OnBase: Smashing Sales and Marketing Misalignments

Single-buyer strategies are no longer enough.In this episode of the OnBase podcast, Paul Gibson sits down with Graham Reed, director of business creation at Ice Blue Sky, to explore how buying groups are reshaping B2B decision-making in the age of AI.They discuss why deals fail when teams focus on one contact, how AI improves relevance without replacing human judgment, the risks of black-box intent signals, and why sales and marketing alignment is critical to winning complex deals.If you are struggling with low-quality pipeline or disengaged stakeholders, this conversation will change how you think about modern B2B buying.About Graham ReedGraham Reed is the director of business creation at Ice Blue Sky, a specialist strategy-led, account-based marketing and demand generation agency focused on the technology sector. With a background that began in print marketing, Graham transitioned into B2B later in his career and quickly developed a deep passion for the discipline, particularly account-based marketing and buying group strategies. Over the past five years at Ice Blue Sky, he has worked closely with technology and channel-focused organisations to design highly targeted, data-driven marketing programs that drive early-stage sales engagement. Graham’s work is centred on understanding how modern buying groups operate and how relevance, strategy, and emerging technologies like AI can be combined to influence complex B2B buying decisions.Connect with Graham.

Traditional ABM frameworks are no longer enough.In this episode of the OnBase podcast, Paul Gibson sits down with Declan Mulkeen, CMO at Strategic ABM, to explore how modern ABM strategies are evolving toward outcomes, relevance, and long-term customer value.They discuss why customers do not buy “ABM models,” how buying groups should really be approached, the role of AI in accelerating insight without losing trust, and why lifetime value is becoming the most important metric for B2B growth.If you are rethinking your ABM approach or struggling to prove impact beyond marketing metrics, this conversation will change how you look at account-based marketing.About the GuestDeclan heads up Marketing at strategicabm. After some 20 years working as a CMO in the Professional Services, SaaS and EdTech sectors, Declan is now Agency-side building the strategicabm brand and running the Agency’s successful ABM program. Declan is also the host of the leading ABM podcast, Let's talk ABM.Connect with Declan.

Sales teams have more training, more tools, and more AI than ever — yet execution in the field continues to break down.In this episode of the OnBase podcast, Barry Flaherty and David Thomson explain why traditional sales training fails and how teach-back sales training and AI coaching help teams build real capability without burning out sales reps.Drawing on decades of experience across enterprise sales, scale-ups, and behavioural science, they explore why information alone never creates transformation, how onboarding and ramp time can be fixed, and why AI should act as a coach, not a cop.If you lead sales, enablement, or go-to-market teams, this episode delivers practical insight you can apply immediately.What you'll learn:why most sales training doesn’t translate into performancehow teach-back sales training improves retention and confidencethe role of AI coaching in modern sales enablementhow to reduce ramp time and onboarding failurehow to scale sales teams without losing culture or empathyAbout Barry Flaherty Barry is a GTM and sales strategy Leader and Board advisor/member. He has 25 years of experience in Tech and Media that includes Enterprise Sales & Alliances in integration, cloud and automation. He is the Founder of All Good People and is now growing a portfolio of established Tech companies and scale up’s and capital raising.Connect with Barry.About David Thomson Founder and CEO of Suada, David is dedicated to helping organisations unlock the full potential of their people through cutting-edge digital learning solutions. With over 25 years of experience in sales, technology, and business transformation, he lead Suada’s global mission to revolutionise online learning by incorporating the science of retention and persuasion.Connect with David.

