A CMO Confidential Interview with Tom Stein, the Chairman and founder of Stein and Jann Schwarz, Senior Director of Marketplace Innovation at LinkedIn and founder of Think tank, The B2B Institute, who join us to discuss the 2025 Brand-to- Demand Maturity and the B2B Buyability studies. Tom and Jann share results showing the need to integrate brand and performance marketing in an era when the marketing funnel has collapsed needs fundamental re-thinking and Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) are still a key measure (in spite of data showing they've lost their usefulness). Tom and Jann explain why nearly all survey respondents acknowledge a problem but only 20% are taking action. Key topics include: why a good product or service are now "table stakes”; how buyer confidence, human connection and customer experience have become key Buyability differentiators; and the belief that B2B creative is way behind B2C on average. Tune in to hear why “demand-focused marketing" was one of the greatest brand misdirects of all time and a fabulous story of an alter boy accidentally dropping the Baby Jesus.

The Truth Behind the Curtain in B2B: Brand + Demand, MQLs, and “Buyability” with Tom Stein & Jan Schwartz

Description:

Mike Linton sits down with Tom Stein (Stein) and Jan Schwartz (LinkedIn’s B2B Institute) to unpack new ANA research on brand–demand maturity and a bold operating model they call “buyability.” They cover why 80% of marketers say integration matters but aren’t doing it, why MQLs are failing modern buying groups, how to financialize creative and brand, and what CEOs/boards should actually measure to accelerate revenue.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro & guest setup

02:36 Why a brand–demand maturity study now

05:36 The 80% integration gap

07:17 Org design: why teams move slowly

09:36 MQLs under fire (and better alternatives)

10:45 Creative quality in B2B: reality check

13:34 ServiceNow, Idris Elba, and distinctive assets

15:01 The CEO/CFO/Board disconnect

19:00 “Buyability” explained: becoming easier to buy

22:12 Brand as a full-funnel commercial driver

23:40 The funnel is broken; AI ups the stakes

26:59 Playing offense: fewer, better buyer-group leads

28:20 Financializing the case for change

29:56 The budget stat that shocked everyone

31:41 What to do now: category fame, trust, real metrics

34:41 Funniest stories and practical parting advice

37:35 Wrap & where to find more episodes

Tags:

B2B marketing,brand and demand,buyability,MQL,pipeline velocity,CMO Confidential,Mike Linton,Tom Stein,Jan Schwartz,LinkedIn B2B Institute,ANA,B2B brand,B2B demand gen,marketing measurement,go to market,Salesforce,ServiceNow,Idris Elba,B2B creative,category fame,board metrics,CFO,CEO,CRO,sales alignment,MarTech,lead gen,buyer groups,brand strategy,revenue growth

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