Plot twist: Reddit runs the AI search game now

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵? 𝗜 𝗯𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁.

The team at Profound just conducted a massive study - 30 MILLION citations analyzed to understand how different AI platforms source their content. This results are fascinating.

Here's what they found:

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱.
- Nearly HALF of all citations came from Wikipedia. Reddit limped in second at 11%. That's concentration risk on steroids.

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 = 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁/𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄.
- Much more balanced mix here. Reddit (21%), YouTube (19%), and Quora (14%) dominate. Google clearly trusts community-driven content.

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆? 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱!
- 47% of answers sourced from Reddit. FORTY. SEVEN. PERCENT. YouTube came second but wasn't even close.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟯 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

I’m embarrassed to say Reddit wasn't even on my radar. But if Reddit isn't in your strategy yet, you're losing the AI Search game.

Each AI platform has its own source preferences. What works for ChatGPT won't necessarily work for Perplexity. But overall it’s the power of community-led content.

Wikipedia, Reddit, YouTube - who knew they should be in the B2B marketer’s plan?

Time to get surgical with your AI optimization strategy. The rules have changed!

5 sentences that could get you a seat at the leadership table

Here's what I learned across countless leadership meetings, reviews and QBRs:

Business leaders don't want marketing updates. They want business truth.

They've heard every buzzword. Seen every hockey stick projection. Sat through countless "brand perception" slides.

What they crave? Someone who understands the business deeply enough to speak plainly about what's actually happening.

The path to the board table isn't through perfect dashboards or flawless campaigns. And certainly by marketers talking marketing speak.

It's through the courage to say what others won't.

Most marketing leaders never learn this because they're too busy managing up instead of thinking like an owner.

Here’s 5 examples I've seen work in the past:

1. "That's going to cost us 3 deals this quarter."

Not "impact pipeline" or "affect velocity." Real numbers. Real consequences. When I showed how a product delay would kill specific deals in Germany, France, and UK, suddenly marketing had weight.

Most marketing leaders say: "This could impact our pipeline health." Business leaders hear: "I have no idea what this means for the business."

2. "We don't understand the real reasons why our customers actually buy."

Showed leadership actual call recording transcripts (summarised with AI). What customers told sales vs. what they told their CFO. The gap was massive. It changed our entire GTM strategy.

Most marketing leaders say: "Our voice of customer research indicates..." Business leaders hear: "We asked leading questions and got the answers we wanted."

3. "I was wrong about that. Here's what actually happened."

Predicted enterprise adoption would drive growth. It didn't. Mid-market was carrying us. Admitted it. Adjusted everything. Leadership loved the honesty.

Most marketing leaders say: "Results were mixed but we're optimizing..." Business leaders hear: "I'm covering my a*se."

4. "We're wasting €2M a month on attribution theatre."

Killed our 6-figure attribution platform. Showed leadership how deals actually happened - dinner conversations, event connections, account management, customer referrals. Not our 47-touchpoint fantasy map.

Most marketing leaders say: "Our attribution model shows marketing influenced..." Board members hear: "I'm justifying my existence with made-up maths."

5. "If we lose Customer X,Y & Z, we lose the market."

Named names. Showed an ABM plan with specific customer names & data-driven insights. Got micro not macro. Made retention our #1 priority. It worked.

Most marketing leaders say: "Customer retention is crucial for growth." Business leaders hear: "Generic strategy consultant speak."

Want a seat at the table? Stop talking like a marketer. Start talking like someone who owns the outcome. Break out of that marketing bubble!

But what do you think of our logo?

“But what do you think of our logo?”

The chilling first question asked by a CEO after an hour’s strategic marketing presentation.

Briefed to outline my broader vision and action plan to accelerate growth in a global tech brand, I dutifully laid out a short presentation covering:

• Marketing Vision

• Market Forces & Ecosystem Dynamics

• Repositioning the Business

• Strategic Marketing Priorities

• First 100 Days Action Plan & Success Metrics

• Team Vision, Leveraging AI & Leadership Approach

You know when you think you nailed it. The CEO nodded along, seemed engaged and thanked me for laying things out. But then came the all important first question. I was floored. I didn’t know what to say.

