Huddlers in the News

“Why is our marketing so damn boring?”

This question is not being asked by roughly 75% of B2B CMOs or 99% of their CEOs, CFOs, CROs, and investors. And in the absence of this question, B2B marketing and B2B marketers are suffering from a self-inflicted malaise.

Let’s review the symptoms of this malaise.

When the Big Ideas Vanish

First, marketing departments are fast becoming the place where fun goes to die. The pursuit of the big idea has been replaced by micro everything. Short-lived disposable campaigns seek nominal bumps in click-through rates. Short-term efficiency has replaced long-term effectiveness, especially as every process gets AI-ified.

CMOs dare not use the word “brand” for fear of appearing fluffy and insubstantial. And don’t even think about having a budget line item with the word “brand” in it. Euphemisms for “brand” like “reputation” have helped a bit in that most executives understand that having a reputation, especially a good one, is critical in this era of self-directed, LLM-informed buying committees. But even using the word “reputation” doesn’t result in less boring content or campaigns.

The negativity about brand-building or reputation-building rolls into an absence of brand health tracking. As the old saying goes, you are what you measure. When all of your measurement energy goes into funnel optimization, there’s little hope of focusing on something extraordinary, like a big, differentiating, highly engaging IDEA that cuts through.

Why Funny Wins in B2B

Boring marketing so dominates B2B that just a dash of humor or creativity rings our collective bells from here to Cannes. I was reminded of this while watching a new video from Iterable (see comments for the line). It expresses an idea. It’s funny. It’s memorable. I like Iterable more than I did before, and I was already a fan.

Full disclosure: The CMO of Iterable, Adri Gil-Miner, is a long-time member of CMO Huddles, and Iterable was a sponsor of last year’s CMO Super Huddle. But if you know me, you’d know I wouldn’t share it if I didn’t think it was worth sharing. Also, I haven’t spoken to Adri yet about the campaign, but I will once she has results to share.

I was also reminded of this when the PR team of ServiceNow reached out for me to interview their CMO, Colin Fleming. Now there’s a company with a long-standing sense of humor. Dare I say it? They’ve built a BRAND that people like. And guess what? That more than pays the bills. ServiceNow’s revenue, earnings, and customer base have all grown faster than the software industry averages. Their operating and gross margins are industry-leading and surpass Salesforce, Adobe, and Workday.

Is it a coincidence that ServiceNow has outperformed the software industry year after year and is one of the few B2B brands with a genuine and consistent sense of humor, with content that simultaneously informs and entertains?

Me thinks not. What do you think?

Written by Drew Neisser

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 469: GenAI Video & Audio: Tools, Tradeoffs & Lessons

It started with a 90-day challenge: make a GenAI-powered video promoting the 2025 CMO Super Huddle using only off-the-shelf tools. What followed was equal parts ambition, frustration, learning, and editing. Along the way, Drew got a crash course in prompt writing, script timing, voice cloning, and the realities of working inside tools that promise automation but still require a certain level of finesse.

With GenAI coach Samantha Stark of Phyusion guiding the early stages and Steve Mudd of Talentless AI stepping in for post, the project quickly became a real test of creative endurance. Each step surfaced a new set of tradeoffs. The tools were powerful, but stitching them together was anything but seamless. What came out the other side is something Drew’s proud to share, along with lessons from two expert AI collaborators and a few fun reveals they brought to the table that show just how weird, clever, and unexpected GenAI production can get.

In this episode:

• Samantha shares how GenAI tools spark ideas but still need human direction to shape tone and story
• Steve explains how editing brings structure and emotion to GenAI content for a more watchable result
• Both guests highlight the importance of adding context to make GenAI output resonate with viewers

Plus:

• What GenAI tools need from you upfront to deliver useful output
• How multi-tool workflows impact timing, syncing, and storytelling
• Where to focus your time during GenAI production for the biggest payoff
• When expert editors can step in to shape flow, tone, and polish

Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at GenAI video and audio creation, guided by the experts who know how to make it all come together.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

“I had to resign to a bot,” exclaimed a B2B CMO who happily moved to a new company after this strange encounter. “The funniest part was that the bot asked me to reconsider,” the amused CMO shared. This AI-first approach hasn’t helped that company’s Glassdoor ratings and begs the question, where are the lines when it comes to automating specific roles, if not entire departments?