Roku’s John Rogers reveals how daily rigor, culture fit and a new programmatic playbook are shaping the future of CTV advertising.🎙️ Episode summaryIn this episode, John Rogers, director of global programmatic partnerships at Roku, takes us inside the systems and leadership principles driving Roku’s programmatic growth. We explore why the old sales playbook no longer works, how Roku balances programmatic and direct sales, and why ambiguity is becoming a competitive advantage in ad tech.🔑 What you’ll learnHow Roku uses daily rigor to run programmatic like a high-performance engineWhy culture fit and curiosity matter more than a big RolodexHow to empower teams to make decisions without perfect dataWhy performance CTV is the next big industry shiftHow collaboration across sales channels creates revenue tailwinds💬 Standout quotes“Daily rigor is the hill I’ll die on.” — John Rogers“If your team doesn’t feel safe taking risks, you’ll never win.” — John RogersAbout John RogersJohn is an ad tech veteran, starting at Advertising.com in 2002.  Leading teams through acquisition, hyper growth and even bankruptcy, he has developed an approach to driving client-focused teams to strong results in BD.  He has been at Roku for 6 months and is developing their mid-market platform approach, focused on SSPs, DSPs and reseller partnerships.Connect with John.Visit our website.

In this episode of the OnBase podcast, host Paul Gibson sits down with Kate Mackie to unpack why humanizing B2B marketing is no longer optional—and how brand resonance directly impacts modern go-to-market success. Kate shares her journey from agency to EY, revealing why the traditional separation between brand and demand no longer works in today’s complex, elongated B2B buying cycles.She explains why trust is a brand’s most valuable currency, how buying groups have doubled in size, and why marketers must deliver consistent yet human experiences across every GTM motion. From aligning sales and marketing, to building creative consistency without losing personalization, to proving brand impact on revenue, this episode is a masterclass in modern enterprise marketing.Kate also explores the disruptions defining today’s market, how AI will accelerate personalization, and why human differentiation will matter more as buyers increasingly use AI as part of their research process.Key TakeawaysBrand and demand work as one spectrumBrand builds broad awareness and trust; demand converts that trust into action. Separating them weakens both.Buying groups have doubled in sizeEnterprise decisions now involve 15 people, meaning brands must influence far more stakeholders, many of whom never speak to sales.Human-centered branding drives trustEmotional relevance and clear purpose help companies stay top-of-mind through long, nonlinear buying cycles.Overconsistency reduces relevanceRigid, one-size-fits-all branding prevents teams from tailoring messages to different roles, needs, and motivations.Alignment across brand, GTM, and sales is criticalDisconnected campaigns and target lists create massive audience wastage and inconsistent buyer experiences.Customer expansion offers the quickest winsBuilding brand trust with existing clients is cheaper, faster, and often more impactful than new-customer acquisition.Measurement must combine brand and demand signalsBrand salience requires tracking awareness, consideration, social listening, and pre/post lift, not just revenue metrics.AI accelerates personalization but needs guardrailsAI can tailor creativity at scale, but only when backed by strong segmentation, a clear brand truth, and human oversight.Human differentiation will matter more as buyers use AIAs customers rely on AI for research, human experience, emotion, and trust become the true competitive advantage.Marketers must speak the language of the C-suiteTo secure buy-in, brand value must be tied directly to commercial outcomes, not marketing jargon.Quotes“Brand and demand are one and the same. It’s just the difference between talking to a mass audience or a targeted one.”“When buyers use AI as part of their research, the human experience becomes the biggest differentiator.”Resource RecommendationsB2B Marketing Fundamentals, a book by Kate MackieWiredShout-OutsJennifer Aaker, General Atlantic Professo at Stanford University Graduate School of BusinessCaroline Day, Global Director, B2B Institute at LinkedInDenise Persson, CMO at SnowflakeAbout the GuestKate Mackie is a Partner (EYGP LLP) and the Global Marketing Lead at the global EY organization. She is a transformational global leader who drives innovative marketing strategies and helps the business embed lasting change. Her passion lies in transforming the narrative around B2B marketing and driving a humanized approach to growth. She is the author of 'B2B Marketing Fundamentals: Drive Impact Across Brand, Reputation, Relationships, and Revenue'.Connect with Kate.

