Budget, headcount and the increased drive of GTM efficiency were — predictably — cited as the biggest obstacle for marketing teams, according to Pipeline360’s State of Pipeline Growth H2 2024 report with 48% of respondents identifying the troubling triad that always travels together as holding them back.  

The slowing economy came next, at 46%, adding to the sense that uncontrollable monetary matters are ruining ROI, and, perhaps, there is little teams can do about it other than make cuts.  

The third biggest roadblock revealed in the report, rather than being insurmountable, might just be the key to overcoming, or at least easing the impact of, the other problems.  

44% of those surveyed noted it, many teams have a cost-free opportunity to unlock improved performance.  

The issue is sales and marketing alignment. 

A myriad of technological advances in the industry have allowed teams to keep pace in a forever-changing marketplace, but unfortunately, the most basic of tactics — teamwork — still presents a problem. However, a culture change may well be the tactic that changes fortunes for teams and ensures goals are met.  

Buyers have become increasingly disconnected from the process sales and marketing teams have traditionally laid out for them, so the two must align internally to rebuild the pathways to purchase.  

It can’t be done in isolation. Buyers are too savvy now and expect a seamless experience of little influence, but maximum value.  

Pipeline360’s report found almost half, 47%, of respondents, were struggling to meet their goals. Yet, 73% of those who embraced sales-marketing alignment did. 

Teams that work together win together.  

That’s probably why 75% of respondents are already embracing alignment —34% completely and 41% mostly.   

Many businesses are missing out, despite this being a controllable, cost-free optimization that could significantly enhance performance.  

But a good number aren’t yet aligning. And this, unfortunately, is also not that surprising.  

Despite the benefits, alignment is something many sales and marketing teams have struggled with, and resisted, for a long time. But it isn’t just about butting heads. Management sometimes even plays a part.  

Sales and marketing have traditionally operated with different mindsets with very different work cultures and incentives: sales are results-driven and have a short-term revenue focus, while marketing plays a longer game, building awareness while simultaneously ensuring predictable pipeline.  

This siloed approach adds another barrier to new business, as it creates another layer of disconnection.  

Teams must engage so customers do.  

Misaligned goals and KPIs exacerbate the problem, as both teams just focus on their targets — false finish lines — which fuels a blame game when things don’t go to plan.  

But it isn’t simply down to culture and personality, budget is also to blame, and technology can keep teams apart. Often a lack of unified technology and data sharing makes teamwork difficult to achieve, and even harder to measure.  

And, for already stretched teams, it’s just another problem they might not think they have the time to fix.  

The teamwork approach spread beyond process and goal setting, with 15% of those surveyed reporting completely overlapping KPIs and objectives — meaning they were aligned to chase, convert and share the spoils. Almost half, 47%, classified the crossover as ‘significant’.  

For 22%, the overlap was partial, so, in total, 84% are working together to some degree. For 9%, the overlap was negligible. So, again, for a reasonable cohort, there’s an easy lever to pull straight away to boost performance.  

By aligning around shared goals and KPIs, sales and marketing can work more strategically, creating a collaborative culture and feedback loop that ultimately drives greater revenue growth and customer satisfaction. 

Alignment takes the bumps out of the buyer’s journey, as both teams are working to ensure a smooth journey, with singular messaging and positioning, from the first interaction to the last. This consistency doesn’t just grease the sales funnel, it builds trust and can shorten sales cycles.  

Working towards the same KPIs helps both teams better understand the buyer’s journey and allocate resources more effectively: marketing can focus on leads more likely to convert and sales on high-potential prospects. And operating from the same data and dashboards ensures teams are unified on what’s driving performance, what’s working, what’s not, and what to try next. 

As well as making teams work better, alignment also fosters accountability and reduces finger-pointing and lone-wolf tactics. It ensures both teams are equally motivated, as they will also be equally responsible for successes and failures.   

When weighed against goal attainment, the alignment of sales and marketing efforts appears to be paying off. 

Of those who reported complete or significant overlap, 67%, said they were meeting their goals to a great or very great extent, whereas only 36% of those who said there was little, or no alignment were achieving theirs.  

With 20% of respondents reporting average sales cycles lasting a year or more, this disconnect is likely causing long-term problems. 

When it came to leads, having an agreed-upon process in place boosted how teams felt about those prospects: 79% of study participants recorded being satisfied or very satisfied with lead quality.  

Without process alignment, 41% enjoyed the same level of contentment. The good news is 75% of those surveyed indicated that agreements were in place. When teams aren’t aligned, they also lose track of performance.  

