S4 Ep20: B2B Creativity that drives growth from Brand to Demand with Wendy Walker

B2B marketing doesn’t have to be boring. In this episode, we unpack how creativity drives measurable B2B growth—uniting brand and demand, scaling global ideas locally, proving ROI, and using AI where it actually moves the needle. You’ll hear from Salesforce’s APAC marketing leader and Cannes Lions Creative B2B jury president on the playbook behind human-to-human work that fills pipelines, not just decks.

What you’ll learn

• Brand→Demand, together: Why separating brand and demand hurts performance—and how bringing them into one plan makes ROI easier to prove.
• Global to local at scale (the 70/30 rule): What to keep from HQ and what to adapt—plus why a deep customer-story library is a B2B cheat code.
• Creativity that converts: The B2B decade is here—emotion, humor, and human truth are now winning at the highest level.
• Measurement that matters: How to include brand spend in the business case and show full-funnel impact.
• AI that actually helps marketers: From segmentation and targeting lifts to marketers building agents in ~20 minutes—practical ways AI amplifies outcomes.
• Small business spotlight: What the Cannes Grand Prix winner signals about SMB-focused B2B and the rise of meaningful creator/influencer roles.

Who this episode is for

B2B CMOs, VPs, and growth leaders who need to scale creativity, prove impact, and translate global platforms into local results—without losing speed.

02:15 Episode starts • hello, Cannes context, setting the agenda.

03:15 Agency lessons in SE Asia • Mindshare perspective.

04:46 Operating in 185+ markets • global expansion as a career crucible.

05:49 Head-down, hands-dirty growth • owning your voice.

08:44 Sponsorship over self-promotion • lifting others as a leader.

16:48 How to land in new markets • agents, on-ground research, and digital sales.

18:28 Weekly stack-ranking 185 markets • what to optimise and when.

21:03 Sliding-doors into Salesforce • building the SE Asia marketing team.

22:16 Why Jakarta matters • local talent and skills on the rise.

23:44 The 70/30 rule • global platforms, local edge + customer story library.

24:56 The B2B decade • creativity, buying groups of ~23, and being human.

26:05 Brands getting B2B right • Workday, ServiceNow, Canva.

31:44 Measurement that matters • include brand spend in the business case.

33:15 AI that actually helps • targeting, segmentation, “20-minute” agents.

35:18 Future talent in an AI world • learning without losing the craft.

37:22 Cannes 2025 takeaways • best year yet for Creative B2B; emotion rises.

38:44 From token purpose to real value • long-term, business-backed impact.

51:41 Mentoring future female leaders •.

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