Written by Dominic Milan, Strategy Partner at dentsu B2B
Every brand wants to be seen as innovative. But today's B2B buyers face greater scrutiny, larger buying groups and more choice than ever before.
The challenge for marketers is no longer just generating awareness. It's building confidence. Buyers want reassurance they're making the right decision, and they're seeking it in new places, from AI tools and industry experts to peers, communities and creators.
Brands that continue targeting the same audiences through the same channels risk missing the people influencing purchasing decisions today. Success increasingly depends on helping buyers navigate complexity with trust, proof and ease.
Your buying committee doesn't look like it used to
The modern B2B audience is becoming younger, more diverse and more digitally native.
As of 2025, 69% of B2B decision-makers are under 45, while Gen Z now represents 11% of decision-makers globally. These buyers bring consumer behaviours into the workplace, relying on recommendations, communities and trusted voices to help inform decisions.
At the same time, buying committees are becoming more representative of the organisations they serve. Different backgrounds, experiences and priorities mean more perspectives influence every purchase.
Media strategies built around assumptions of a "typical buyer" are becoming increasingly ineffective. Reaching today's decision-makers means recognising that influence is spread across broader groups with different motivations, information needs and decision-making styles.
What brands should do: Build media plans around buying groups, not personas. Invest in channels, formats and voices that resonate with a wider range of stakeholders and create confidence throughout the decision-making process.
If AI recommends your competitor, are you still in the consideration set?
The traditional buyer journey has fragmented. Today's buyers move between search, social media, analysts, communities, peers, influencers and AI tools, often at the same time. Research is no longer linear, and brands no longer control the points at which buyers discover them.
AI is accelerating this shift. With 77% of buyers now using AI during decision-making, discovery is becoming increasingly democratised. Brands that may never have appeared in a shortlist before can now surface alongside established category leaders.
Influence is having a similar effect, playing a meaningful role in 60% of buyer journeys. Buyers are turning to customers, colleagues, experts and trusted external voices to help them cut through an overwhelming volume of information.
Being easy to find is no longer enough. Brands need to be easy to trust.
What brands should do: Build authority wherever buyers seek answers. Strengthen your presence across paid, owned, earned and AI-discoverable channels. Use customers, experts and industry voices to reinforce credibility long before buyers speak to sales.
Safe media plans rarely create memorable brands
Information alone doesn't drive decisions. Buyers increasingly look for proof, reassurance and confidence that they can secure internal approval. A strong track record, positive reviews and evidence of success have become just as important as product features.
At the same time, AI is raising expectations around customer experience. People now expect information to be accessible, interactions to be seamless and answers to be available whenever they need them.
Yet many media strategies still optimise for visibility rather than memorability. They focus on being present rather than creating meaningful impact.
The opposite of being safe isn't being reckless, it's being deliberately distinctive. The brands creating growth are making smarter choices about where attention can be won, where trust can be built and where investment can create disproportionate returns. Those delivering stronger buyer experiences also benefit from a 31% faster deal cycle.
What brands should do: Design media experiences that reduce friction and increase confidence. Concentrate investment where you can demonstrate proof, answer buyer concerns and create lasting memory structures that help buyers advocate for your solution internally.
Adapting for a new B2B reality
The B2B landscape has fundamentally changed. Buying groups are larger and more diverse. AI is reshaping discovery. Influence is spread across more channels, platforms and people than ever before.
In this environment, visibility alone is not enough. Buyers want confidence, proof, and above all, they want a simpler path to decision-making.
That means showing up wherever they seek information, guidance and reassurance. It means making it easier to evaluate your proposition, easier to build consensus and easier to justify a decision.
As more brands compete for consideration, claiming category competence is no longer enough. Buyers don't just want to hear that you can solve their problem. They want evidence; they want credibility. They want reasons to trust you before they ever enter a sales conversation.
Whether that's through AI-optimised content, targeted paid activity tied directly to buyer pain points, expert advocacy, customer stories or clearer answers to common questions, every channel should help buyers move forward with greater confidence.
The brands that grow won't necessarily be the most visible. They'll be the ones that make it easiest for buyers to understand, trust and champion their solution.
For marketers, success now depends less on optimising individual channels and more on building connected ecosystems of influence that help buyers move confidently from consideration to decision.
Want to learn more about how to reach your B2B buyers? Get in touch with our team at dentsu B2B to find out how we can help.