But there you are - all was revealed about the role of marketing in THAT company - make things look pretty and solve the company’s ills by “better” “marketing”.

Reminds me of another company who, in the hiring process, wanted to see my campaign portfolio. FFS. Again, pointless. My prior work could’ve been backed by a $10M agency budget just as much as by knocking things up myself in Adobe Creative Suite. I politely pulled out of the process.

For many business leaders, marketing hasn’t broken out of the colouring-in department.

So the lesson? Perhaps as it’s always has been - marketing lacks a standard definition, and a CMO/VP Marketing/Head of role can mean anything to anyone. The Job Description may say “strategic leader driving growth, able to operate at the highest level”, but don’t make assumptions. If you’re in the business, be clear on KPIs. If you’re going in to a business, really understand what is meant by “marketing”. Quiz deeply, ask questions, clarify.

Finally, don’t get me wrong, image, identity, naming, logo, lock-ups, strap-lines, colour palette are all REALLY important components of great marketing. But to get there takes insight & data. Not a gut feel assessment. And certainly not the first question out of the gate.

Next up: the CRO who told me that marketing doesn’t generate leads (!)

Always walk facing the traffic

"Always walk facing the traffic" 🚶‍♂️‍➡️🚗

Still the best advice I got at 11 years old.

Picture this: A rain-soaked Boy Scout, freezing his a*se off on a "summer" hike in the Lake District. Our leader drops this wisdom: When there's no footpath, walk where you can see what's coming.

Don't get hit from behind.

Decades later, I still work out the logic. Even in Italy last month, watching a Piaggio Ape buzz towards me (that's "bee" not "gorilla" for the non-Italians).

Here's the thing: Marketing works the same way.

Too many marketers get blindsided. They're so busy looking at dashboards, they miss the truck coming around the corner.

The only way to survive? Face the traffic head-on.

Some examples from my own journey:

2000s: Founded a face-to-face networking dinner club when everyone was going digital. Built connections that still pay dividends today.

2010s: Got my hands dirty as a CMO - even wrote a daily music blog for a year. While others debated strategy, I learned by doing.

2020s: Dove headfirst into AI. Not just talking about it - actually building with it. Prompts, agents, automation. The works.

The pattern? I didn't wait for change to hit me from behind.

That free webinar you're avoiding? The coffee with someone outside your bubble? That AI tool you're "too busy" to learn?

That's your traffic.

Stop walking backwards. Turn around. Face what's coming.

It won't cost you much. Just the willingness to see what's ahead before it runs you over.

Angst!

I’ve never seen so much angst in marketing as there is right now!

Having had several rich, unfiltered conversations with other marketing leaders in the past few weeks a few things really stuck with me.

Marketing is having an identity crisis. Are we growth drivers? Brand builders? Revenue enablers?

We debate this more than any other function. Instead of obsessing over internal definitions, we should obsess over customers.

And when it comes to reaching new customers, we’re so caught up in contemplating our own navels, we ignore the way WE actually buy - through referrals, networks, and recommendations. And yet, many marketing teams are still chasing attribution models that rely on outdated touchpoints when most real influence happens in “dark social” and trusted peer networks.

Imagine flipping your new logo strategy to focus entirely on turning happy customers into referral engines. Connect them to prospects at events, put them front and centre in your brand campaigns, make them the heroes of your website.

And, no, AI is not the enemy - slow, expensive marketing is. I’ve used it to create campaigns, analyse customer transcripts, build ICPs, and generate Share of Voice insights. AI lets me spend less time formatting and more time thinking.

So enough with the angst! Let’s stop debating what marketing is and start showing what marketing does - by putting customers at the centre, embracing AI as a force multiplier, and driving real impact where it counts.

Time to lead with confidence.

5 Ways B2B Marketing is like training for a charity hike*

*Don't worry, I'll spare you the cheesy inspirational post 😀

In return all I ask is for any kind donations to a charity close to my heart.

One month today I'll be hiking a full marathon along the beautiful Causeway Coast in Ireland, raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of my mum. 

I don't have any parallels to worklife to share (thankfully), but here's what I have getting ready for the big day:

🏔️ My word, does it take a looonnnng time to walk 26 miles. I wish I'd done the math.

