B2B marketing in 2025 is moving at full speed, and the brands that adapt first will lead the pack.
After spending the last quarter in conversations with clients and peers, exploring conferences and white papers, and testing a few very opinionated AI tools, three trends stand out not as passing fads, but as fundamental shifts in how B2B marketers need to show up for their buyers.
Think of this as our Midnights moment: a chance to take stock, learn from the chaos and get intentional about what comes next.
Trend #1: AI Is Rewriting B2B Buyer Behavior
What began as using ChatGPT for small personal decisions, like which duck boots to buy, has quickly evolved. Today, those same buyers are using AI to research SaaS platforms, filter the noise and hand themselves a ready-made shortlist before they’ve even opened a demo request form.
Shortlists that used to take days are now made in minutes. They’re built from LinkedIn posts, niche forums, G2 chat tools and AI-powered search results. If your brand isn’t showing up where the algorithms are pulling answers, you might not even make the consideration set.
And it’s not just buyers. B2B marketers are adopting AI at a pace that makes “early adopter” feel like an understatement. They’re integrating tools like Jasper for content, ChatGPT for ideation and new workflow automations that seem to launch every time we refresh our feeds.
That creates two big opportunities. First, we can help clients adopt these tools with a human-first approach by showing them where AI makes the work better, not just faster. Second, we can consult on tool adoption itself, because the market isn’t slowing down. Every week brings a shiny new platform (often with a name missing at least one vowel).
Search dynamics are shifting too: people aren’t just Googling anymore. They’re searching inside LinkedIn. They’re asking AI engines highly specific, prescriptive questions. And they’re often getting their answers directly in-feed, without ever clicking through to a website.
That changes how we think about high-funnel content, brand authority and where our best opportunities to connect actually happen.
Trend #2: B2B Is Really B2P
At the end of every buying decision, no matter how enterprise the contract, there’s a human. It sounds obvious, but the way some B2B marketing reads, you’d think we were selling to a room full of software features instead of people.
The “business to people” (B2P) approach means leaning into what resonates on a human level before rattling off technical specs. We’re not trying to win buyers with the full feature list at first touch. We’re trying to grab attention, build trust and stay top of mind, whether they’re in market today or six months from now.
“B2B Marketers are acknowledging their buyers are humans, too!”
Buyers are showing us exactly what they want: fewer static PDFs and more interactive and visually rich experiences. These formats make the journey feel personal and give us richer insight into their needs. Examples include:
- Video explainers that tell the story in two minutes instead of 20 slides
- ROI calculators that help buyers make the internal case
- Interactive tools that let them self-serve answers on their own timeline
The B2P mindset also helps simplify the buying committee.
Roles are fluid, and different decision-makers need different messages at different stages of the buyer’s journey. Instead of trying to get everyone aligned at once, we connect early on shared pain points and build deeper alignment across the funnel.
We’ve seen this approach win business. It’s not a “nice to have” brand exercise; it’s a revenue strategy.
Trends #3: Data-Informed Targeting Is Non-Negotiable
B2B buyers now expect the same level of personalization they get from their favorite consumer brands.
If Sephora remembers your exact foundation shade and Lululemon knows your go-to joggers, your buyers expect you to remember what matters to them, too.
That means responsibly using the data you already have to create a better experience, not just a harder sell. Some of the most effective plays we’re seeing include:
- VPE (Valuable Personalized Experiences) as a framework for using data to deliver relevance at every touchpoint
- Account-Based Marketing (ABM) to match engagement efforts with account maturity
- Intent data to spot when target accounts are signaling interest and trigger timely outreach
- Interactive buyer tools that both deliver value and quietly qualify leads
Data doesn’t just shape who you target, it changes the format. A tailored Google Slides workshop for one account can go further than a hundred generic PDFs.
And while digital still dominates, experiential marketing is back. In-person events are proving to be serious pipeline drivers, making them a perfect moment to make a high-funnel brand splash and then keep the conversation alive afterward.
The throughline here: business outcomes matter more than ever.
Brand awareness is essential, but so is proving ROI. That means aligning with your client’s internal questions, tracking lead quality (not just volume) and keeping budget spread across the funnel to avoid drying up demand you’ve worked to create.
Bonus Trend: Meet FOMU
There’s a new acronym in B2B town: FOMU, the fear of messing up. For millennial-heavy buying teams, the anxiety of making the wrong choice is real.
And if we’re being honest, it could just as easily be called FOFU, where the “F” stands for everyone’s favorite F-word.
Either way, the takeaway is the same: these buyers are worried about blowing their budget and their reputation.
Your job? Make your solution the obvious, low-risk, career-safe choice. Build trust and prove value, and you’ll calm the FOMU before it ever stands a chance.
Wrapping It Up
AI is changing how buyers search and decide. The B2P mindset is reminding us to market to humans, not job titles. Data-informed targeting is no longer optional. It’s the backbone of building relevance and trust. And with FOMU lurking in the background, the brands that win will be the ones that make the safest bet feel like the smartest one.
If the first half of the year felt like chaos, H2 is our Midnights moment: a chance to look back at what worked, learn from what didn’t and set ourselves up for the hits we want to play on repeat.
The trends are clear. Now it’s about showing up consistently, humanly and in all the places your buyers are already looking.
If you’re ready to turn these trends into results, let’s talk. Our team can help you identify the right plays for your market, guide smart adoption of new tools and make sure your brand is in the shortlist by being human-first, data-smart and always on.
