Renewd 8 B2B Marketing Trends Roundtable Key Take-Aways

Event Overview

Host: MPG for the Renewd community
Format: One-hour interactive online roundtable - 🎥 Recording & slides available at: Renewd Forum
Focus: Peer benchmarking, experience sharing, and decoding B2B marketing trends
Attendees: Marketing leaders from B2B media, events, and publishing

Purpose:

• Ask yourself the big and maybe scary questions about your marketing.

• Think about how you’re doing your marketing now.

• Think about if and how you should change your approach.

Attendees were encouraged to:

• Benchmark honestly.

• Share learnings, examples, and tools.

• Connect via chat or LinkedIn for peer learning.
   

The event tackled 8 trends shaping B2B marketing - highlighting both hype and practical adoption.

1. AI-Powered Marketing in B2B Media and Events

Poll Results:

• 11% not using AI at all.

• 17% experimenting.

• 50% limited use.

• 6% broad integration.
   

Use Cases Shared by Roundtable Participants:

• Brainstorming: “What are ideas to generate revenue for this campaign?”.

• Prompting for tailored copy: Embedding brand tone, preferred phrases, and target audience into the prompt.

• Example: ChatGPT used to rewrite copy in an academic tone and passed unedited by faculty reviewers.

• Claude used to summarize webinars into newsletter articles.

• Run comparative prompt testing: “Here’s what Claude said vs ChatGPT - what’s your take?”

• To help solve email deliverability issues by using AI for subject line testing (e.g., HubSpot's AI), segment lists more aggressively, leverage PPC and video as alternative acquisition channels and consider tools like Singulate for advanced personalization.
   

Takeaway:

“The power is in the prompt. AI can sound like your brand - if you train it right.”

STRATEGIC INSIGHT

“The ideal AI integration feels far off for most. It’s all moving so fast, it’s hard to know where to invest time and budget that’s why taking expert advice is essential.”

Takeaway:

• The marketers getting most out of AI today are experimenting constantly, using it for collaboration, not just automation.

2. AI-Driven Content Optimization in B2B Media and Events

Practical Applications:

• Email subject line testing via SubjectLine.com.

• SEO keyword suggestions and headline variations.

• Summarizing webinars and repurposing long-form content with Claude.

• Style-checking to match the sales team or corporate tone.
   

Takeaway:

“AI helps get you 80% of the way. Human editing gets you the rest.”

3. Hyper-Personalization at Scale in B2B Media and Events

Poll Results:

• Most using basic segmentation.

• 11% not personalizing at all.

• No one reported doing true hyper-personalization.
   

 Reflections:

• Where’s the ROI line?

• At what point is it effective vs. “creepy”?

• Imagining use cases often sparks ideas:
   

“If we can imagine it, we can probably do it with today’s tools.” Helen Coetzee, CEO & Founder, MPG

Tool Tip:
Singulate.com – AI-driven email personalization, mentioned for advanced workflows.

4. Zero-Party Data & Privacy-First Marketing in B2B Media and Events

Least adopted/understood trend and most important to get to grips with. Many attendees said they weren’t clear on definitions or how to start.

Potential Next Steps:

• Identify data you already collect directly (surveys, signups, preferences).

• Use it to tailor messaging and landing pages.

• Combine with personalization tools to build trust.
   

Takeaway:

“This is about transparency, control, and using data people give you - proactively.”

5. Short-Form & Vertical Video in B2B Media and Events

Poll Results:

• 41% use short-form video.

• 33% use longer videos.

• 6% use no video.

• 86% do not use vertical video.
   

Use Cases Shared by Roundtable Participants:

• 20-second vertical video ads on Google/Bing PPC 

• Especially effective for direct-selling to younger audiences.
   

• Content must be clear, compelling, and fast-paced.
  
  “We're seeing immediate positive ROI - 1.5x to 3x our ad spend.”
   

• Influencer videos (sector leaders, editors, speakers, analysts) boost credibility

• Tools: Descript, Loom, HeyGen, Canva AI PERFORMANCE MARKETING TRENDS

⚠️ Google's in-platform video tools are basic slideshows - use your own videos where possible or get an expert to help.

AI Avatars:

• Some use avatars of analysts to deliver content.

Opportunity: Do the same with editors subscription businesses.

6. Webinars & Virtual Experiences

• Still powerful, especially when delivered by credible sector leaders or partners.

• Reframe webinars as influencer content:

“A sector leaders giving a live webinar is influencer marketing.”

 Event content tip:

• Record short video testimonials with speakers onsite.

• Ask: “Why are you attending?” → turn into promo assets.
   

7. Interactive & Immersive Content in B2B Media and Events

Gamification Use Cases:

• Incentivize sharing of events or content (e.g., plant a tree, win swag).

• Drive engagement from speakers/sponsors via recognition.

• Use experiences instead of cash to reward action.

• Quizzes and nudge marketing on websites.

• Interactive content via Articulate and Notion.

• Platforms like Circle used for community + gamification (badges, points).

💡 Insight:

“Some share for visibility, others for competition - tailor incentives by persona.”

Tools mentioned:
Circle (community platform), in-house quizzes and referral mechanics

8. Influencer Marketing in B2B Media and Events

Sector Leaders, Speakers, and Customers = Real Influencers

• Use speakers/sponsors as advocates.

• Have them post to their own LinkedIn, not just yours.

• Provide ready-to-go copy, links, and hashtags.

Real Examples:

• Asking customers to record 20-sec PPC clips.

• As attendees/speakers for short testimonials at events (video/audio).

• Webinar speakers cross-promoting content.

• Customers recording testimonial videos with structured prompts.
   

Many are video shy - Workaround:

• Use audio only + alternative visuals like footage from an event or an appropriate image

• Use AI avatars of the expert
   

Internal influence parallels external:

“If one credible peer adopts it, others will follow. Change feels safer.”

Final Thoughts

• The goal isn’t to chase every trend - it’s to adopt what makes sense and execute it well.
   

• AI is best used as a creative partner, not a replacement.
   

• Influencer marketing doesn’t need celebrities - it needs credible peers.
   

• Gamification and interactivity work when aligned with what your audience values.
   

🎥 Recording & slides available at: Renewd Forum
 

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