Let’s stay on this example before opening the aperture

I can see an investor saying, “Who cares if our Glassdoor ratings decline when our operating costs are much lower?” Well, let’s start with every future potential hire. Unless you never want to hire again, you’re looking at higher recruiting costs and a weaker recruitment base. Even if you can live with that, you’ll likely see the impact on your pipeline since many buyers check Glassdoor for insights, as do LLMs.

I'm Not Saying Don't Automate. Just Think It Through

Earlier this month, Gartner issued a report, “Rehiring Human Agents to Replace AI is 2025’s Latest Trend.” This followed the headline-grabbing stories about Klarna’s now-aborted efforts to replace their customer service agents with bots. Klarna’s customer service ratings tanked during their brief bot-only period. Duolingo faced a similar backlash when it announced it would replace all of its “human contractors” with machines, forcing it to abandon its plan and its once-booming presence on TikTok.

Don't Conflate Efficiency with Effectiveness

This is particularly important for marketers as they evaluate when, where, and how to deploy AI. Most of the marketing leaders in CMO Huddles are using LLMs to crank out a wide range of content. No doubt, the creation time has accelerated dramatically (75-90% faster). Most also swear that their content is as good or even better than before, especially when there is a highly skilled editor or designer in the loop. So far, so good?

Good Isn't Good Enough

Because it is so easy to create good content, your competitors no doubt have flooded the market with equally good stuff. Your content must now be great. To get there will take savvy humans with judgment AND a bot management process that forces the LLMs to help your content cut through. One member of our community has two GPTs, one to draft the content and another to edit it ruthlessly. And a human review process.

Resist the Pressure to Replace Your Staff with Bots

Instead, reimagine your team filled with utility players who can think broadly about your business and help execute in all areas (thanks to their LLM-assistants). The more seasoned the staffer, the more autonomy you can give them (assuming you trust their judgement). Keep hiring junior staffers with high levels of curiosity, expect to train them on your tools, and don’t be surprised when they add value faster than they ever could before.

Human-first marketing will be a competitive advantage. So says this human.

Written by Drew Neisser

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 468: Demand-Side Sales: The Forces Behind Every Yes

Every customer reaches a turning point. Something's not working the way it used to. And now they're ready for change. That's when your product appears as a possibility. But if you lead with features or force-fit personas, you'll miss the real energy behind their decision. That's why Bob Moesta starts with struggle.

In this episode, he joins Drew to discuss how demand forms through struggling moments, not random needs, and why nobody buys any product randomly, ever. As the author of Demand-Side Sales 101 and a longtime builder and educator, Bob shares how to identify that momentum, map the forces behind a decision, and reframe sales and marketing as tools for understanding what buyers are really trying to solve.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why buying decisions start with struggling moments

• How to ask questions that surface energy, not just answers

• The four forces shaping decisions: push, pull, anxiety, habit

• How to spot what customers switch from and why

• Why the buyer vs. user distinction matters in B2B

Tune in to hear how demand really forms and how to spot it when it does.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

“I’m proud to report that Marketing is leading the AI initiatives at our company,” said a CMO at a $400M SaaS firm. No one rolled their eyes. Heads nodded. This wasn’t bravado; it's just business as usual, at least in our community.

But that’s not the story we typically hear, is it? In the broader narrative, AI is the wild west. CMOs are either “dabbling,” “overwhelmed,” or drowning in vendor pitches. Most exec teams are still in the "what do we do with this thing?" stage.

And yet, in three separate Huddles this month, we saw something different: a quiet revolution in motion.

CMOs weren’t just experimenting with GenAI. CMOs were orchestrating it. Driving it. Owning it.

Here’s how...

Start with a Strategy (and a Few Custom GPTs)

Savvy CMOs aren’t chasing shiny objects. They’re setting clear priorities—starting with branded GPTs to unify team voice and content quality. These tools act as internal brand guardians, enabling everyone to write like the company should sound, drawing from the same trusted sources.

Support Sales Like a Strategist

Forget static battle cards. The frontrunners are building GPTs for the sales org—loaded with objection handling, persona insights, competitive intel, and CRO-style tone. When a rep says, “I’ve got a frustrated IT buyer at 2pm,” the AI spits out prep faster than you can say “closed-won.”

Creative First Drafts? AI’s Got It

100% of the 40+ CMOs who joined June’s Peer Huddles are using GenAI for content creation. From Jasper to custom GPTs to MidJourney for visual exploration, AI handles messy first drafts while humans apply the polish. One team runs content through two GPTs; one for writing, one for scrubbing out buzzwords, emojis, and em dashes.