So, let’s recap.  

Teams that aren’t aligned are less likely to meet goals, less satisfied with the quality of their leads, and less likely to pay attention to the results that they’re less likely to achieve.  

Easy fix. Easy win.   

While revenue was unsurprisingly the most-tracked metric at 62%, when process agreements weren’t in place the percentage of teams tracking it fell significantly.  

For teams working together, 66% kept an eye on the money, while it was only part of the process for 47% who were working separately.   

Budgets, headcounts, resources and the economy are headwinds B2B marketers will always face, and there’s little they can do about it, other than, as they’re often asked, ‘do more with less’. 

But teamwork — aligning with sales on everything from process to goals — is easy. And at zero cost, it has to be a tactic that every team makes a priority.  

It’s an adjustment, but it might just change everything.  

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a cornerstone B2B strategy where marketers focus on high-value companies or accounts, tailoring efforts to their specific needs. It’s fishing with a spear instead of a net—prioritizing quality over quantity.  

By offering a personalized experience to key accounts, ABM fosters stronger connections and improves success rates and ROI. It also aligns sales and marketing teams in pursuit of shared goals which improves efficiency and conversion.  

However, while ABM excels at precision, it performs best when integrated with broader strategies like branding and demand generation. 

Strong brand awareness ensures that target accounts are familiar with your company before ABM campaigns begin, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion. Aligned content builds trust and credibility, while sales and marketing collaboration ensures the right accounts are targeted and campaigns are effectively executed. 

Pipeline360’s State of Pipeline Growth H2 2024 report highlights the need for team alignment and the challenges and rewards it offers. Working together was the third biggest challenge, (44%) for those surveyed. But while 47% said they were struggling to meet their goals, 73% of respondents that embraced teamwork did.   

This further demonstrates that ABM alone isn’t enough—its success depends on a solid foundation of brand awareness and collaboration. 

When ABM operates in isolation, it often struggles to engage unfamiliar or skeptical target accounts. Cold leads don’t engage and seldom convert. To truly thrive, it must integrate with branded demand—a consistent, recognisable presence that earns trust long before outreach begins. 

ABM does get results, but branded demand takes them to the next level.  

Branded demand is the result of generating high-performing leads while increasing brand awareness. It builds recognition, trust, and authority and credibility through tactics like: 

These efforts lay the groundwork for ABM by ensuring that target accounts are already familiar with and positively inclined toward your brand. 

Branded demand creates a halo effect for ABM campaigns. When prospects already know and trust your company, they’re more likely to engage with personalized outreach. This reduces friction, improves receptiveness, and eliminates the need for cold introductions. 

Like with any relationship, building trust takes time, but when it’s earned, it pays off.  

Decision-makers who are confident in your brand are more likely to engage, accelerating sales cycles — because familiarity breeds efficiency — and increasing conversion rates. It’s having your name on the door at the event, rather than just lining up.  

Branded demand doesn’t just enhance ABM—it powers it. 

To maximize the impact of ABM, branded demand must be integrated into the strategy: 

The future of B2B marketing lies in balancing precision with impact. ABM is already proven to deliver results, but branded demand elevates those outcomes by creating meaningful, lasting connections with your target accounts. 

Think of it as being introduced for a job by a trusted colleague, or to a new friend by an old friend—it provides instant credibility and makes the process smoother, more effective, and faster.  

By integrating branded demand into your ABM efforts, you can build relationships that go beyond transactions, driving sustained business growth and leaving a lasting impression. 

With buyers becoming increasingly independent and harder to reach, integrating branded demand with ABM is no longer something B2B marketers should consider—it’s essential. 

Marketers, take a moment to evaluate your current ABM strategy: are you fully harnessing the power of your brand to connect with target accounts? 

Ensure your branded demand efforts amplify your ABM campaigns, creating a seamless experience for your prospects.

The most successful B2B marketers know that precision and impact go hand in hand. Will you join them?  

Nearly 15 years ago, I co-founded Integrate with a vision to make B2B marketing more efficient and scalable through technology. Today, I am incredibly proud of how far we’ve come, with two thriving businesses: Integrate and Pipeline360. It’s been an extraordinary journey, but the time has come for me to step away from my role as CEO of Integrate.

Timing a transition like this is never simple, but this feels like the right moment. Integrate has achieved remarkable milestones—capturing substantial market share and powering over $1 billion in advertising dollars annually through our platform. And Pipeline360 is positioned to redefine the industry standard for B2B brand and demand advertising.

