In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Andrew Mildren, MD of Edelman Business Marketing for EMEA, to dig into the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer — based on nearly 34,000 responses across 28 countries. The headline finding is sobering: 70% of people globally now hold what Edelman calls an insular trust mindset, retreating into familiar circles and becoming reluctant to trust those who hold different views or values. And yet, businesses have held the title of most trusted institution since 2021. So what's driving this contradiction — and what must B2B marketers do about it?

➡️ Andrew brings Edelman's 26 years of trust expertise to the table and offers both clear diagnosis and practical direction. He explains the concept of "trust brokering" — where businesses act not as side-takers, but as facilitators bridging divided groups — and highlights examples from Microsoft and IKEA doing this credibly. He breaks down why insularity is no longer just a societal issue but a bottom-line business problem, affecting productivity, retention, and leadership. The conversation also explores local versus global trust dynamics, AI's growing impact on how content and companies are discovered, and closes with five concrete actions B2B marketers should be taking now — including treating trust as a commercial metric and building a GEO (generative engine optimization) strategy.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to the Edelman Trust Barometer

01:16 - What You'll Learn in This Episode

02:14 - The Secret Behind 26 Years of Trust Research

04:36 - Evolving Themes: From Polarization to Insularity

07:59 - The Insular Trust Mindset: What's Driving It

10:51 - Why Business Is the Most Trusted Institution

14:56 - Trust Brokering: What It Means in Practice

17:21 - Navigating Divisive Issues in B2B

21:00 - Local vs. Global Trust: Going Poly-National

24:47 - Insularity as a Bottom-Line Business Issue

27:06 - AI's Role in Shaping Trust

32:19 - Five Things B2B Marketers Should Do Now

35:32 - Closing Thoughts & Where to Find the Report

Follow Andrew Mildren,

https://linkedin.com/in/andrewmildren/

https://edelman.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 thought leadership — 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/

💬What do you think comes first — rebuilding trust from the inside out, or leading with bold external communications? Let us know in the comments below.

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📲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/

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AUDIO SHOW NOTES (4,000 characters)

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Katy Howell, Founder and CEO of Immediate Future, a social media agency she has led since 2004. Together, they tackle one of B2B marketing's most persistent blind spots: the difference between thought leaders, influencers, and advocates — and what happens when brands get it wrong. Are you unknowingly leaving your most powerful trust-building channels completely unused?

➡️ Katy brings deep, practical experience in influencer strategy and pulls no punches. She and Joel explore why B2B marketers default to treating influence like a media buy — focused on reach and clicks — rather than asking how each persona actually shapes buyer decisions and builds lasting credibility. Joel also introduces his new B2B Matrix of Influence, built from analysis of over a thousand B2B marketing awards entries, mapping five distinct trust personas and how they should be deployed. They dig into why customer advocates are used in just 11% of campaigns, why employee advocates are chronically undervalued, and how brands can stop over-controlling the very people they need to trust them. Katy's closing soundbite says it all: influence is not a content tactic — it's a trust system. If you want to rethink how your brand earns credibility in a world drowning in AI-generated content, this episode is essential listening.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to the B2B Matrix of Influence

01:02 - Why Marketers Confuse Thought Leaders, Influencers & Advocates

02:09 - Treating Influence Like a Media Plan: The Problem

04:21 - Why the Trust Problem Has Gotten Worse

06:47 - Internal vs. External Voices: Understanding the Difference

09:04 - The Jazz Metaphor: Giving People Freedom Within a Framework

12:37 - Research Findings: How B2B Campaigns Use Trust Personas

15:15 - Introducing the B2B Matrix of Influence Framework

20:37 - How to Work With Unpaid External Influencers

23:01 - Paid Influencers: Autonomy Over Direction

25:11 - Customer Advocates: The Most Underused Trust Asset

27:37 - How to Use the Matrix to Build a Trust Plan

31:24 - Final Thoughts: Influence Is a Trust System, Not a Content Tactic

Follow Katy Howell,

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katyhowell/

https://immediatefuture.co.uk

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 thought leadership---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/

💬What do you think comes first---building a strategy around the personas you have, or the trust gaps you need to fix? Let us know in the comments below.