Time-Saving Workflows (Built by CMOs)

One CMO used Replit and HubSpot to build a one-click campaign generator that assembles emails, landing pages, and social posts in under five minutes. Another swapped three time-sucking workflows for AI-powered alternatives and asked the team to do the same.

Digital Doubles & Strategic Smarts

Here’s where it gets spicy. Some Huddlers are building digital twins of their CEO, CRO, and CFO; GPTs are trained in executive tone, past presentations, and Slack history. The goal? Sanity checks before board meetings and messaging alignment without the calendar chase.

Listening at Scale = Synthetic Empathy

Perhaps the most exciting: Using AI to mine thousands of customer conversations from Gong, support, and win/loss calls to build “customer truth engines.” These CMOs aren’t guessing what customers want; they hear it in stereo.

The Result Across All These Use Cases?

Not just faster work. Smarter teams. Better alignment. Sharper strategy. Most importantly, CMOs are earning a seat at the AI strategy table (often at the head).

So yes, Marketing is leading AI. The only question is: Are you?

Written by Drew Neisser

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 467: The Strategy-First MarTech Stack

AI tools. CDPs. DAMs. Shiny objects everywhere. It’s easy to fall for the promise of more tech. But without a plan, that stack starts stacking you. Martech only performs when every platform has a purpose, every user is accountable, and every dollar spent ties back to a strategic outcome.

Drew is joined by Kathie Johnson (formerly Sitecore) and Kris Salazar (Appcast) to talk MarTech headaches, from stack bloat to AI overload to the brutal cost of tools no one’s using. Because building a smarter stack means cutting dead weight, keeping what helps, and making sure every platform has a champion who’s accountable for its impact.

In this episode:

• Kathie on using MarTech maps and AI to get a 30% efficiency boost
• Kris on quarterly audits, tool ownership, and measurable outcomes
• Why both agree that stack success starts with strategy and ownership

Plus:

• What to look for in a tech audit
• Why data clarity is the key to real personalization
• How to avoid tech for tech’s sake
• The spending rule that keeps budgets balanced

Tune in for a reality check on what it takes to make your MarTech stack deliver without adding more to the pile.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

“My CEO has always been abusive, but until recently, it wasn’t directed at me,” exclaimed an exasperated 2x CMO from a $350mil fintech company. “It’s particularly frustrating because marketing has over-delivered on every possible metric, including revenue,” the CMO added. Inside, I'm seething. Outside, I’m all empathy while trying to tease out what’s happening here.

A Rant to All the Abusive CEOs Out There

Get it together, dude or dudette. Hire an anger management coach and or a therapist. We don’t care what kind of pressure you’re under. If you can’t deal with it, then you’re in the wrong role. Being abusive to employees, like shaming a direct report in front of their peers, is unproductive, demoralizing, and self-defeating.

There Is No Excuse for Abuse

Now, back to this specific situation. It turns out the CEO had a new favorite on the leadership team and was now crushing on the CRO. And for whatever messed-up reason, the CEO just fell out of love with the CMO. It clearly wasn’t performance-related. Since both the CEO and CRO were men, perhaps it was a "bro" thing. Ultimately, “why” didn't matter as much as “What now?”

Moving On to the Action Plan: Offense (Not Offensive)

My first thought was that the CEO’s behavior must be obvious to the others on the Leadership Team and maybe the board. If so, the board could encourage the CEO to hire a leadership coach. Unfortunately, the board was stacked with bros appointed by the CEO. The other leaders, also male, just accepted the occasional abuse as part of their jobs.

Dealing with Diminishers

Liz Wiseman’s book Multipliers outlines a number of brilliant moves for managing sub-optimal bosses (aka “diminishers). In the case of the “Tyrant,” noted for creating a tense environment where people are afraid to speak up, Liz suggests:

• Avoiding direct confrontation. Instead, model calm, clear communications
• Asking questions rather than challenging authority
• Creating “safe zones” where ideas can be developed before presenting them

GenAI to the Rescue?

Many of you have considered creating a digital twin to help you with decision-making. Let’s push this idea a bit further.

Create a Digital Twin of Your Boss

Describe the personality of your boss in detail (use your personal GPT, not the company’s!). Be as specific as possible, including quotes from conversations with you and others. Ask your GPT to provide a personality assessment. Then, start describing the upcoming situations and role-play with your GPT. Continue to feed conversations into your GPT over the next few months.

In addition to helping you anticipate bad behavior (which can take the sting out of it), it will give you the psychological strength to say to yourself, “It’s not me. I’m a leader and a damn good one at that. I’m resilient, resourceful, and wiley. And I’m prepared to use every tool at my disposal.”