🏔️ On which note, I'm rapidly running out of podcasts. Recommendations please!

🏔️ Walking 8+ hours John? How hard can it be? Answer: hard. My hips don't lie (who knew?)

🏔️ It's all about the socks, socks, socks as Jessie J once sang. I was going to do the hike in trainers & gym gear. But quickly realised the need for "proper" walking gear - boots, shorts, backpack and, yes, socks.

🏔️ Jelly babies are my friend. I (literally) can't stomach energy gels, so a few of these bad boys in the last few hours of a hike are an invaluable energy boost.

🏔️ Getting outside is good for the soul. I'm lucky to have the River Thames and Richmond Park nearby and it's been great to explore new paths and areas.

🏔️ Respect old injuries. My plated & pinned ankle (established March 2024) still bruises up a treat!

OK, back to normal programming soon.

In the meantime, any donations gratefully received here.

Thanks!

Business is 🔴, marketing is 🟢

Loved this anecdote (and early career learning) from Ashling Kearns of Celonis at the Dawn Capital Marketing Summit in sunny Soho:

“Early in my career, I watched a marketing leader present a wildly optimistic dashboard to an exec team - right after we'd seen slides showing the business was in real trouble. I just wanted the ground to swallow me up.”

The disconnect is painful and embarrassing.

I’ve been there and it taught me a lasting truth early on: marketing only earns its seat at the table when it’s rooted in reality and business impact.

And the rush to attribution results in siloed protectionism.

Prelini of Wagestream & Lena of Brite Payments reinforced that the best marketing leaders bridge departments and challenge attribution vanity metrics.

Basically take a company view, not a marketing “swim lane” view.

Whether you're 90 days in or nine years in, the advice is the same:
→ Be the glue.
→ Chase the biggest challenge.
→ Leave your swim lane.

Managing Growth Through Uncertainty

Enjoyed listening to Sam Jacobs of Pavilion on the topic of "Managing Growth Through Uncertainty" at this week's Chargebee's Beelieve London Conference.

Here are my top takeaways for anyone trying to grow efficiently in 2025:

📉 Growth at any cost is dead. Marketers need to understand the cost of capital, not just how to spend a budget. It’s not about hitting your number; it’s about hitting it at the right cost.

🔁 Retention is your growth strategy. Still over-indexing on acquisition? Sam made it clear: retention beats new logos. Make sure your funnel extends after the sale and on renewals.

🎯 Revisit your ROI assumptions. LTV is fragile if your churn’s creeping up or cost to serve is ballooning. Efficient growth needs solid unit economics. Benchmark: LTV:CAC ratio of 5:1, payback under 18 months.

🎢 Test, learn, experiment (I've always been a fan!). Use data to drive learning an split your budgets to support this mantra: 60%: on proven channels ; 30% on confident experiments ; 10% on risky but worth-it ideas.

📊 Run marketing like finance. That means:

• Monthly cash flow forecasts (yes, even for marketing!)

• Gradual scaling (10k on LinkedIn this month? Cap next month at 15k)

• Aligning incentives around moments that create value, not just clicks

Most importantly: Don’t freeze. So many practitioners are delaying right now. But delay = decline. If your competitors hit pause, it might be your best shot at market share.

Biggest takeaway? "Let’s not create a self-fulfilling slowdown by pulling back on smart growth. Use the data. Make the case. Keep moving."

Thanks Sam for the clarity 🙌

And great to see you, albeit briefly, Katherine Torrence, Jessica Michael, Dhevesh Mewawalla.

#B2BMarketing #EfficientGrowth #Pavilion #RetentionMarketing #CMO #MarketingStrategy #Beelieve2025

Let's talk about the B word.

🚨 I’m going to about the B word. Yes… BRAND.

It’s cropped up in three different conversations over the past week. Firstly with Chris Wilson of Transmission, we chatted about how marketers have done themselves a disservice by trying to categorise “demand” and “brand” spend. In fact, we’ve done a really bad job, confusing our leadership peers to such an extent that they now see them as distinctly separate & almost competitive buckets of spend. Chris has started to use the term “reputation” instead. “Brand” has almost become a dirty word. One Exec last week told me it was “the part of the budget that has no impact”.