In this episode of OnBase, host Paul Gibson sits down with Soumyajit Dey for a deep dive into why continuous brand building outperforms one-off campaigns every time, and how ABX becomes truly powerful only when rooted in purpose, consistency, and relevance.Soumyajit shares his journey from early days in experimental digital marketing to leading global campaigns at ThoughtWorks, where he merges brand strategy with buying-group intelligence to drive sustained account growth. He explains why brand versus demand is the wrong debate, why ABX should be an experience, not a tactic, and how companies can orchestrate connected outreach that resonates emotionally and commercially.From the importance of purpose-led storytelling, to measuring brand influence, to navigating AI and evolving buyer behavior, this episode is a masterclass in modern B2B marketing that actually works.Key TakeawaysBrand and demand shouldn’t compete, they should connectSoumyajit argues that ABX succeeds when it amplifies a strong brand narrative. Disconnected efforts create drop-off; integrated storytelling builds trust that sustains long-term growth.ABX is an experience, not a pipeline hackEffective ABX expands reach inside accounts, engages the full buying group, and nurtures trust over time. It’s a long-term motion, not a magic wand for instant deals.The tech stack makes or breaks digital ABXIntegrating engagement scoring, intent, and outreach into a unified ecosystem creates the intelligence needed for relevance and personalization at scale. At ThoughtWorks, this has driven an 18–23% increase in reach.Purpose-driven brands outperformBuyers, especially millennials and Gen Z, make decisions based on values like transparency, ethics, and inclusion. Purpose creates memorability and long-term loyalty.Sustained brand building warms the ground for ABXWhen a brand shows up consistently through content, social proof, thought leadership, and human storytelling, ABX campaigns land on receptive audiences, not cold inboxes.AI orchestration and buying-group intelligence are the futureAgentic AI, buying-group-level insights, and responsible use of automation will redefine how teams run always-on ABX and brand plays.Quotes“Brand creates receptivity. ABX activates relevance. Together, they expand your circle of influence.”Resource recommendationsPodcasts:B2B Marketing and More with Pam DidnerBooks:ABM is B2B: Why B2B marketing and sales is broken and how to fix it — by Sangram Vajre & Eric SpettAbout the GuestSoumyajit Dey is a digital first marketing and communications leader with 20 plus years of experience at the intersection of marketing, technology and communication. Currently, he serves as the Global Head of Digital Campaign Delivery and AI for marketing Lead at Thoughtworks. He has worked with multiple global tech organizations in various capacity and is equally at home with campaign delivery, execution and executive strategy. Soumyajit is passionate about building future ready functions and teams that blend in creativity, automation and measurable performance.⁠Connect with Soumyajit⁠.