Perhaps they’ll grow by watching you.

Written by Drew Neisser

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 466: The Synthetic Research Advantage

Synthetic research is rewriting the rules—and Jon Lombardo is here to explain how. In this Huddles Quick Take, the Evidenza co-founder breaks down the three biggest misconceptions marketers have about AI-generated research, from assumptions about accuracy to the myth of average insights.

You’ll hear how synthetic research can help you test messaging, uncover clear audience insights, and even rewrite jargon so sales and buyers actually understand it—all without waiting months or spending a fortune.

What You’ll Learn:

• 3 misconceptions marketers have about synthetic research
• Why AI can surface insights that are better than traditional methods
• How synthetic research unlocks deeper audience understanding at scale
• When to use synthetic over human research (and how they work together)

For the rest of the conversation with Jon—including B2B use cases, segmentation examples, and a deeper dive into category entry points—visit our YouTube channel (CMO Huddles Hub) or click here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4S_Ib-SmZY].

Get more insights like these by joining our free Starter program at cmohuddles.com.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

Listen Here | From Renegade Marketers Unite, Episode 465: Positioning as a Growth Engine

Penguins spend 75% of their lives in the water, actively positioning themselves exactly where they need to be to hunt and survive. It’s intentional placement. Strong brands do the same. They know where they belong and commit. Too many don’t. They drift, hoping the market finds them. You’ve got to stake your spot and give your marketing something to stand on.

In this episode, Drew brings in Marni Puente (SAIC) and Sara Larsen (Wolters Kluwer Health), two marketers who’ve learned that positioning only works when it’s clear, repeated often, and owned beyond marketing. They get into how to break the cycle of repositioning, earn internal trust, and lay the groundwork for durable growth.

In this episode:

• Marni shares how a tight positioning strategy anchored SAIC’s rebrand and became a decision filter across the org
• Sara explains how to drive clarity in a matrixed enterprise, aligning stakeholders without watering down the message
• Both guests reflect on the power of internal alignment as the real test of a strong position

Plus:

• How to test positioning with internal and external audiences
• Why simplicity is your signal when it comes to clarity
• What positioning unlocks across marketing, sales, and culture
• How to build buy-in that lasts beyond launch

Tune in to learn how focused positioning gives every team a north star and puts your brand strategy to work across the business.

For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcast/

"Our funnel is completely clogged, and our CEO and investors are starting to panic," shared a CMO from a $375MM SaaS firm. The other Huddlers sympathized, noting they were facing similar challenges.

Sound familiar?

The old playbook of flooding the funnel, scoring MQLs, and handing off to sales isn't just broken; it's toxic.

Here's why your funnel is clogged and what actually works now:

1. Your Data Is a Disaster

The average customer contact database health score? A pathetic 47%, according to research from BoomerangAI. More than half of B2B companies haven't updated their database in six months—or ever. Bad data isn't just an operational issue. It erodes every layer of your funnel.

Fix this first. Assign database ownership cross-functionally. Tie enrichment to your GTM motions. And please activate alumni contact programs. Only 12% of companies have formal programs for contacts who left employers, yet they're gold mines.

2. You're Still Pitching Tours When Buyers Want Tools

Recent TrustRadius research shows that 52% of buyers say prior experience is their #1 decision input. Only 13% say a demo "blew them away."

3. Stop the Demo Obsession

Launch website-based product exploration tools. Add pricing guidance. Create modular content for AI summarization since 90% of buyers who see AI-generated summaries click through to cited sources.

4. The MQL Addiction Is Killing You

As one CMO put it: "MQLs are problematic... we’re trying to figure out how to get fewer, better leads." Track conversion quality at each funnel stage. Hold weekly demand gen and sales alignment meetings. Ditch vanity metrics for outcome-based KPIs.

5. You're Pitching Spend Instead of Displacement

Few CFOs are greenlighting net-new spending, but they will approve reallocation when the ROI is crystal clear. Reframe your pitch: "Invest in this → reduce spend on that." Connect to CFO logic, not just user pain.

6. You're Making Promises Instead of Proving Value

Buyers want proof in 120 days or less. The "trust us, it'll pay off eventually" era is dead.

If you have the data, create 120-day value realization case studies. Use prospect data to build "speed-to-value" narratives. Lead with time-to-value, not feature lists.

The companies unclogging their funnels aren't working harder—they're working smarter. They've ditched the old playbook for data-driven precision.

Your move.

Written by Drew Neisser