Navigating the Shifting Sands of the DMU

"The DMU is no longer static — it’s a moving target. Stop chasing the individual—and start building for the collective."~ Richard Parsons, Co-Founder and Managing Director, True

For years, B2B marketers have obsessed over understanding the Decision-Making Unit (DMU). We’ve mapped funnels, charted journeys, and built personas in the hope of cracking the code. But what if the DMU you’re targeting today is unrecognisable tomorrow?

True’s latest research reveals that over a period of seven years, 94% of the DMU will have changed. This Seven-Year Switch highlights increasing volatility in decision-maker tenure. New recruits enter the workforce, others retire or move to different roles within or outside the buying function, companies undergo restructuring and new stakeholders emerge. The senior stakeholder you’ve nurtured? They’ve moved on. The quiet analyst? They’ve now got budget and decision-making power. The DMU is no longer static —it’s a moving target.

The implications for B2B marketing are significant. Carefully crafted content targeted at specific roles within a presumed DMU risks missing its mark. Established relationships can dissolve overnight, and highly targeted campaigns falter as the intended audience evolves. 

So, how can marketers target decision-makers who constantly change? The answer lies in broader, more resilient marketing strategies. Stop chasing the individual—and start building for the collective.

Here’s how smart B2B marketers are adapting:

1. Adopt a multi-channel, always-on approach.

Relying on a single point of contact or a narrow communication strategy is risky when decision makers keep changing. Research from Nielsen and IPA shows multichannel campaigns are significantly more effective. They engage a wider range of both current and potential stakeholders, ensuring your message reaches influential individuals, regardless of their current role or position within a specific buying cycle. 

2. Build emotional connections, not transactional relationships.

The IPA Databank shows emotional strategies consistently outperform rational ones across business metrics.  Brands that connect emotionally are remembered when decisions are made—even by stakeholders you didn’t know were in the room.

3. Prioritise reach over hyper-specific targeting.
   Know your ICP—but don’t be blinded by it. Ehrenberg-Bass shows that share of voice drives share of market - fame matters. Invest in establishing a strong brand narrative and creative platform that builds memorability and fame for your brand. Create consistent messaging that resonates with a broader audience ensuring your message cuts through, even when the buyer isn’t yet buying.
   
4.  

The Ehrenberg Bass 95-5 rule suggests only 5% of potential buyers are in market for a product/ service at any given time (based on a 5 year purchase cycle).  Overlaying this with True’s research shows that within five years, 88% of your DMU will have changed—rising to 94% in seven years.  Building brand fame ensures recognition and trust among both current and future stakeholders, regardless of their buying status.

By shifting focus from rigid DMU mapping to broader brand building strategies-  multi-channel engagement, building emotional connections, generating brand fame- marketers can navigate the shifting sands of the DMU, and develop marketing strategies that are resilient, adaptable, and ultimately, more effective in driving sustainable business growth.