Marketing Spark (The B2B Marketing Podcast)

B2B Storytelling: Why Your Company Needs a Storyline (Not Just Stories) with Dan Levy

Mark Evans hosts Dan Levy, founder of Storyline, to discuss what storytelling really means in B2B and why companies need an overarching “storyline” to align marketing, sales, success, and product. Levy defines storyline as what you do, how you’re different, and why it matters to the right people right now, positioning it as the bridge between brand and product positioning and practical messaging. They cover how CEOs typically ask for a clearer story, the inputs and process to develop one (one-on-one stakeholder interviews, customer interviews, and competitive analysis), and how a unified storyline becomes the angle that guides content, campaigns, and executive thought leadership. They also address AI’s role in execution versus the human work of insight and alignment, and red flags like stalled enterprise deals and “no decision” outcomes when urgency and “why now” are missing.

The $160B Digital Ad Fraud Problem

Ad fraud is one of the biggest invisible threats facing marketers, advertisers, and growth teams. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Rich Kahn, CEO of Anura, joins the show to explain how ad fraud quietly drains budgets, distorts performance data, and makes it harder for companies to know what is actually working. Rich shares why fraudulent traffic remains such a persistent problem, how B2B SaaS companies can spot warning signs, and what marketers should do to protect their campaigns, pipeline, and revenue. For CEOs, founders, and marketing leaders, this conversation is a practical look at the hidden costs of bad traffic and why clean data is essential for smarter growth.

SaaS Retention, Product Adoption, and the AI Challenge: Karel Papik, Product Fruits

You can build faster than ever with AI. That does not mean users will adopt what you build. In this episode of Marketing Spark, I talk with Karel Papik, co-founder and CEO of ProductFruits, about one of the biggest challenges facing SaaS companies today: the growing disconnect between product velocity and user adoption. We explore why companies are shipping more features while users feel increasingly overwhelmed, why many AI tools struggle to deliver lasting value, and how onboarding has evolved from static product tours into personalized AI-driven experiences. Karel also shares: * Why AI products often suffer from weak retention * The hidden friction slowing SaaS adoption * Why companies hesitate to switch software despite dissatisfaction * How ProductFruits competes against larger players like Pendo and WalkMe * Why smaller SaaS companies can still win in crowded markets * His perspective on the future of AI, product experience, and human work This conversation is especially relevant for SaaS CEOs, founders, marketers, and product leaders trying to understand why growth becomes harder even when teams are building and shipping faster than ever.

The Rise of Dark AI and the Cost of Getting It Wrong

Tom Rudnai's research at Demand Genius reveals a structural flaw in how SaaS companies approach AI Engine Optimization: they're measuring citations, but AI generates zero retrieval at the awareness and consideration stages—the phases where buying criteria are actually set. By the time a citation appears, the buyer's frame is already locked. This means the entire content playbook built around keywords, citation tracking, and share of voice is aimed at a sliver of the funnel, while the real influence goes unmeasured. Rudnai introduces two frameworks that reframe the problem for SaaS leaders: "information gain" (a tiered model for producing content AI considers worth incorporating, versus content it simply ignores) and "content debt" (the cumulative maintenance burden that grows with every piece published). For any SaaS company trying to compete in a world where buyers use AI before they talk to sales, the implication is direct: influence the problem frame, or someone else will.

How Donate.ly Helped Raise Millions and What AI Means for Nonprofit Fundraising | Javan Van Gronigen

How do nonprofits compete for attention, donations, and impact in a noisy digital world? In this episode of the Marketing Spark podcast, host Mark Evans speaks with Javan Van Gronigen [linkedin.com/in/javanvangronigen], co-founder of Donate.ly [http://Donate.ly], a fundraising platform that has helped nonprofits raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Javan shares the story behind Donate.ly [http://Donate.ly] and how his experience working with nonprofits revealed a major gap in fundraising technology. Many organizations struggle with complex systems and tools that slow them down instead of helping them grow. Donate.ly [http://Donate.ly] was built to simplify fundraising while giving organizations the flexibility to scale. During the conversation, Javan and Mark explore: • Why many nonprofits struggle with fundraising technology • How campaigns like the Barstool Fund raised tens of millions of dollars for small businesses • The marketing strategies that helped Donate.ly grow in a competitive landscape • Why education and content marketing are essential for reaching nonprofit leaders • How AI is transforming marketing, automation, and fundraising strategy • Why founders and marketers need to experiment with AI now or risk falling behind Javan also shares his perspective on the future of fundraising technology and how AI-powered systems could soon automate large parts of marketing and donor engagement.