The Best of 2025: The Playbook that Actually Works

The Best of 2025: The Playbook that Actually Works

In this final episode of 2025, we bring you a compilation of the best, most actionable advice from B2B marketing leaders on how to build a new marketing playbook for a complex buying environment. Stop chasing MQLs and the "badge of busyness." Learn the strategic shifts necessary for real growth, covering everything from campaign planning and MarTech to AI and fighting for your budget. Episodes Referenced:1. Kelly Santos, Intelex - Strategic Campaign Planning: https://www.inverta.com/resources/the-transformative-power-of-strategic-campaign-planning [https://www.inverta.com/resources/the-transformative-power-of-strategic-campaign-planning]  2. Mike Rizzo, Marketingops.com and Darrel Alfonso, Indeed.com [http://indeed.com] (now at Foundever) - MOps as Strategic Partners: https://www.inverta.com/resources/executing-the-new-playbook-marketing-ops [https://www.inverta.com/resources/executing-the-new-playbook-marketing-ops] 3. Brian Schmid, Inverta and James Lamberti, Georgian - AI Content Production: https://www.inverta.com/resources/stop-asking-ai-to-write-a-blog-post-start-building-a-content-engine [https://www.inverta.com/resources/stop-asking-ai-to-write-a-blog-post-start-building-a-content-engine] 4. Kerry Cunningham, 6sense and Kathy Macchi, Inverta - Revenue Accountability: https://www.inverta.com/resources/marketings-mql-breakup [https://www.inverta.com/resources/marketings-mql-breakup] 5. Brittanee Dawson, AlphaSense - Customer Marketing Evolution: https://www.inverta.com/resources/the-evolution-of-customer-marketing-from-advocacy-engine-to-revenue-driver [https://www.inverta.com/resources/the-evolution-of-customer-marketing-from-advocacy-engine-to-revenue-driver] 6. Jeremy Schwartz, Palo Alto - Buying Groups Transformation: https://www.inverta.com/resources/breaking-free-from-the-mql-machine [https://www.inverta.com/resources/breaking-free-from-the-mql-machine] and https://www.inverta.com/resources/from-mqls-to-buying-groups-the-how-behind-palo-alto-networks-marketing-transformation [https://www.inverta.com/resources/from-mqls-to-buying-groups-the-how-behind-palo-alto-networks-marketing-transformation] 7. Julie Wiethop, Ocrolus - Direct Mail Renaissance: https://www.inverta.com/resources/why-you-cant-afford-not-to-do-direct-mail [https://www.inverta.com/resources/why-you-cant-afford-not-to-do-direct-mail]  8. Madhav Bhandari, Storylane - Influencer Marketing Strategy: https://www.inverta.com/resources/making-influencer-marketing-work-for-b2b [https://www.inverta.com/resources/making-influencer-marketing-work-for-b2b]  Resources: The RevRoom Podcast https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/the-revroom-podcast [https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/the-revroom-podcast]

Building a Marketing Org that Punches Above Your Weight

Most marketing leaders inherit chaos and respond by adding more: more people, more tech, more campaigns. Douglas Nelson did the opposite—and grew originated revenue contribution to over 30% with an overall marketing  influence of 58% of all new ARR in three years.   As Chief Marketing Officer at ExtensisHR, Doug was handed a rare gift: leadership said "build the marketing structure we need to be  successful”. Instead of going on a hiring and spending spree, he applied surgical discipline. He built a three-part marketing organization that separates strategic work from operational execution. He kept his team lean at 12 people when he could have hired more. He ditched underperforming tech and resisted shiny objects. He focused on vintage tactics like direct mail for new verticals while implementing smart personalization tech where it actually moved the needle.  The result? A marketing team that punches far above its weight, drives a high-performing direct pipeline engine while enhancing their broker relationships - ensuring both channels grow stronger together  as we prepare for an AI-enabled future.  With AI disrupting traditional marketing roles and budgets under constant scrutiny, CMOs face an identity crisis: scale up or slim down? Doug's story proves you can grow revenue contribution dramatically by being more strategic, not just more active. His Marketing 3.0 framework shows what to protect, what to optimize, and what to eliminate—giving overwhelmed marketing leaders a clear path forward. Guest:Doug Nelson - CMO, ExtensisHRLinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglascnelson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglascnelson/]  Resources: The RevRoom Podcast https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/the-revroom-podcast [https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/the-revroom-podcast]Inverta on Marketing Orgs: https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/strategic-planning [https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/strategic-planning]  Direct Mail: S2, Episode 13 https://www.inverta.com/resources/why-you-cant-afford-not-to-do-direct-mail [https://www.inverta.com/resources/why-you-cant-afford-not-to-do-direct-mail]

