Data Confidence: The Competitive Edge That's Changing B2B Marketing

When Play-Doh launched in the 1910s, it wasn't a toy. It was a wall cleaner. But when the market shifted, the company pivoted. The fundamentals—reach, frequency, story, brand—stayed the same, but everything else evolved.

We opened our recent "Get in Front" event in Milwaukee with this story because it captures what’s happening in B2B marketing today. Channels shift. AI changes workflows. Strategies evolve. But one truth is emerging stronger than ever:

Data confidence is the difference between keeping up and pulling ahead. This blog is packed with the key takeaways of what data confidence looks like in action, straight from our Milwaukee event. 

The Rise of Data Heroes

According to our report, The 2025 B2B Marketing Edge, 44% of B2B marketers now qualify as Data Heroes—professionals who feel highly confident in the data they use to convert audiences. That’s up from just 27% in 2022.

These Data Heroes are driving real impact. They’re:

• 3x more likely to see revenue growth
• Exceeding goals at 64% vs. 19%
• Launching campaigns faster
• Using AI and intent data more effectively

The takeaway? Confidence in your data changes the game.

What Data Confidence Looks Like in Practice

At our Milwaukee event, three marketing leaders showed us how growth starts with governance and how they turn data discipline into results:

• VP of Customer Marketing at North America's leading supplier of shipping, packaging, and industrial supplies:
  Led a governance initiative called "MARGE" to standardize definitions across teams. His insight: "If your reports aren’t consistent, you can’t trust them. And if you can’t trust them, AI can’t help you."
  
  

• VP Marketing at a national supplier of educational materials and classroom resources:
  Built a “golden record” for customer data that enabled personalized email campaigns and full-funnel pipeline growth.
  
  
• CEO at a provider of workplace ID and security solutions:
  Leveraged SaaS usage telemetry and AI—but only after ensuring data integrity first.
  
  
  

Data Confidence Drives Speed

Our research found that Growth Gurus—those driving significant revenue increases—are 3x more likely to launch campaigns in under 15 days.

Why? Because they trust their insights.

No delays. No second-guessing. Just smart execution at speed. As one panelist put it: “We don’t have time to rebuild the sales process while also running campaigns. Get the foundation right first. Then everything accelerates.”

The AI Reality Check

AI continues to be a hot topic with B2B marketers. But here’s the catch: AI is only as strong as the data beneath it.

Growth Gurus are:

• Seeing 73% time savings from AI (vs. 41%)
• Using AI for personalization, SEO, asset generation, and performance analytics
• Keeping human oversight in place

From the report: “Marketers who trust their data—and know how to apply it—are turning AI into a performance multiplier.”

Intent Data: The Untapped Opportunity

Only 39% of B2B marketers currently use intent data for targeting. But among high performers, that number jumps to 62%.

Intent data is helping marketers:

• Identify in-market accounts
• Target more effectively across email, search, ABM, and websites
• Focus resources where they’ll have the most impact

As our panelists showed, intent signals aren’t optional. They’re essential.

Full-Funnel Discipline Still Wins

Top-performing marketers don’t just focus on the bottom of the funnel. They:

• Balance TOFU and BOFU investments
• Use content syndication and multi-channel outreach
• Standardize spend to avoid reactive swings

Growth Gurus feed the whole funnel and scale smartly.

The Path Forward: How to Become a Data Hero

Want to build your team’s data confidence? Here’s where to start:

1. Start with governance. Define your metrics. Standardize your definitions. Clean your data.
2. Layer in intent data. Start testing intent signals and focus on high-propensity accounts.
3. Feed the whole funnel. Balance awareness, consideration, and conversion spend.
4. Use AI strategically. Start with personalization, SEO, and analytics—but keep humans in the loop.
5. Accelerate execution. Confidence reduces hesitation. Speed follows.
   
   

The Fundamentals Still Matter

Play-Doh didn’t win by accident. The brand adapted while staying true to its foundation. The same applies to B2B marketers today.

Channels will change. Buyer behavior will evolve. But those who trust their data—those who become Data Heroes—will consistently stay ahead.

Because growth doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing it better.

Want to see how data-confident marketers are accelerating growth? Download the full 2025 B2B Marketing Edge report and explore insights from 466 marketing leaders across North America, Europe, and APAC.