Views from Piers Linney, Former investor on Dragons’ Den (Shark Tank) | Co-founder of Implement AI
As we move further into 2025, the business landscape is undergoing profound changes, driven by the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI). For B2B marketers, the growing integration of AI into various sectors offers both challenges and opportunities. While it may seem daunting, understanding AI’s impact on cognitive labor and its exponential growth is essential for staying competitive and relevant in an AI-first world.
Piers Linney, a prominent figure in AI and venture capital, recently highlighted the dramatic implications of AI in business and society, particularly in relation to knowledge work. He predicts that in the next decade, cognitive labor—spanning fields like law, banking, and fund management—will be automated, stating, “Cognitive labor, knowledge work, my background in law, banking, accounting, hedge fund management—is going to zero no doubt about it.” This shift towards automation raises important questions for B2B marketers: How can we adapt to the rise of AI and ensure our strategies remain effective as technology evolves?
Catering to Complex Journeys: Multiple Stakeholders and Entry Points
As AI continues to reshape industries, one of the most significant changes for B2B marketers will be the increasing complexity of customer journeys. With AI-driven tools optimizing processes, customers will expect a more personalized experience, one that accounts for various stakeholders and entry points.
Piers Linney touches on this when discussing AI’s exponential growth and the complexity of our systems: “This wave [of AI] is coming in, and there’s no doubt about it. So, there’s no point running away from it.” For B2B marketers, this means recognizing that the buyer’s journey is no longer linear. In fact, multiple decision-makers across different touchpoints and platforms now influence purchasing decisions. AI can help map out these complex journeys, ensuring marketers can engage with stakeholders at each stage of their unique decision-making process.
To cater to these complex journeys, B2B marketers should focus on creating content and touchpoints that speak directly to the needs of different decision-makers. AI-powered tools like predictive analytics and customer data platforms (CDPs) can provide insights into buyer behavior, enabling marketers to tailor messaging that resonates with each stakeholder. This personalized approach will be critical in helping brands build stronger, more meaningful relationships with prospects, guiding them through their decision-making journey.
Prioritising Metrics by Stage: Aligning KPIs with Buyer Decisions
In a world where AI is continuously optimizing processes, it’s crucial for B2B marketers to align their metrics with the stages of the buyer’s journey. Piers Linney explains that “as technology continues to evolve, businesses need to adapt quickly… AI is not just a trend; it’s the future.” As AI tools provide more insights, marketers must prioritize metrics that align with each stage of the decision-making process.
At the awareness stage, marketers should focus on engagement metrics such as website visits, social media interactions, and content downloads. These metrics will help identify prospects who are just beginning their journey. As buyers move into the consideration stage, marketers should shift their focus to lead generation metrics—like form submissions and demo requests—that indicate the buyer is evaluating options. Finally, at the decision stage, conversion rates, sales pipeline data, and ROI will be the primary metrics to track, as these will indicate how well the marketing efforts are translating into sales.
By utilizing AI-driven analytics, B2B marketers can gain a deeper understanding of how customers interact with their brand across multiple channels and tailor their strategies accordingly. This enables a more precise approach to measuring and optimizing campaigns based on the customer’s position in the buying cycle.
Integrating Brand and Demand: Strong Branding Fuels Demand Generation
One of the most exciting possibilities AI offers is the ability to integrate branding and demand generation seamlessly. In a world where technology is rapidly advancing, Piers Linney highlights the importance of aligning business and technology, noting, “You need to get onto the pitch and kick this ball around because in this kind of exponentially changing world, it’s hard to catch up on an exponential curve.”
In B2B marketing, integrating brand and demand generation ensures that your brand remains top of mind for buyers at every stage of their journey. Strong branding fuels demand by building awareness and trust, creating the foundation for future engagement. AI can play a critical role here by helping to personalize and automate the delivery of brand messages across channels, ensuring that prospects receive the right content at the right time.
By combining AI’s ability to target the right audience with a strong, consistent brand message, B2B marketers can fuel demand generation efforts at every stage of the buyer’s journey. Whether it’s through personalized emails, retargeting ads, or dynamic content, AI can help amplify brand presence and drive higher engagement, ultimately leading to better conversion rates.
Adapting to the AI-Powered Future
In the rapidly evolving world of AI, B2B marketers must be proactive, staying ahead of the curve by integrating AI into their marketing strategies. As Piers Linney wisely notes, “If you don’t embrace this, you’ll probably be in trouble.” The shift towards AI is inevitable, and businesses that are slow to adapt may find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.
Marketers must start by familiarizing themselves with the power of AI tools and how they can optimize the buyer’s journey, measure success at every stage, and seamlessly integrate brand and demand generation. The future of B2B marketing lies in the ability to leverage AI’s capabilities to create personalized, efficient, and effective marketing strategies.
For more insights into how AI is transforming B2B marketing, explore Forrester’s research on the ROI of brand equity and dive into Harvard Business Review’s articles on non-linear customer journeys to better understand how to adapt to the changing landscape. By embracing these tools and insights, B2B marketers can ensure they remain competitive in a world powered by AI.
In conclusion, AI is not just a tool—it’s a fundamental shift in how businesses will operate. By embracing its capabilities and aligning their strategies accordingly, B2B marketers can navigate the complexities of the buyer’s journey, prioritize the right metrics, and integrate branding and demand generation like never before. The future is now, and the opportunities are endless.
