enterprise land, sales and marketing will continue to mesh. More and more enterprise buyers prefer a rep-free buying experience — at least the first 85% of the purchase process."

Additionally, he discussed the potential of Account Based Marketing (ABM), suggesting it will integrate more closely with broader marketing strategies: "ABM teams will gain strength from the broader plays. A strong Go-To-Market (GTM) requires a united deployment framework to take flight."

On globalization, Friesen observed, "Enterprise brands continue to expand their offerings globally to drive growth. That means marketing teams must tear down those walls and learn new global skills."

Finally, Friesen discussed the "razzle-dazzle" aspect of B2B marketing, remarking, "B2B boring? Bye-bye. Humanizing B2B isn't about adding stock images of people to your ads. Ugh. In 2024, B2B brands found success using celebrities."