🔔Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing.

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Rob Mitchell, Co-Founder of Exhibit-B and former CEO of FT Longitude. Together, they explore how thought leadership is undergoing a dramatic transformation, evolving from a traditional top-of-funnel brand-building tool into a dynamic, full-funnel marketing discipline. Is thought leadership finally delivering the commercial value B2B marketers have been waiting for?

➡️ Rob brings over 20 years of expertise in thought leadership. Based on Joel's analysis of hundreds of B2B Marketing Awards entries, they unpack five critical trends: the data foundation gap revealing most campaigns lack robust research, the surge in sales integration with over 53% now including sales enablement, the format revolution with documentary content doubling while audio declines, the untapped potential of interactive content, and the distribution shift from broadcast to direct channels. They discuss why synthetic data isn't ready, how to commercialize without killing trust, and why formats matter less than substance.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Thought Leadership's Evolution

02:34 - Rob Mitchell's Journey into Thought Leadership

03:47 - The Data Foundation Gap

15:23 - The Sales Integration Surge

24:19 - The Format Revolution

32:09 - The Dynamic Content Gap

37:15 - Distribution Shift: Broadcast to Direct

43:13 - Where Thought Leadership is Heading

Follow Rob Mitchel

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-mitchell-ned/?originalSubdomain=uk

https://exhibit-b.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 thought leadership—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/

💬 What do you think matters more—data-driven research or compelling storytelling? Let us know in the comments below.

🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1

📲 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, #SalesEnablement, #ContentMarketing, #MarketingResearch, #FullFunnelMarketing, #B2BLeadership

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Adam Sharp, CEO and Co-founder of Clever Touch, Robert Nicholson, Digital Marketing Director at Robert Walters, and Alec Weeks from Clever Touch. Together, they tackle one of B2B marketing's most persistent challenges: MarTech integration. Despite years of investment and countless vendor promises, only 14% of marketing technology systems are properly integrated, and a staggering 60% of MarTech capability goes entirely unused. But why does integration remain so stubbornly difficult, and what's really holding organizations back?

➡️The guests bring unique perspectives from both consulting and practitioner sides. Adam chairs the Mosaic MarTech Think Tank, which convenes senior marketing technology practitioners to explore real-world challenges. Robert has scaled Robert Walters' marketing operations from a team of three to 40+ globally. What emerges from their conversation is a crucial insight: integration isn't primarily a technical challenge—it's a trust challenge that happens to involve technology. They dive into why trust between marketing, IT, legal, and compliance teams is the real bottleneck, how vendor AI promises often clash with compliance realities, and why data governance remains fundamental. The conversation explores whether AI will make integration non-negotiable or add another layer of complexity, while sharing practical insights on building the business case, balancing centralized control with agility, and taking first steps that drive value.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Trust & Influence in B2B

00:02:36 - The MarTech Integration Challenge

00:05:00 - Why Integration Remains So Difficult

00:10:00 - The Trust Problem Between Teams

00:15:00 - Data Quality and Governance Issues

00:20:00 - Vendor Promises vs Reality

00:24:00 - The Role of Marketing Leaders

00:28:00 - AI's Impact on Integration

00:33:00 - Centralization vs Agility Debate

00:38:00 - Building the Business Case

00:43:00 - Practical Steps Forward

Follow Adam Sharp

https://linkedin.com/in/adamsharpconsultant/

https://clevertouch.com/

Follow Robert Nicholson

https://linkedin.com/in/robert-nicholson-digital/ https://robertwalters.com/

Follow Alec Weeks

https://linkedin.com/in/alec-weeks/

If you're struggling with MarTech integration or wondering why your stack isn't delivering value, this conversation offers honest, practical insights from people who live these challenges every day.

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

💬How are you tackling MarTech integration in your organization?

🔔Subscribe for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1

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

LinkedIn ▶

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Maria Winn, Chief Marketing Officer at Mitie, the UK's leading facilities management company. They explore how Mitie transformed from a -10 NPS to +63 NPS through authentic brand purpose. What does it take to make purpose resonate with 70,000 employees and drive real trust?