In this episode of OnBase, host Paul Gibson sits down with Joel Harrison for a wide-ranging and deeply insightful conversation about one of the most pressing issues in modern B2B: trust. Together, they unpack how trust is eroding across society, why it has become the backbone of successful ABX programs, and how marketers can differentiate in an era flooded with AI-generated “average content.”Joel shares his personal journey from magazine editor to industry leader, and why he believes trust, not just technology, is the true engine behind influence, brand affinity, and long-term customer relationships. The conversation explores how AI is challenging credibility, how strategic thought leadership can reclaim it, and why authenticity must be built intentionally rather than assumed.Whether you’re a marketer, seller, or B2B leader navigating the new era of AI-driven engagement, this episode provides a powerful framework for building trust at scale, without losing the human touch.Key TakeawaysTrust is the new competitive differentiatorTrust isn’t a soft metric, it’s the oxygen of B2B relationships. Without it, brands will struggle to generate engagement, earn consideration, or influence buyers who are increasingly overwhelmed and time-poor.Average content is everywhere, quality is the real moatAI has made it easier than ever to produce content, but most of it lacks authenticity, depth, and accuracy. Joel argues that this creates an opportunity: brands that invest in high-quality thought leadership will stand out faster than ever.Thought leadership must be strategic, not randomAccording to Joel, true thought leadership:Is rooted in robust dataConnects to a long-term narrativeInfluences every stage of the funnel, from brand to demand to salesIncludes credible experts and voices internally and externallyWhen executed well, these programs deliver 52% better ROI than traditional marketing.Advocacy is massively underutilized in B2BCustomer recommendations, peer validation, and community influence play a foundational role in trust, but most companies underinvest in structured advocacy programs. Joel highlights emerging “TrustTech” tools that are beginning to change this.AI must be used with oversight, not blind automationAI is powerful for efficiency, research, and content acceleration, but hallucinations and inaccuracies can damage credibility. Human oversight is non-negotiable, both at the beginning and the end of the workflow.ABX thrives when trust comes firstSignals alone aren’t enough. Buyers won’t engage with sales if they've never heard of you or don’t trust your brand. Trust-building must begin long before intent signals surface, and it must extend through the entire customer lifecycle, not just new logo acquisition.Quotes“Thought leadership isn’t a blog post. It’s a strategic, data-driven idea deployed across the entire customer journey.”Resource RecommendationsAndy Lambert’s newsletterLuan Wise’s newsletterCDP Institute’s newsletterPaul Cash’s LinkedIn postsShout-OutsScott Stockwell, Founder at WorkmatikGraham Wylie, Growth CMO, B2B SaaS & ServicesBarbara Stewart, Buyer & Customer Experience ConsultantRobert Norum, ABM and Growth Expert, B2B MarketingAbout the GuestAs editor-in-chief of B2B Marketing and one of its founders, Joel plays a strategic role in the company, focusing on the development of all B2B Marketing’s content, products and services – including events, training, reports and the magazine.He’s also an ambassador and evangelist for B2B more generally, and a regular speaker at conferences and at in-house marketing team meetings.Connect with Joel.

In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Corrina Owens to explore the evolution of account-based marketing, the misconceptions that still persist, and why most companies miss their biggest growth opportunity: their existing customers.Corrina details her non-traditional path into marketing, the value of being a generalist, and how ABM shifted from a set of disconnected tactics to a true go-to-market operating model. She breaks down the critical role of ICP development, the importance of analyzing first-party data, and why sales alignment is still the strongest predictor of ABM success.The conversation also dives into customer expansion strategies, the rise of AI as a democratizer of data, and the ABM plays every B2B organization should be running. Corrina shares practical examples, thoughtful commentary on relationship-building skills in the age of automation, and the mindset sellers and marketers need to stand out in modern B2B.Key TakeawaysABM is a go-to-market strategy, not a set of tacticsMost teams still define ABM as direct mail or targeted ads, but sustainable ABM success requires cross-functional alignment, sales process maturity, and clarity on the ICP.Your first-party data holds the real ICP insightsInstead of wish-list accounts or executive bias, the strongest ICP definitions come from analyzing a full fiscal year of closed-won and closed-lost data to uncover patterns.Customer expansion is the biggest missed opportunityOn average, companies land only about 30% of a customer’s total ARR potential on initial purchase. Yet most marketing and ABM efforts stop immediately post-sale. Customer ABM should be a core motion.AI is democratizing data accessWhat once required multiple tools and data science resources can now be achieved with ChatGPT and well-structured prompts. AI helps teams iterate faster, brainstorm creatively, and pressure-test messaging.Human connection is the new differentiatorSellers struggle with relationship-building across channels, especially in a digital-first world. The ability to communicate authentically, not from templates, is becoming a critical skill.Give-first ABM plays drive the deepest brand impactPodcast invitations, industry award nominations, and sponsoring internal team events create memorable, non-transactional experiences that earn trust.Quotes“The best ABM plays are pure give tactics. You’re not asking for anything back.”Tech recommendationsLovableChatGPTGeminiResource recommendationsThe Power of Onlyness by Nilofer Merchant – a powerful exploration of embracing your unique perspective and bringing your fullest self to your work.12 ABM plays by Corrina OwensShout-outsChristina Le, Head of Marketing at Plot.About the GuestCorrina Owens is the go-to GTM mind behind some of the most effective ABM plays in B2B SaaS. She’s led award-winning programs at Gong and now works fractionally, advising and implementing pipeline-driving strategies at companies like Orum, TripleLift, Navattic, and UserGems.⁠Connect with Corrina⁠.

