Eight key predictions to guide B2B marketers

2026 is a huge year in B2B marketing and demand generation. Rapid development of AI technology combined with challenging economic times will create major changes.

Change is needed because of a lack of clarity, trust and innovation in demand generation. Too many suppliers rely on outmoded products and services, designed to hit KPIs without driving real results, delivered in an opaque ‘behind the magician’s curtain’ way.

But change means confusion, as old certainties are challenged.

We asked senior executives at Demand AI to help B2B marketers navigate this challenge. Focusing on trends in technology, tactics and the industry at large, here are eight key predictions that will guide B2B marketers in 2026.

If AI can do it, AI will do it

If you are relying on human processes to reach and engage an audience of customers, you are already behind.

Michael Whife, co-founder and CEO of Demand AI, lays it out: “Any service that relies on human interaction through phone or computer will be replaced by AI,” he says.

“AI-infused solutions will offer infinite scalability and will drastically reduce the overhead associated with human-driven processes.”

You don’t want to be on the wrong side of that equation.

Quality, insightful content will be a differentiator

AI is an enhancer of creativity and insight, not a replacement for it.

For B2B marketers hoping to reach and engage audiences, AI offers an unmissable opportunity to share quality, human-made insights.

Chief Content Officer Matt Egan picks up the theme: “Innovating around technology and data will get marketers to the start line. Quality content that solves problems for buyers will win the race.”

“World class human insights that help buyers reach the right solutions will allow marketers to engage with their customers, at scale, using smart AI technology platforms, allied to clean and trusted data.”

Marketers will prioritise buy team engagement

This combination of AI and quality insights matters because in tough economic times every dollar needs to go further. This complicates the buying decision for customers, meaning marketers must influence more buyers and personas.

Here’s the view of AJ Abella, Chief Revenue Officer – EMEA: “Marketing teams will continue to be stretched for resources. The tech buying committee will continue to expand. Marketers will feel an ever greater need to influence individual stakeholders from IT to Sales to Procurement and Finance.”

“This will increase the need for relevant and useful, personalised content that engages the right people at the right time.”

Hyper personalisation and nurture at scale will be realities

The good news is that hyper personalisation and nurture at scale are now realities.

Chief Operating Officer Bhavesh Thakor explains: “The concepts of hyper personalisation and nurture at scale have seemed like oxymorons. It hasn’t felt possible to scale true personal engagement. And yet here we are.”

“With AI, hyper personalisation and nurture at scale can be done today – and accurately. Anything less is doomed to failure. If your supplier says different, you’re talking to the wrong people.”

Email marketing will hinge on deliverability… not just data

To deliver on this, marketers need to execute flawless tactics. Here’s Bhavesh: “Effective telemarketing is difficult because of privacy laws, and because buyers don’t want to be called. Quality email marketing is here to stay.”

“The efficacy of email marketing will depend on the deliverability of the emails in the inbox of the prospect. It is a complex science of involving hardware, software, experience, content… and patience.”

“Demand gen suppliers can boast about the reams of data to which they have access,” says Bhavesh. “But if they can’t land a relevant and engaging email in the inbox of a buyer, it’s just empty noise.”

Demand Gen suppliers will need to show evidence of real results

Long gone are the days of opaque processes delivering large numbers of ‘leads’, only a fraction of which convert. Marketers need real and quantifiable results.

AJ: “Marketers need solutions that can genuinely engage and nurture buyers through the purchase process. They’ll seek out only suppliers who can highlight and quantify results that demonstrate real ROI.”

Demand Generation will change forever

In 2026 demand gen products, services and solutions need to map to the new realities.

Matt: “Legacy approaches that value scale over engagement and accuracy will be consigned to the past.”

“Marketers need to serve their potential customers with quality, relevant and useful content at scale. They will thrive on AI-driven innovative technology solutions, AI-generated insights, and AI-scaled human-made content to do that in a uniquely useful way.”

Legacy players will lose ground as AI solutions offer real value

What does all this mean for our industry? Simply: change or die.

Here’s Michael Whife again: “New players offering pure AI-driven solutions will gain ground, and established companies will struggle to keep up.”

“Large incumbent players will not realize how quickly their legacy approach is being replaced and will struggle to replace outmoded but still profitable products and services.”

“AI is here and the application of AI products and solutions will represent a revolutionary leap in Demand Generation and B2B marketing.”

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