Although I’m stepping away from day-to-day responsibilities, my connection to Integrate is far from over. I will remain an active board member and shareholder, cheering from the sidelines as this incredible team leads us into the next phase of growth, and will forever be a co-founder of Integrate.

I’m thrilled that Dave Tomizuka is taking on the Corporate CEO role. In addition to his CFO duties, Dave will now have corporate and fiscal responsibility across both divisions, partnering with leaders of both P360 and Integrate while continuing to ensure the best strategic direction for the company. DT has been my trusted partner and leader for over a decade, consistently demonstrating remarkable execution, strategic vision, and an unwavering commitment to the company’s success.

And as part of our ongoing promise to deliver clear value and impact across our distinct business units, I’m excited to announce that Tony Uphoff has been promoted to CEO of Pipeline360, where his expertise and passion will drive continued innovation and growth. I am also excited to share we are finalizing the appointment of a CEO for the Integrate division.

As for my next chapter, I’m excited to share more soon. My upcoming role as CEO will take me back to my roots in sports—a journey I can’t wait to embark on.

To the Integrate & Pipeline360 team, partners, investors, and customers—thank you for the memories, the collaboration, and the trust. This journey has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I will always carry the lessons and experiences with me.

The future of Integrate and Pipeline360 is brighter than ever, and I can’t wait to see what this team accomplishes next. Onward!

In the fast-paced world of B2B marketing, efficiency is critical. Marketers need to engage prospects at the right time, with the right message, and often at scale. Yet, many are finding themselves bogged down by time-consuming manual processes that are stifling productivity and growth. 

According to our recent H2 2024 State of B2B Pipeline Growth survey data, 65% of marketers spend more than five hours per week ensuring the quality of lead data. A staggering 38% spend more than 10 hours weekly on this task. These statistics are alarming when you consider how valuable that time could be if redirected towards strategic initiatives like campaign optimization or content creation. 

Despite the advances in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), many marketers are still heavily reliant on manual processes. While 39% of B2B marketers use AI to improve data compliance and accuracy, 55% are still regularly analyzing CRM data manually. This reveals a significant gap between those who have embraced new technologies and those who continue to rely on outdated methods. 

Time-Consuming Data Validation: Manually cleaning and validating lead data is a painstaking process that often requires cross-referencing multiple sources, updating contact details, and removing duplicates. This level of manual intervention not only eats into valuable time but also increases the likelihood of human error. 

Delayed Decision-Making: The slower your data is processed and analyzed, the longer it takes to act on insights. This delay can result in missed opportunities, such as following up with a warm lead before they lose interest. 

Inconsistent Data Quality: When data is handled manually, inconsistencies are almost inevitable. This can lead to poor targeting, misaligned messaging, and ultimately, lower conversion rates. With data being the foundation of effective marketing campaigns, ensuring its accuracy is non-negotiable. 

Burnout Among Marketing Teams: Repetitive manual tasks can contribute to burnout. Marketers who spend hours sifting through data are left with less time to focus on creativity and strategic thinking – the areas where they truly add value to the business.

The solution to these manual inefficiencies lies in automation and advanced technology, particularly AI and machine learning. These tools can streamline processes, improve data quality, and free up marketers’ time to focus on what truly drives results: building relationships and creating compelling content. 

The B2B marketing landscape is evolving rapidly, and manual processes are increasingly becoming a liability. With 65% of marketers spending significant hours on data quality, it’s clear that old methods are holding them back. Embracing AI and automation isn’t just about staying ahead of the competition—it’s about reclaiming valuable time and resources that can be better spent on strategic growth. 

To remain competitive in this digital age, it’s time for B2B marketers to leave behind manual inefficiencies and adopt the technologies that will propel their strategies forward. After all, the future of marketing belongs to those who can harness the power of data – and do so with speed, precision, and agility. 

Sales and marketing alignment is often hailed as the secret sauce for business success, but for many organizations, it’s still an elusive goal. Despite 75% of companies claiming their teams are in sync, our recent survey reveals a striking contradiction: 44% list sales and marketing alignment as one of their biggest challenges.  

So, are businesses truly aligned, or is it more of a perception than a reality? And more importantly, does this perceived harmony actually drive measurable results? 

“The challenge for sales & marketing alignment lies in bridging the gap between different goals, strategies, and metrics,” said Tom Click, CRO, Pipeline360. “When these teams are truly aligned, the impact is powerful—better lead quality, more efficient processes, and faster revenue growth. But achieving this alignment requires ongoing communication, shared priorities, and a commitment to collaboration. It’s not easy, but when it happens, it transforms how we engage with prospects and close deals.”  

