Solving B2B marketing pain points at every level

B2B marketers today face a dizzying array of challenges. At The B2B Collective West, we invited a panel of experts to share how they’re tackling pain points, from strategy to execution. Lucia Nguyen (Senior Performance Manager at Sage), Kelley Sandoval (Senior Director of Demand Generation at Databricks), and David Neal (VP of Client Services at Just Global) joined our VP of Marketing Eboni Ryan on stage in Marketing in Flux: Solving B2B Marketing Pain Points at Every Level.  Together they highlighted issues from fragmented data and shifting ideal customer profiles, to the impact of AI, omnichannel demands, SEO upheaval, and new measurement models.  

Throughout, they shared their practical experiences—Lucia’s on-the-ground performance insights, Kelley’s data-driven account strategy, and David’s agency-wide creative perspective—painting a comprehensive picture of today’s B2B landscape. 

Overcoming data fragmentation.

Data fragmentation is the “big, hairy problem” every B2B marketing team faces. Lucia illustrated this well: disparate channels, tools, and teams each generate isolated data silos. Marketers struggle to connect web analytics, CRM, email, social, events, and more into a coherent customer journey. Without this integration, “we’ll never really know what role each channel plays in creating revenue”.  

In practice, Lucia describes her team spending as much time stitching data together as they do running campaigns. They rely on integrated platforms and shared dashboards to start unifying data, but culture and process must change as well. The panel agreed, breaking down silos is an urgent priority – the first step toward accountability and smarter decision-making. 

Kelley echoed this challenge at the account level. As ideal customer profiles (ICPs) evolve – for example, as Databricks expands into new industries or global regions – the contact lists and target segments shift continuously. She explained that her team must constantly update criteria and model scores, or else run the risk of wasting spend on low-value targets.  

For instance, an ICP tweak might add a new tech vertical to pursue, necessitating new content and outreach tracks. This ongoing realignment feels like another layer of data fragmentation: marketing and sales must agree on which customer attributes truly matter. In their case, cross-team workshops help align on ICP changes. But Kelley stressed it’s still “a moving target” as business strategy and markets change. 

Personalization and AI in practice. 

Personalization sits at the center of many pain points. AI promises to scale one-to-one marketing, but each panelist emphasized the importance of balancing machine speed with human strategy. Lucia shared that Sage’s performance team uses AI-driven bid optimization and programmatic tools to tailor campaigns in real time. They’ve experimented with generative AI (like GPT-powered copy suggestions) for headlines and email teasers, speeding content creation. However, she cautioned, “brand tone and accuracy still need our eye,” so humans review every output. 

Kelley also embraces AI internally at Databricks. Her demand-gen team uses AI for lead-scoring and segmentation; they leverage Databricks’ own data platform to feed predictive models that flag accounts most likely to engage. This has increased efficiency, but she noted a strategic implication: “We can’t simply let AI allocate budget or define our message without oversight.” In other words, models help prioritize accounts, but Kelley’s marketers shape the narrative and campaign nuances. 

David described Just Global’s “trailblazer” approach: a cross-functional AI team guides how the agency uses the technology. They experiment widely – from AI analytics for media planning to tools that generate rough creative concepts – but with one clear mindset: AI is there to enhance human work, not replace it. All three agreed that AI frees up time for strategic thinking (by automating routine tasks) but should not touch areas like core brand storytelling, sensitivity, or complex strategy. In short, they’re “harnessing the horsepower of AI” while carefully setting human guardrails. 

The omnichannel imperative. 

Today’s buyers expect a seamless experience across channels, and marketers must orchestrate that. Lucia cited research showing 73% of B2B buyers want seamless communication across multiple channels. In practice, this means a prospect might see a paid search ad, read a blog on LinkedIn, watch a demo video, and get an email – all requiring a connected strategy. Lucia’s team makes sure web, social, and paid efforts share messaging and lead to coordinated landing pages, so prospects don’t “have to restart the process” when switching channels. 

Kelley added that omnichannel is vital for account-based work at Databricks. Her team designs content journeys that span email, events, paid ads, and even direct mail, all aligned to the same account storyline. They track engagement everywhere so that, for example, a whitepaper download might trigger a personalized follow-up ad or human outreach.  

David pointed out that this also requires organizational alignment: agencies like Just Global help clients break down silos between creative, media, and analytics teams. When channels truly integrate, campaigns feel coherent to customers rather than fragmented shouting. But as all panelists agreed, executing an omnichannel strategy is resource-intensive and only works if data and teams are coordinated behind the scenes. 

The SEO and search shake-up. 

Marketing teams are navigating a rapidly shifting search landscape. David emphasized that traditional search engines are under siege from generative AI and alternative platforms: Gartner even forecasts up to a 25% decline in traditional search traffic as AI chatbots provide instant answers. Lucia noted this being painful for B2B, since lead-gen often depends on search visibility. The panel agreed that while SEO remains important, it must evolve. Rather than just optimizing for keywords, marketers will need to invest in rich content that satisfies search intent even if users don’t click through (like Q&A pages or interactive tools), or shift more budget into other channels. 

Paid search, too, is changing. Kelley observed that costs are rising even as click-through rates fall, and buyers are easily distracted by new channels. The growth in voice search and social commerce means search budgets get distributed more. The panel suggested diversifying: combining SEO with ABM, content syndication, and targeted social ads. In short, the era of “set-and-forget” search campaigns is ending. Marketers must adapt by testing new tactics and measuring impact across the modern ecosystem, not relying on search as a one-stop shop. 

