In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Vanessa Schotes, CMO at Enfuse. Together, they explore one of the most audacious brand experiences in B2B history: a FinTech company that purchased an actual island in the Nordic Sea between Sweden and Finland. When most B2B brands are doubling down on digital-only strategies, how does investing in a physical island translate into deeper customer trust and accelerated deal velocity?

➡️ Vanessa brings a refreshingly bold perspective on experiential marketing that challenges the traditional B2B playbook. She reveals how Enfuse moved beyond "random acts of content" to create what they call the "Enfuse feeling"—a carefully crafted brand experience that combines subliminal sensory marketing with authentic Nordic heritage. Along the way, they unpack the practical realities of navigating anti-bribery regulations, the strategic use cases for island visits (from ABM workshops to thought leadership gatherings), and how physical experiences can create "big brand energy" that influences buyer perception. They also explore the delicate balance between digital hygiene factors and immersive relationship-building moments that generate lasting business impact. This isn't just about owning an island—it's about authentically bringing your brand values to life in ways that create memorable, trust-building moments with enterprise customers.

Follow Vanessa Schotes

https://linkedin.com/in/vanessaschotes/

Visit https://enfuce.com

If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to experiential marketing—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.

🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/

📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:

LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/

Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/

Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/

#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #ExperientialMarketing, #ABM, #AccountBasedMarketing, #FinTechMarketing, #BrandExperience, #CustomerTrust, #B2BEvents, #PhysicalMarketing, #NordicBusiness

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Luan Wise, social media expert and author of five books on social strategy, and Andy Lambert, content strategist at Adobe and co-organizer of the Social Media B2B Forum. Together, they tackle one of the most pressing shifts in modern B2B marketing: how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is fundamentally changing where and how your content gets discovered. With 60% of searches now ending without a click, are traditional gated content strategies becoming obsolete?

➡️ Luan and Andy bring decades of combined expertise in B2B social media strategy, and they don't hold back on the uncomfortable truths. They reveal why platforms like Reddit—often dismissed as "too niche" for B2B—are now driving disproportionate discovery through AI-powered search engines. Along the way, they unpack the dangerous gap between what marketing leadership expects (immediate MQLs) and what actually builds sustainable growth in this new landscape. They also explore why Instagram is quietly becoming more B2B-relevant, how community strategy trumps platform tactics every time, and why the era of "just post it on social" is definitively over. Most importantly, they share practical steps you can take today—starting with a 10-minute Reddit research exercise that could transform your understanding of what customers really think about your brand.

Follow Luan Wise

https://linkedin.com/in/luanwise/

Visit https://luanwise.com/

Follow Andy Lambert

https://linkedin.com/in/andylambert/

Visit https://www.andyrlambert.com/

If you care about building B2B marketing strategies that actually work in the age of AI-powered discovery, this conversation is essential listening. It's strategic, practical, and refreshingly honest about the challenges most marketing teams are facing right now—whether you're a social media manager, content strategist, or marketing leader trying to navigate this shifting landscape.

🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/

📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:

LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/

Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/

Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/

#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #GenerativeEngineOptimization, #RedditMarketing, #SocialMediaStrategy, #CommunityMarketing, #AISearch, #GEO, #B2BSocial, #DigitalMarketing, #ContentDiscovery

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Stuart Maister, author of "Choose Trust: Building Relationships for Successful Businesses" published by The Economist. Stuart brings a unique perspective as a former TV and radio journalist turned B2B marketing strategist, combining his background in distilling complex stories for broadcast with deep expertise in strategic narrative development. What happens when trust becomes the intentional foundation of every business relationship, rather than just a nice-to-have byproduct?

➡️ Stuart introduces his "Trust Triangle" framework—clarity, character, and capability—and explains why trust isn't just about being trustworthy, but about consciously designing high-trust relationships that can weather the inevitable changes and challenges in long-term B2B partnerships. He shares a compelling real-world example of how two major organizations on a mega infrastructure project nearly derailed their partnership when trust collapsed, and how rebuilding that trust became critical to project success. The conversation explores why clarity forms the foundation of trust (and how lack of alignment on ambitions guarantees disappointment), how to establish behavioral expectations that work both ways in true partnerships, and why monitoring relationship health is just as important as tracking technical deliverables. Stuart's jazz metaphor for modern business storytelling is particularly powerful—explaining why you need a central "tune" that people can riff on, rather than trying to control every message in classical symphony style.

Follow Stuart Maister

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartmaister/?originalSubdomain=uk

Visit https://.strategic-narrative.com/

If you care about building genuine partnerships rather than just winning transactions, this conversation is essential listening. Stuart's framework provides practical tools for intentionally designing trust into your relationships, while his journalism background brings clarity to how strategic narrative and consistent storytelling amplify trust-building efforts.

🌐Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/

📲Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:

LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/

Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/

Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/

#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #TrustBuilding, #StrategicNarrative, #B2BRelationships, #BusinessPartnerships, #TrustTriangle