In fact, we found that when sales and marketing teams achieve complete alignment, they report far superior results in hitting goals, reaching target audiences, and optimizing lead generation processes. The data reveals some powerful advantages for companies with fully aligned sales and marketing efforts. 

For businesses where marketing and sales teams are completely aligned, the results speak for themselves: 

Clearly, companies that have achieved full alignment are outperforming their peers across all major metrics. But what’s driving this success? 

The statistics above show that when sales and marketing are fully aligned, businesses consistently outperform in key areas like lead generation, goal achievement, and customer satisfaction. There are several reasons for this: 

Despite the clear benefits, many companies still struggle to achieve full alignment between sales and marketing. The data shows that 44% of businesses view alignment as a top challenge, which suggests that barriers remain: 

If your organization is part of the 44% that struggles with alignment, or even if you believe your teams are aligned but want to improve performance, there are steps you can take: 

The statistics are clear: companies that achieve full alignment between sales and marketing see tremendous benefits. With 75% of fully aligned companies meeting their goals to a great extent, and 91% successfully reaching their buying groups, the value of alignment cannot be overstated. Achieving this level of collaboration takes effort, but the rewards—better leads, higher satisfaction, and improved performance—make it well worth the investment. 

For companies struggling with alignment, the path forward is clear. By focusing on unified goals, improving communication, and leveraging integrated technology, businesses can unlock the full potential of their sales and marketing teams—leading to more effective lead generation, higher revenue, and sustainable growth.   

Demand generation is the foundation on which all other marketing efforts are built, sowing the seeds of a broader strategy that, with proper execution, will bear fruit once leads are nurtured through the funnel to the final stop in their buyer’s journey.  

Unlike isolated marketing tactics, traditional demand gen operates holistically, fuelling each stage of the buyer’s journey—from awareness and consideration to decision-making and conversion—harnessing engagement to transform potential clients into customers. 

Branded demand does that too.  

But better.  

By blending demand generation with brand awareness, marketers can mix a powerful conversion cocktail, because like at any good party, guests who know each other already get along better. 

Branded demand is making introductions sooner so that when sales call, buyers answer and engage. Familiarity is the first step to connection, generates trust, and improves the chances of conversion.  

Goodbye, cold calls and ditched demos, hello, to the good old days, of marketers leading, and customers following.  

While demand generation and branded demand share many similarities, there are key differences in the tactics, but one doesn’t make the other obsolete.  

Traditional demand is a broad-brush tactic great for short-term wins and filling the funnel. It aims to reach a large audience, and then nurture them to conversion, rather than trying to find a match, getting to know them, and keeping the diary open.  

Branded demand is relationships over one-stage wins. 

Casting the net wide ensures a large data haul, but also means marketers using traditional demand gen tactics have little control over their catch. Leads might not be in market yet, or worse, not even in the market for your solution. And working that out takes time and resources, and diminishes returns. Longer sales cycles – enterprise deals now take 23 weeks to move from consideration to conversion – means that headache can easily turn into a migraine.    

Branded demand takes a more considered approach by combining elements of brand awareness with demand generation, to create a unified approach that elevates a brand and generates leads simultaneously. It focuses on fewer accounts and prospects, but does more for them, for longer, so a brand is always front of mind.  

By highlighting a brand’s unique value proposition and integrating brand storytelling and product marketing, branded demand perfectly primes leads for conversion, taking care of the long game that traditional lead-gen ignores.   

For speed and easy wins, lead-gen is king. It’s also well-suited to marketers operating with time or budget constraints and those needing to show immediate results – as it relies on basic metrics like clicks, downloads, or form submissions – and is easy to optimize quickly for performance.  

For product launches or time-sensitive campaigns, traditional lead generation can help convey urgency, driving immediate traffic and engagement, because the focus is all about the product and what it can do – rather than the brand story.   

By focusing on brand identity alongside generating leads – marketers are making buyers get to know them from the outset. Greater brand awareness and recall help with long-term market positioning and means buyers will know your product better, for longer, so when they’re ready to buy, it will be front of mind.  

Trust and loyalty go a long way in building relationships. A consistent focus on brand values helps build a deeper, more trusting connection with customers, improving retention and conversion rates. Constantly reinforcing a brand’s unique attributes also helps companies stand out, which is essential in a crowded, competitive marketplace. 

Choosing which tactic is right for your business depends largely on what you want to achieve – and how quickly.  