We all know that brand and demand go hand in hand. Does brand need a, errmmm, re-brand?

Cut to Orlando Wood of System 1 talking about this very topic on Rooster Punk’s “The B2B Creative Revolution” Virtual Event. He proposes a different way of looking at things: two marketing/advertising modes: showmanship (story-led, emotionally engaging, right-brain, long-term brand growth) and salesmanship (product-centred, rational, left-brain, short-term activation). Modern campaigns have over-rotated toward salesmanship - quick cuts, on-screen claims, rhythmic edits - eroding effectiveness as emotion-rich work falls to only ~6 % of ads.

Emotion matters because it 1) grabs attention, 2) builds preference, and 3) protects price, all of which lift profit. System1’s data show that four- and five-star “fame” ads - those that spark strong emotions - deliver the highest ROI. History echoes this: the 1950s fact-based USP era (pioneered by Rosser Reeves) ceded to Bill Bernbach’s creative revolution (see the “Lemon” ad for the VW Beetle), proving that wit and charm outsell dry repetition.

Showmanship seems to resonate better with executives too, and to revive it, Orlando offers three principles:

1. Find the magic: the attention-getting device must also tell the product story.

2. Moto e azioni: pioneered by renaissance artists, “motion & action” is a way of depicting pivotal human moments - in faces, gestures, connections - to trigger feeling.

3. Fluent device: use a recurring character or scenario (e.g., Specsavers, M&M’s) to build easy mental recall and justify premium pricing.

Yorkshire Tea’s long-running “where everything’s done proper” campaign illustrates all three, doubling market share since 2017. And in B2B, Workday has done a great job with their Rockstar Campaign (featuring a host of real rockstars from Ozzy Osbourne to Gene Simmons to Gwen Stefani).

Orlando calls for a new creative revolution, and I like it! Check out his “Advertising Principles Explained (APE)” course with Sir John Hegarty.

Ultimately we need to work our way back to spending our hard-won budget in the right way for our businesses. Growth will not come without investment in both showmanship and salesmanship. Whatever we decide to call it.

SEO+GEO=FTW

Ever sat in a business review and have your CEO Google your brand/product/category and ask why results come up blank? Speaking to peers, it seems to be a familiar story…often embarrassing but always a wake-up call on living the real customer journey, and not one that starts with that awe-inspiring whitepaper download or wonderfully-catered breakfast briefing.

Now AI-driven search - from ChatGPT to Google's AI Overviews - is reshaping the path to purchase. I thought TrustRadius' 2025 report, "Bridging the Trust Gap: B2B Tech Buying in the Age of AI” made interesting reading. Four things struck me:

1. AI is the new search front door. 72% of B2B buyers now encounter Google’s AI Overviews during research, with 90% clicking through to at least one cited source. >> Your content needs to be in the AI spotlight.

2. Buyers decide earlier, and with AI help. 60–70% of B2B decisions are made before vendor contact and 7% of buyers are now using tools like ChatGPT directly. >> Your first impression may come via an AI summary.

3. Trust in AI content is growing. 80% of buyers now trust AI-generated content at least some of the time. A 19% jump year-on-year. >> Quality content matters more than ever.

4. AI usage is rising fast. Occasional use of AI in B2B buying rose from 17% in 2024 to 30% in 2025. >> The laggards are shrinking.

I had the pleasure of catching up with AI expert Christopher Kelly PhD, whose work in natural language processing and decision science is helping shape the future of web content. What I took away from our conversation is that Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) actually builds on SEO. In fact AI often uses search engine results as its source (who knew?). Additionally, AI favours authoritative, well-structured, conversational and frequently updated content. But more importantly (and somewhat ironically) it also hates vanilla content (and bullet points!), so maintaining a strong, unique brand voice is equally essential. Christopher is pioneering some fascinating work, identifying 150+ features that help your content surface in AI-generated responses - without hurting traditional SEO performance.

💡 The takeaway? Optimising for AI isn’t optional - it’s foundational. Content must be AI-friendly. You need to think GEO and get ahead of the game. Make sure next time it’s not SEO, Uh-oh, but SEO, GEO, FTW!