With nearly 70% of B2B marketers looking for innovative ways to drive revenue and measure campaign impact, their top investment areas in 2025 include social media advertising (61%), AI tools (60%), video (53%) and podcast advertising (50%). Additionally, 64% of respondents plan to take a B2C approach by advertising in consumer-facing spaces like TikTok and Instagram.
Madison Logic, an ABM activation platform, uncovered these results in a recent survey designed to uncover 2025 advertising trends. While the report primarily focused on investments, it also touched on advertising dealbreakers. According to the research, vague or complex messaging (49%), poor targeting (41%) and ads that don’t resonate (40%) were the top ways to lose customers.
To combat those pitfalls, practitioners plan to:
- Feature customer stories or testimonials in their advertising (58%);
- Caption videos and animate advertisements (58%); and
- Rely on influencer marketing strategies to connect with audiences (56%).
To learn more about the research and its implications in the B2B space, the Demand Gen Report team sat down with Keith Turco, CEO of Madison Logic, to discuss the survey in-depth.
Demand Gen Report: What specific new and different approaches are respondents considering to drive revenue and measure the impact of their marketing campaigns?
Keith Turco: We’re in the golden age of data, and many B2B marketers are now expanding their efforts by utilizing AI, data analytics and automation to scale their campaigns. These ABM campaigns now feature more sophisticated multichannel engagement strategies, including social media advertising, video and podcast ads. By coordinating personalized messaging across all channels, marketers can engage decision-makers at different touchpoints and move them more efficiently through the sales funnel.
This consistent, cohesive approach not only establishes more familiarity and awareness of brands early on but also enables them to keep an eye on campaign performance and track account engagement. Better visibility makes it easier to fix and optimize strategies in real time and drive better outcomes and higher ROI. It also drives growth through better alignment with sales.
DGR: With 60% of respondents planning to allocate more budget to social media advertising and advertising on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, how do you see these strategies reshaping traditional B2B marketing approaches?
Turco: Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram reward authenticity, which is encouraging B2B brands to be more transparent and genuine in their messaging. I anticipate we’ll see a move away from text-heavy content, such as whitepapers and case studies, and instead toward more engaging formats like short explainer videos, infographics and behind-the-scenes footage. Visual content is particularly effective in conveying complex information quickly and in an easily digestible format. Videos also enable brands to build more trust through client testimonials and influencer marketing to showcase real-world applications and offer relatable recommendations.
DGR: While AI tools are a key investment area, how do you reconcile the discrepancy between the expectation of fast ROI from AI tools and the 39% who express concerns about delayed ROI? What advice would you give to B2B marketers hesitant about AI adoption?
Turco: Many companies expect immediate returns after implementing AI tools, but struggle with key barriers that slow down their ability to use it to its full potential. Specifically, overlooking the data challenges involved with effectively using the technology and realizing that AI alone can’t deliver true personalization.
AI requires large amounts of high-quality, well-organized data to work properly. Without unified and accessible data, AI can’t produce the insights needed for marketing success. At the same time, true personalization requires deep integration across channels, platforms and touchpoints. While AI can certainly enhance content creation, automate customer interactions and provide personalized messaging, it still lacks the broader capabilities needed to fully personalize the buyer’s journey. Marketers still need to align their AI tools with other marketing technologies and data to track and respond to buyer behavior in real time.
DGR: With Millennials and Gen Zers now accounting for 67% of global buyers making high-value purchases, how do you suggest marketers tailor their strategies to align with the preferences for efficiency, transparency and seamless purchasing processes?
Turco: These younger buyers bring a digital-first, self-research-driven approach to procurement, which is accelerating decision-making and compressing sales cycles. They are less inclined to rely on in-person meetings, long email exchanges, or phone calls. Instead, they want seamless, online purchasing experiences that mirror the B2C digital interactions they have in their personal lives. Marketers have a higher chance of winning over these buyers with clear and concise product demos, transparent pricing and the ability to manage aspects of the purchase process digitally.
It’s also important to position salespeople as industry experts and encourage them to take on a more consultative role. Given that Millennial and Gen Z buyers spend a significant portion of the purchasing process conducting their own research, sales teams can add greater value by offering expert insights that help make sense of the wealth of third-party information these buyers have already collected.
DGR: The survey highlights prioritization of customer stories, captions and influencer marketing strategies. What innovations or best practices have you observed in these areas that resonate most effectively with B2B audiences?
Turco: Brands that showcase how their products or services have helped solve specific business challenges will appear more relatable and persuasive. While video testimonials add a personal touch and are more engaging than written case studies, the growing use of interactive case studies that incorporate dynamic elements such as clickable sections, data visualizations or personalized experiences allow readers to explore the story in more depth.
Connection is key, especially when working with influencers, where it’s critical to ensure that the partnership feels authentic. B2B brands that collaborate with influencers to create education content like webinars, whitepapers, podcasts or guest blog posts see greater success from their efforts versus those who simply feature influencers in a video.
Marketers can further reinforce connection by adding captions to videos. This is especially useful to highlight a brand value proposition, key benefits or industry insights
DGR: Given that vague messaging, poor targeting and unrelatable ads are major dealbreakers, what tools or frameworks do you recommend B2B marketers use to ensure relevance and precision in their campaigns?
Turco: Real-time strategy visibility, measurement and optimization are fundamental to campaign success. The reality is that growth is harder, and budgets are tighter. Marketers can no longer rely on the promise of additional budget when times get tough. Having a more comprehensive view of campaign process and performance offers a better sense of control over being able to influence outcomes. By monitoring metrics throughout the campaign lifecycle, marketers gain a more complete view of their revenue waterfall and identify more opportunities for optimization. This proactive approach allows them to manage and guide the customer journey effectively, rather than merely responding to it.