AI Can't Fix Your Strategy

Marketing leaders are caught in a perfect storm: shrinking budgets, rising expectations, and an avalanche of AI promises. Everyone's talking about AI transformation, but few are clear on where it actually belongs in their marketing strategy. In this episode, we sit down with Brian Schmid fresh from MAICON, the premier AI conference for marketers, to cut through the noise. Brian shares what's actually working in AI implementation and introduces a critical framework every CMO needs: the distinction between Strategic (Core) and Operational (Support) marketing work. The conversation reveals a counterintuitive truth: AI isn't here to do your strategic thinking—it's here to free you up to do more of it. We explore how smart marketing teams are using AI to automate operational drag (content production, reporting, campaign execution) while protecting and amplifying the strategic work that truly differentiates their business (positioning, messaging, account selection). You'll discover practical frameworks for auditing your team's work, real-world examples from companies getting AI right, and a clear path to implementation that starts small and scales smart. This isn't about replacing marketers with machines—it's about building a revenue engine where humans focus on what humans do best, and AI handles the rest. Guest: Brian Schmid, InvertaLinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianschmid/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianschmid/]  Resources / Links: Invera’s AI Marketing Services: https://www.inverta.com/services/ai-consulting-pilot-governance-rollout [https://www.inverta.com/services/ai-consulting-pilot-governance-rollout]  Inverta’s AI Resources: https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/artificial-intelligence [https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/artificial-intelligence]  2024 Post-MAICON Episode: https://www.inverta.com/resources/ai-marketing-trends-2024 [https://www.inverta.com/resources/ai-marketing-trends-2024]

From Content Creator to Content Engineer

Overview: B2B marketing has fundamentally changed, but most teams are still stuck playing "spray and pray" with their content strategy. While everyone's talking about AI writing tools, the companies actually winning are building systematic content workflows that respond to buyer signals, not marketing calendars. In this episode, we go deep with practitioners who've cracked the code on AI-powered content that drives real revenue. You'll hear how one company grew their ChatGPT referral traffic from under 5% to over 20% in just nine months by completely reimagining their content team structure and processes. We explore the emergence of the "content engineer" role, the critical shift from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and why your traditional nurture sequences are dead. Plus, you'll get a practical roadmap for transforming your content operations without overwhelming your existing team. This isn't another conversation about AI writing better blogs. This is about building content systems that actually move the revenue needle. Perfect for: Content marketers, demand gen managers, marketing ops professionals, and CMOs looking for tactical implementation guidance on AI-powered marketing workflows. Brian Schmid, Inverta LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianschmid/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianschmid/]  James Lamberti, CMO Georgian LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslamberti/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslamberti/]  Resources / Links: Invera’s AI Marketing Services: https://www.inverta.com/services/ai-consulting-pilot-governance-rollout [https://www.inverta.com/services/ai-consulting-pilot-governance-rollout]  Inverta’s AI Resources: https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/artificial-intelligence [https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/artificial-intelligence]  Georgian AI Lab Research: https://georgian.io/ai-lab/research/ [https://georgian.io/ai-lab/research/]

Own Your Marketing Plan or It Will Own You

Overview: Marketing planning season is here, and most teams are about to repeat the same frustrating cycle: waiting for sales numbers that never come, getting vague revenue targets without context, and building campaign plans that look suspiciously like last year's with inflated numbers. But what if there was a better way?In this episode, Rachel and Danielle break down how marketing teams can shift from reactive order-takers to strategic revenue drivers by owning their planning process. Drawing from Inverta's experience with hundreds of B2B companies, they reveal the frameworks that bridge the gap between high-level strategy and tactical execution - including the Revenue Map that creates "aha moments" in planning workshops. Guest: Danielle Contreras, Inverta LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/daniellercontreras [http://linkedin.com/in/daniellercontreras]  Resources: Inverta Planning and Templates: https://www.inverta.com/services/strategic-planning [https://www.inverta.com/services/strategic-planning]