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The start of a brand new 12 months is what behavioral scientists name a temporal landmark – a date that’s extra significant than others. Temporal landmarks typically immediate us to make vital life adjustments or decide to pursuing new objectives.
When you doubt the facility of temporal landmarks, simply contemplate how typically we make “New Yr’s resolutions” to drop pounds or start an everyday train program.
Like many entrepreneurs, I used the ultimate few weeks of 2025 to replicate on what occurred through the 12 months and plan for 2026. For the previous few years, I’ve used my first submit of the brand new 12 months to evaluate just a few of the foremost developments that occurred in B2B advertising and marketing through the 12 months simply ended, and preview a few of the subjects I will be writing about within the 12 months forward.
So, here is a glance again at 2025 and a sit up for 2026.
Trying Again – One other “Yr of AI”
Synthetic intelligence was one of many hottest subjects in advertising and marketing in 2025, because it was in 2024 and 2023. OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 ignited an arms race of epic proportions among the many mega-cap expertise firms.
Consequently, the efficiency of the massive language fashions that energy generative AI has been rising at an exponential charge, and the variety of software program functions incorporating AI in some type has exploded.
Regardless of the apparent significance of the topic, I didn’t publish a single submit in 2025 that targeted totally on AI. I made a decision to keep away from the subject as a result of an abundance of details about AI is obtainable from different dependable sources.
If you wish to keep on high of what is occurring within the AI house, I strongly suggest that your subscribe to Christopher Penn’s e-newsletter. Penn is my go-to useful resource for insightful and pragmatic commentary on the most recent advances in AI. His December 14, 2025 e-newsletter accommodates a wonderful evaluate of the foremost developments in AI that occurred in 2025.
Trying Again – B2B Model Constructing Positive aspects Traction
After languishing within the shadow of demand technology/efficiency advertising and marketing for practically 20 years, B2B model advertising and marketing appears to be on the cusp of a renaissance. The quantity of content material highlighting the significance of getting a robust B2B model has elevated dramatically over the previous couple of years.
The rising curiosity in B2B model constructing may be attributed to a number of elements. For one factor, many B2B entrepreneurs are discovering that advertising and marketing techniques that labored nicely just a few years in the past have turn out to be much less efficient.
As well as, a number of current analysis research have offered insights concerning the real-world B2B shopping for course of that make the worth of a robust B2B model abundantly clear. The newest analysis addressing this situation is the 2025 B2B Purchaser Expertise Examine by 6sense, which I wrote about in November.
We’re nonetheless within the early levels of the resurgence of B2B model constructing, however the momentum is actual, and I count on it’s going to proceed to construct in 2026.
Trying Ahead
Every year, I attempt to determine a small group of points or circumstances that I imagine will play a distinguished function in B2B advertising and marketing through the coming 12 months. These points or circumstances will present the themes for a lot of of my posts right here.
In 2026, one set of points I plan to give attention to pertains to the scope of authority and accountability of the senior advertising and marketing chief and the advertising and marketing group in a B2B firm.
There’s a widespread perception within the advertising and marketing neighborhood that the function and affect of the advertising and marketing operate are extra slender right this moment than they had been up to now. Many entrepreneurs describe this situation when it comes to the 4P’s of the advertising and marketing combine.
In Advertising Week’s 2025 Profession & Wage Survey, over 88% of the responding entrepreneurs stated they or somebody inside their group have affect over promoting (promotion). However:
- Solely 48.5% stated they’ve affect over product growth
- Solely 34.1% stated they’ve affect over worth
- Solely 32.7% stated they’ve affect over place
In my upcoming posts, I will focus on this situation, and I will discover what the function and first obligations of the advertising and marketing group ought to be in a well-managed B2B firm.
This is to a 12 months of profitable advertising and marketing in 2026.