➡️ Maria shares the journey of developing "Better Places, Thriving Communities"—a purpose that needed to work for everyone from frontline cleaners to AI engineers. She reveals why they involved hundreds of employees early, how they balanced internal embedding with external launch, and why letting go of legacy language was their biggest challenge. They discuss the purpose-trust connection in service businesses, why marketing-HR alignment is critical, and the compelling data: organizations with well-embraced purposes have 39% higher revenues.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Trust in B2B Marketing

02:14 - Maria Winn's Journey to Mitie

05:37 - Why Brand Evolution Became Necessary

06:23 - The -10 to +63 NPS Transformation

08:15 - Creating Authentic Purpose, Not Just Words

10:18 - "Better Places, Thriving Communities"

14:07 - Engaging 70,000 Employees in Purpose

18:22 - Purpose as a Trust Builder in B2B Services

22:27 - Balancing Long-Term Brand with Demand

25:51 - Overcoming the Legacy Challenge

30:01 - Key Principles for Purpose-Driven Trust

33:16 - Embedding Purpose in Culture

35:37 - The Business Impact: 39% Revenue Lift

Follow Maria Winn,

https://linkedin.com/in/mariawinn/

https://www.mitie.com

If you're leading brand transformation or wondering whether purpose drives business results, this conversation delivers practical insights and honest reflections on building trust through purpose.

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

💬What's your experience—does purpose drive trust in your organization? Share your thoughts.

🔔Subscribe for weekly insights, interviews, and perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1

📲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, #BrandPurpose, #EmployeeEngagement, #NPSTransformation, #CustomerTrust, #CMOInsights

B2B marketing faces a growing trust and attention crisis as buyers are overwhelmed by content and AI-driven noise. Hosted by Joel Harrison, a long-time B2B advocate and founder of B2B Marketing Magazine, the podcast focuses on how trust and influence are truly built in modern B2B. Through conversations with CMOs, founders, analysts, and practitioners, it delivers practical, real-world insights on earning buyer trust, the evolving role of thought leadership and influencers, and how brands can be chosen—not just noticed—to drive growth.

In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Jon Miller, co-founder of Marketo and Engagio, and one of the most influential figures in modern B2B marketing. Jon literally helped create the demand generation playbook that defined an entire era of marketing automation—and now, he's here to explain why that same playbook might be fundamentally broken. What happens when the very systems you helped build no longer reflect how buyers actually make decisions?

➡️ Jon brings a rare combination of technical rigor (he studied physics before pivoting to marketing) and decades of hands-on experience building category-defining companies. He doesn't just critique the old model—he unpacks why MQLs, linear funnels, and attribution models were always a bit simplistic, and why they've become completely disconnected from today's complex, non-linear buying reality. This conversation digs into the chaos theory of B2B buying, the rising importance of brand over demand, and why trust has become the most critical currency in an era of AI-generated content overload. Jon also reveals what he believes CMOs need to do differently to survive the next decade, why marketing platforms built for the old playbook are now limiting progress, and what he's building next to solve these challenges.

If you've ever felt like your marketing metrics don't tell the full story, or wondered why demand gen tactics that used to work suddenly don't, this episode will give you clarity. Jon talks openly about the internal trust crisis facing CMOs, the political coalition-building skills that tomorrow's marketing leaders will need, and why the future of B2B marketing will be defined by experiences, relationships, and craftsmanship—not just campaigns and conversions. Whether you're questioning the MQL model, struggling to justify brand investment, or trying to navigate AI's impact on your go-to-market strategy, this conversation offers both validation and a path forward.

Follow Jon Miller

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmiller2/details/experience/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/adobemarketoengage/

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 thought leadership—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/

💬 What do you think comes first—building demand or building brand? Let us know in the comments below.

🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1

00:00 - Introduction

02:33 - Jon's journey from physics to pioneering marketing automation

08:06 - Why the MQL model is fundamentally flawed and no longer works

13:58 - The evolution from demand gen to ABM to brand focus

18:36 - The critical role of trust in B2B brand building

22:23 - The internal trust crisis facing CMOs today

25:11 - What the next generation of successful CMOs will look like

30:12 - Jon's new AI-native startup in stealth mode

32:04 - How marketers should adapt to the AI-powered future

35:09 - The future of marketing:...