The 2025 Forrester B2B Summit had a headline that made me pause: Mastering Buying Mayhem. Mayhem? Honestly, that sounded a little dramatic - until I walked in the door and realized… they nailed it.
The chaos is real. The way B2B buyers discover, evaluate, and decide has become anything but linear. But underneath all that complexity? There’s a huge opportunity - especially for marketers who are ready to lead.
One thing I kept hearing (and completely agree with): marketing has outgrown its supporting role. We’re no longer just driving awareness or teeing up leads. We’re driving growth.
But there’s still a perception gap in the industry. Forrester reported that while 81% of B2B CMOs want marketing to be seen as a growth partner or driver, only 58% are actually viewed that way today.
Fortunately, that’s not the case for us. At Anteriad, marketing is recognized as a growth partner - and that alignment makes a measurable difference. It clears the path for faster innovation, smarter investment, and stronger collaboration across the business. That kind of clarity isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential when the landscape is moving this fast.
And while we’re proud to be in that 58%, many teams are still navigating how to get there. This is where marketing needs to show up differently, with a clearer purpose, a tighter alignment to revenue, and a stronger voice in the room. That starts with rethinking how we talk about what marketing does and how it contributes to growth.
The other big idea that stuck with me? Buying networks. We’ve talked about buying groups for a while now, but Forrester pushed it further - today’s buyers are pulling in advice from all corners: peers, consultants, influencers, analysts, review sites, AI agents. It’s not just a decision-making unit anymore - it’s an ecosystem.
And here’s the kicker: many of the voices they trust, most aren’t even in the room with us. They’re out there in communities, online forums, and third-party sources. If we’re only optimizing for direct engagement with the buyer, we’re missing the bigger picture - and missing out on real influence.
Speaking of outside voices, the stat that really turned heads was this: over 90% of B2B buyers are using genAI to support their decision-making - and that number’s growing.
That changes the game. Your website, your thought leadership, your social presence - it’s all being scanned, summarized, and served up by machines to help buyers shortlist vendors. That means your content needs to be structured, specific, and searchable - not just for SEO, but for AI. If it’s not clear, it’s not showing up.
Four actions marketers can take:
Here’s what I’m thinking about - and what other marketers should be thinking about too:
Yes, things feel chaotic. But that doesn’t mean they’re out of control. It just means we need new tools, new signals, and new ways to measure our impact. The marketers who adapt quickly - who rethink their playbook and lead with purpose - are going to be the ones who move fastest and go furthest.
This moment isn’t just about keeping up. It’s about stepping up. Let’s get in front of it.