If your company is aiming for rapid growth, wants to fill up the funnel fast, is launching a new product or service and has a short sales cycle, traditional lead generation is ideal.  

Building brand recognition and customer loyalty is a longer play, better suited to branded demand which is about shaping perceptions, establishing emotional connections and fostering trust over time through content, storytelling, and immersive experiences. 

Putting aside your own business needs, the next thing to consider is what the audience wants. Traditional lead gen is great for potential customers already looking for solutions, whereas branded demand is better for businesses in complex, niche, or competitive markets where potential customers are going to need a lot more convincing, and patience, before they’re ready to purchase. B2B companies or those selling higher-value services often benefit from taking this approach which allows them to guide leads through a longer, more thoughtful, buyer’s journey.  

Combining traditional demand generation with branded demand strategies allows marketers to benefit from both short-term lead volume and long-term brand loyalty.  

Marketers can create a dual-funnel strategy by using branded demand to fill the top of the funnel by using high-quality content marketing, social media and educational resources to build awareness, trust, and emotional connections.  

The middle and the bottom of the funnel can then be filled with traditional demand generation, by using lead magnets, gated content, email campaigns and outreach to convert leads into prospects. These tactics are more transactional, with a focus on driving leads to specific actions, like downloading an eBook.  

Once users have engaged with branded content, marketers can retarget them with ads focused on traditional lead gen. For instance, if someone reads a branded blog, it can be followed up with display ads promoting a product or service and driving them to a lead generation form. This approach connects brand familiarity with lead capture.  

Next, align content across channels. Branded demand content, like thought leadership pieces, needs to inform and support traditional demand generation campaigns, like webinars and email sequences. The transition between brand-building content and more sales-focused materials should feel seamless. 

Traditional demand gen often relies on user data to segment and target leads, but when combined with branded content, personalized experiences can be created. Data from previous branded content engagements, for instance, can be used to send personalized emails more aligned to a customer’s interests, encouraging conversion, without the need for a hard sell.  

Because customers now interact with brands across multiple touchpoints, combining both approaches ensures a more cohesive customer experience, with consistent messaging that moves them along seamlessly.  

What if I told you that everything we were taught about the buyer’s journey and the B2B purchase process was wrong? Most marketers realize that the buyer journey isn’t an accurate representation of how B2B purchasing works today and yet it has persisted because buyer behavior is complex and changes over time.  

Over the last decade, the B2B purchasing process for technology has undergone a massive series of shifts, and it’s time we acknowledge that our traditional notions of the buyer’s journey and the related marketing funnel no longer hold water. The reality is that B2B technology purchasing decisions encompass expensive, complex, highly differentiated products. These decisions involve career risk, brand preference, and the shortlisting of potential vendors. Importantly, these factors are not sequential steps; they happen simultaneously.  

This has always been the case, but artificial and outdated thinking like the marketing funnel led to a siloed approach in our marketing efforts that has obscured this truth and ultimately led B2B marketing even farther away from how purchasing works and the buyer’s needs.  

The creation of the B2B purchase journey and the related marketing funnel was born out of a well-intentioned desire to create impactful marketing. Yet, in doing so, we unintentionally distorted the very nature of how B2B decisions are made. The initial flaw in this logic was failing to recognize that in the B2B purchase process, the who, why, and what are intertwined from the outset. When you’re dealing with products and services that carry inherent risk and require a deep understanding of the brand and company behind the solution, you don’t separate these considerations into neat, sequential stages. 

This separation of brand and demand advertising that we’ve seen develop in B2B marketing is also a direct result of inappropriately applying B2C, mass-market marketing techniques to B2B markets. In B2C, where purchase decisions are simple and low-risk, differentiating between brand-building and demand generation makes sense. But in B2B, this approach has always been flawed because the stakes are higher, the products are more complex, and the decision-makers need a comprehensive understanding of both the solution and the company behind it right from the start. 

It’s important to note that the data science and digital technology required to bring together brand and demand advertising in B2B didn’t exist until very recently. But now, with advancements in data analytics, AI, and marketing automation, we have the tools to bring these two critical elements together. And when we do, the impact on demand generation performance is undeniable. 

In B2B marketing today, the convergence of brand and demand marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. By aligning these efforts, we not only create a more accurate reflection of the actual purchase process but also drive stronger ABM and Demand Generation marketing performance.  

It’s time to move beyond outdated notions of funnels and journeys and embrace a more holistic approach to B2B marketing—one that recognizes the true nature of how decisions are made and leverages the full power of brand and demand convergence.