Tejal Patel, founder of Stanford Bridge Partners and former Cisco marketing leader, dives into the complexities of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) in large enterprises. She emphasizes that ABM is a tactic, not a standalone strategy, requiring alignment with broader marketing efforts. Misalignment among teams and poor data quality are major roadblocks. Tejal also highlights the agility of smaller firms and shares actionable tips for leveraging intent data and enhancing collaboration between sales and marketing to drive success.

In this episode of OnBase, host Chris Moody sits down with Chelsea Wells to discuss how AI is reshaping the future of demand generation, campaign creation, and attribution. Chelsea shares practical insights from her role at MasterControl, how clean, accessible data powers scalable, high-quality campaigns and how marketers can balance automation with creativity to stand out in a crowded digital landscape.From solving data challenges to embracing multi-touch attribution, Chelsea explains how she’s redefining what effective ABM looks like today. She also shares a behind-the-scenes look at a successful one-to-few ABM campaign that leveraged both digital and physical tactics, achieving rapid funnel movement and opportunity creation.Whether you’re navigating the complexities of AI adoption or rethinking your attribution models, this episode offers an actionable roadmap for marketers aiming to stay ahead of the curve.Key TakeawaysData quality drives AI success. AI is only as strong as the data it learns from. Clean, accessible, and compliant data is essential to generate accurate insights and scalable, high-quality campaigns.Keep humans in the loop. AI can ideate and optimize, but human oversight ensures creativity, empathy, and brand authenticity.Choose attribution models that reflect intent. No model is perfect. Evaluate channels based on their role in the funnel, top, mid, or bottom, and consider equal or multi-touch models to see the full journey.Mix digital with physical experiences. Reintroduce tactile, real-world touches, like thoughtful swag or events, to complement digital plays and deepen relationships.Test, learn, and personalize. Successful campaigns rely on experimentation, feedback, and personalization at every stage, from message testing to channel sequencing.Quotes“Every channel has a purpose. Measure them by their role in the funnel, not by a single model.”Tech recommendationsDemandbase – For ABM orchestration and intent data.Domo – For real-time visibility across data and attribution models.Resource recommendationsOnBase podcastABM AnsweredShout-outsKelly Starmon, CMO at MasterControlCassidy Milder, VP of Demand Marketing at MasterControlAbout the GuestWith 8 years of demand generation experience in the tech SaaS space, Chelsea Wells is a seasoned B2B marketer with a proven track record of driving pipeline growth in complex industries including cybersecurity and life sciences manufacturing. She currently serves as a Senior ABM Program Manager and Demand Generation Team Lead at MasterControl, where she leads the strategy and execution of high-impact, omni-channel campaigns. Chelsea specializes in campaign orchestration, account-based marketing, and full-funnel demand strategies, leveraging data and insights to optimize performance across every stage of the buyer journey. Her approach is grounded in experimentation and agility, continuously testing and iterating to keep ahead of the rapidly evolving marketing landscape. She is passionate about aligning sales and marketing, delivering customized experiences at scale, and using data to uncover what truly moves prospects from awareness to closed-won. Chelsea holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin, a certificate in Global Management, and an MBA from Southern Methodist University (SMU). She brings a global, cross-functional lens to marketing strategy and thrives in fast-paced environments that demand strategic thinking and executional excellence.Connect with Chelsea.