Rethinking attribution. 

With multichannel engagement at record levels, the old last-click mindset no longer works. Panelists stressed the need for attribution models that reflect today’s buyer journey. According to our research for The B2B Buyer Beat, it takes 3-10 touches for a brand to even be considered reputable, and all those touchpoints – events, ads, nurtures – matter. Kelley talked about focusing on influence metrics instead of just MQLs: for each account they track which channels have built awareness, who engaged with content, and how likely an account is to convert. 

The industry is moving away from last-click: in fact, 74.5% of marketers are planning to drop or de-emphasize last-click attribution. Lucia noted her company has adopted multi-touch dashboards to allocate credit more fairly.

For example, a prospect might see a webinar (early funnel), a case study (mid funnel), and a demo invite (late funnel) – the new model gives each stage some ROI credit. This has strategic implications: it justifies diverse tactics, and encourages departments to share data, rather than bicker over who “closed the lead.”  

As one panelist quipped, “If your attribution doesn’t include all touchpoints, you risk falling behind the curve”. In practice, that means marketers are experimenting with media mix modeling, ABM analytics, and incrementality tests to get a fuller picture. 

AI in action: real-world use cases. 

The panelists also outlined specific AI tools and use cases they’re testing. Lucia’s team uses AI-powered analytics platforms to automatically surface trends in campaign performance and even detect anomalies (like sudden spend changes). They’ve piloted chatbots on the Sage website to qualify leads instantly. Kelley described using Databricks’ own platform to run large-scale customer scoring models; she also mentioned A/B testing content variants generated by AI for subject lines or imagery.  

David’s agency applies AI in creative development – for instance, auto-generating draft copy or mood boards – and in media buying through smarter bid algorithms. All three see AI freeing up skilled staff from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on strategy and creative strategy. 

However, they also pointed out where AI still falls short. They agreed it’s not suited for tasks requiring deep creativity or contextual understanding. For example, the panel cautioned against letting AI write final marketing copy or strategy documents: those still need seasoned human voices.  

As Just Global’s AI lead put it, AI is “here to stay” but it should “enhance the way we deliver value,” not replace the people crafting brand stories. Kelley also warned about bias and data quality – unreliable inputs mean unreliable AI outputs – so her team carefully vets data before trusting any model. In essence, AI tools are seen as a powerful ally for efficiency and personalization, but marketers remain the ultimate decision-makers, especially when it comes to tone, ethics, and big-picture decisions. 

Key trends in B2B buyer behavior. 

Underlying these discussions are broader B2B trends, and these marketers repeatedly noted the non-linear buying journey. B2B teams must accommodate this winding path. As the panel pointed out, any content or campaign needs to allow prospects to drop in or out of any stage without confusion. 

This ties to self-service expectations: today’s buyers, especially younger decision-makers, expect to find most answers on their own. Research from Gartner shows B2B buyers now spend only 17% of their buying journey interacting with sales reps, and 44% of millennial buyers prefer no rep involvement at all. Lucia and Kelley said this matches their experience: prospects increasingly use websites, knowledge centers, and peer reviews to learn. Marketers must therefore invest in robust online experiences – intuitive websites, advanced search functions, rich content hubs, and even AI-powered FAQs – to meet buyers wherever they are. 

Finally, the panel highlighted that traditional marketing channels are fragmenting. Beyond SEO, prospects find information via social media, video platforms, online communities, and AI-driven tools. As one speaker noted, people are turning to chatbots and personalized feeds as much as search engines.  

In practice, this means brands must have a presence across many of these touchpoints and ensure consistent messaging. It also means attribution and analytics need to capture offsite influences (like LinkedIn engagement or influencer mentions) that were previously “invisible.” The non-linear, empowered buyer is a reality, and the speakers urged marketers to adapt by being agile, data-informed, and customer-focused across channels. 

Looking ahead: what excites the panel. 

When asked what they’re most excited about in the coming months, each panelist had a slightly different take. Lucia is energized by the potential of deeper AI analytics. She mentioned upcoming features that will automatically optimize budgets in real time across channels and predicted this could significantly boost ROI. Kelley is keen on expanding first-party data capabilities – for example, using Databricks’ CDP partnerships to gain richer account insights – and combining that with AI to personalize campaigns at scale.  

David, for his part, is excited about creative innovations: he sees generative AI enabling more iterative creative testing and faster content production for clients, and he’s also looking forward to experimenting with emerging channels like immersive experiences or AI-driven events. Across the board, they all pointed to one thing: experimenting and learning. They plan to closely track results of new tactics, share insights with each other, and pivot quickly as needed. 

Taking everything into account. 

The panel discussion made one thing clear: solving B2B marketing pain points requires a combination of smart technology and human creativity, clear strategies and flexible mindsets. From C-suite executives to campaign managers, teams must work together to unify data, target the right customers, and engage buyers wherever they are.  

As Lucia, Kelley, and David demonstrated, the challenges – data fragmentation, evolving ICPs, shifting search habits, and more – are real but surmountable. Marketers should ask themselves: how can our organization break down data silos? Are our targeting models up to date? How will we integrate AI responsibly? Are we measuring impact across all channels? Reflecting on these questions, and applying the panel’s insights, can help any team improve.  

The path forward may not be linear, but it’s navigable with the right tools, teamwork, and mindset.