Cos and a diverse group of senior marketers from companies including Hudl, Lima, Snowflake, Density, and Demica dug into some of the core tensions shaping marketing today:
1. The Struggle to Measure ImpactMarketers across the board acknowledged the pressure to deliver short-term results, with quarterly reporting cycles pushing lead-gen metrics to the forefront. But this often comes at the expense of long-term investment—despite its role in driving retention, upsell, and future revenue.
- 2. The Limits of Marketing-Influenced Revenue
- The metric of "marketing-influenced revenue" sparked debate. While intended to show impact, many criticised it for artificially separating marketing from sales. The consensus? We need more holistic metrics that reflect how marketing and sales work together—rather than apart.
Branded search growth and share of search stood out as credible, actionable ways to track brand impact. Demica’s Daniel O'Hara called out branded search as his go-to brand indicator—something we fully support in our own effectiveness work.
- 4. Econometrics: A Missed Opportunity in B2B
Cos shared how econometrics is helping True clients isolate marketing’s contribution to revenue, accounting for external factors, and allowing us to build smarter investment strategies. While the cost is higher than typical measurement approaches, the value it delivers is far greater. It enables more informed budget allocation decisions and can supercharge profitability by revealing where marketing is truly driving returns.
5. Marketing the MarketingOne of the most resonant quotes of the session was: "Marketing doesn’t do a good job of marketing itself."
It’s true. As marketers, we often focus so hard on building the brand externally that we forget to tell our own story internally. We need to do a better job of consistently reporting on our full impact—beyond leads—to build organisational awareness of how marketing drives value. From brand equity to customer retention, from accelerating sales to supporting pricing power, marketing’s contribution goes far beyond MQLs. But it’s up to us to make that visible.
- 6. Brand’s Role in Retention and Upselling
A strong brand doesn’t just open doors—it keeps them open. For companies selling high-value contracts, brand strength plays a key role in reducing churn and enabling upselling. When your brand carries weight, it introduces perceived risk for clients considering a switch.
For more of our thinking on moving B2B marketing from vanity metrics to business impact, check out Eff* Up B2B: Volume 1 of our Beyond ROI papers here.
