From What’s Now to What’s Next: AI in B2B Marketing

From decoding the wackiest of dreams to planning last-minute weekend getaways, artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere in our lives — and marketing is no exception. This year, 74% of marketers surveyed by Marketing AI Institute said that AI is either “critically” or “very” important to their marketing in the next year.

So how does our B2B marketing agency use AI to empower our customers with innovative solutions that align with their goals for growth, efficiency and ROI?

At Godfrey, we are always looking ahead to what an AI-powered future will bring to business and marketing, manufacturing sales, creative work and content creation and search visibility. Overall, we’ve come to see AI as a strategic accelerator — a tool that improves targeting, automates processes and sharpens decision-making.

B2B marketers work in a complex space defined by technical products, multiple stakeholders and long buying cycles. AI provides tools to better navigate this world by helping us analyze clients’ data more deeply, uncovering a richer level of insights about their solutions and the buying process than was previously possible. It also helps us accelerate processes, from trend spotting to creative ideation. 

Keeping it Human in an AI World

Ultimately, B2B buyers are still human beings. They make decisions based not only on facts, but also on trust, emotion and connection. While AI can accelerate how we uncover insights and generate options, its true value lies in how our strategists and creatives apply those outputs. We use the speed of AI to more quickly understand audiences and then apply that knowledge to craft messages that resonate.

Maintaining this balance comes down to discipline and intent. From strategy to public relations to creative, our teams leverage AI to strengthen our work — not to serve as a substitute for human insight, empathy, connection or creativity. Strategic decisions and final deliverables always go through human hands to make sure every client story connects with the real people making buying decisions.

"Our teams leverage AI to strengthen our work — not to serve as a substitute for human insight, empathy, connection or creativity."

Navigating the Hype for Real Results

As an agency, we’re in the unique position to function as both practitioners and advisors. It’s our responsibility to cut through the hype surrounding AI, identify what’s genuinely useful from what’s still experimental and guide clients toward practical, useful applications aligned with their business objectives. For example, when we use AI to significantly accelerate research, it allows our team the time to focus on high-value strategy and creative execution. This pragmatic approach ensures that our AI use directly supports our clients' marketing goals.

Ensuring Responsible AI Practices

As our team explores and uses AI tools, clear guidelines ensure transparency, security and accountability — and we’ll continue to update those guidelines as needed. We disclose our use of AI, safeguard client data and mandate a human review for all AI-generated content. Our team understands that AI outputs are intended as inputs for our work, not as the final product.

What’s Next?

What are we watching closely as AI evolves? The potential for personalization at scale and predictive analytics. We believe AI will enable a level of personalization and prediction that was previously impossible, changing how we all access and process information. And that will be a game-changer for our clients.

Since 1947, we’ve embraced every major marketing shift, from the earliest days of desktop publishing to the rise of the internet. As we integrate AI into our processes, we remain what we have always been — a strategic partner, committed to creating and executing strategies that align marketing objectives with business outcomes in the B2B space.

Want to talk about how AI is impacting your marketing? Book a conversation with me.