AI has the potential to transform many industries. But few are moving as far and as fast as marketing. As long ago as 2023, McKinsey estimated that generative AI (GenAI) alone could increase the productivity of teams by 5-15% of total marketing spend—an uplift estimated at $463bn (£341bn) globally.
As UK B2B marketers battle macroeconomic challenges and evolving buyer trends, emerging technology could be a force multiplier for improving demand generation and lead nurturing. But just as important as realising the potential in AI is understanding its limits, and managing the associated risks.
Uncertainty weighs heavily —
Uncertainty is the enemy of economic growth. And over recent years, the UK seems to have lurched from one macroeconomic crisis to another. That’s reflected in recent research revealing that less than half (42%) of UK/EMEA marketers have what they assess to be “robust” budgets. A further third cite resource challenges — more than in any other region. And almost half (47%) worry about economic uncertainty.
Forced to do more with less, and focus single mindedly on ROI, many are falling short of the mark. Over half of those we polled say they have made only “some, limited, or no” progress on their goals.
At the same time, and for some of the same reasons, sales cycles are lengthening. Over three-quarters of UK marketers cite this trend — driven by larger buying groups and new stakeholders entering late in the buying process, as well as a short-term focus on costs. That’s more than their global peers, and compounds the challenges associated with lead nurturing in an age of complex, non-linear B2B buyer journeys.
Why content matters —
Against this backdrop, content can be the difference between success and failure. It impacts all parts of the B2B marketing funnel, but especially lead gen and nurturing — triggering the engagement which enables teams to identify, qualify and track those leads. It’s no surprise that 82% of high performing marketers rate their content as “very good” or “excellent” versus just a quarter of low performers.
If content is the key to successful campaigns, then personalisation increasingly separates excellent from average content. In fact, it’s cited by over half of marketers as central to improving lead nurturing. It is also arguably more important in the B2B space, where messaging often needs to be more complex and tailored to specific audience pain points and solutions.
The question is how can brands get personalisation right, at a time when buyers are more pre-disposed to self-service research, and as many as 20 people may be involved in a single purchasing decision? How do you make your content stand out?
AI to the rescue? —
GenAI can be part of the answer. With the right prompts, grounded in sufficiently accurate and granular persona insights, marketers can deliver highly personalised content at scale — across blog posts, email campaigns, e-books and more. And they can do so in seconds, without requiring extra headcount or resource.
However, there are caveats. Marketers must be alert on the one hand to the risk of over-familiar or “creepy content”, but on the other to overly generic or bland language. This must remain consistent and aligned to the brand, and free from hallucinations and inaccuracies. In short, the human in the loop is essential to ensure AI doesn’t do more harm than good.
It might also be necessary to get user buy-in, by reassuring team members their jobs won’t be at risk if they use such tools.
The Power of strategic collaboration —
Of course, AI is only part of the answer. To meet the growing pressure for pipeline and performance, today’s B2B marketers need to expand their network and think beyond doing everything in-house. Scaling content with speed, precision, and relevance sometimes requires more than internal resources can often provide.
That’s why it’s important to build a network of expert partners as a strategic advantage. By tapping into a demand-as-a-service model, marketers can focus on higher-order strategy while ensuring their demand content fuels the lead nurture funnel. In a landscape where outcomes matter more than output, working with the right partners is no longer optional — it’s essential for sustainable growth.
Toward scalable B2B growth —
In an environment defined by economic pressure, shifting buyer behaviour, and ever-rising expectations, B2B marketers need to think outside of the box. AI-powered content offers a powerful means to personalise at scale, but it’s only part of the solution. Today, it’s about combining technology with the right strategic partnerships.
Embracing a demand-as-a-service approach allows teams to extend their capabilities, accelerate content delivery, and stay focused on strategy and outcomes — not just execution. In today’s landscape, where every touchpoint matters and every lead counts, working with trusted partners isn’t just smart; it’s a growth imperative.
Elizabeth D’Arcy-Potts is Managing Director – UK and APAC at Pipeline360, a demand generation platform helping B2B brands engage buyers through data-led, full-funnel campaigns. With deep experience across agency and tech, Elizabeth brings a commercial lens to the evolving intersection of AI, content strategy, and buyer behaviour.
