Has "Total Marketing" Killed Digital Marketing?

blending offline and online strategies effectively...

Author

Tyler Morian
May 29, 2025

This week: Why top-down AI mandates are failing miserably, how OpenAI's first marketer drives real growth, and what SaaS companies need to survive in an agentic AI world. And the death of digital marketing as we know it, regional divergences you can't ignore, and leadership lessons from the front lines. Giddyup!

Evolving Marketing Strategies and Priorities

Is your marketing playbook feeling stale? Krithika Shankarraman, the first marketer at OpenAI and Stripe, told Lenny's Newsletter that most marketing playbooks fail because successful companies create unique approaches tailored to their specific context, not generic formulas.

Shankarraman advocates for a "DATE" framework: Diagnose your constraint, Analyze competitors, Take a different path, and Experiment. At OpenAI, they recognized that people needed to understand how ChatGPT fits into daily work, turning awareness into "use-case epiphanies." The Pipeline360 "2025 State of B2B Pipeline Growth" survey confirms this approach, showing that top performers excel by tailoring strategies to their unique situation, not following cookie-cutter approaches.

BIG IDEA: 📊 Standard marketing playbooks don't work; real growth comes from diagnosing your unique constraints and crafting tailored strategies that translate marketing value into business outcomes.

WHY IT MATTERS: By adopting a diagnostic, experimental approach and communicating in business terms (not marketing jargon), B2B tech CMOs can transform their departments from cost centers into recognized growth drivers.

Comment insights:

  • boringmarketer points out that quick adaptation and testing new channels like programmatic podcast ads is vital in today's climate.

  • Icecubedigital notes the importance of effective digital tool integration to keep pace with market changes.

  • mtdcmalaysia suggests understanding evolving IT buyer needs is crucial for engagement success.

B2B SaaS Growth and Pipeline

Is your SaaS pipeline feeling the pinch? The "2025 State of B2B Pipeline Growth" report by Pipeline360 reveals 45% of marketers cite economic uncertainty as their primary concern, with 74% reporting longer sales cycles—demanding smarter strategies, not just more activity.

High-performing teams excel through data utilization, streamlined tech stacks, effective engagement, and strong sales-marketing alignment. This aligns with Deepak Gupta's advice emphasizing customer development-led growth before significant product investment. Meanwhile, Jacques Bughin warns in European Business Review that as AI agents take over task execution, traditional SaaS interfaces may lose value, shifting focus to workflow orchestration.

BIG IDEA: 🔄 Sustainable B2B SaaS growth now requires mastery of fundamentals—data-driven insights, sales-marketing alignment, quality engagement—while preparing for agentic AI's transformation of the software landscape.

WHY IT MATTERS: With nearly 70% of marketers favoring actionable support over more tech, CMOs must focus on optimizing existing resources, ensuring every marketing dollar contributes to pipeline, while readying for AI-driven orchestration that could redefine SaaS value.

Comment insights:

  • AuvikOfficial demonstrates the importance of highlighting specific product benefits to attract B2B SaaS customers.

  • theogcapital points to the ongoing evolution of SaaS, suggesting continuous innovation is necessary.

  • newsfile_corp references 'Demand-as-a-Service' models, indicating a shift toward outcome-driven pipeline solutions.

The Future of Marketing (Physical, Digital, AI Blend)

Is digital marketing as we know it dying? Francesco Pagano argues on CEOWorld.biz that AI is creating "Total Marketing" where digital and physical experiences blend seamlessly. New interfaces, AI agents, and immersive technologies are transforming how consumers discover and engage.

This transformation means brands must prepare to move from 2D to 3D experiences and hybrid funnels. AI will enable hyper-personalization at unprecedented scale—a true "Marketing of One"—but the fundamental purpose remains creating value and connection. Jacques Bughin reinforces this shift, noting how agentic AI is pushing value toward orchestration rather than traditional interfaces, while Brandon Lutz highlights how offline media can effectively complement digital strategies as online channels saturate.

BIG IDEA: 🔮 The future of marketing is an AI-powered fusion of physical and digital, demanding hyper-personalization, re-evaluation of all touchpoints, and deeper focus on co-creating value with customers.

WHY IT MATTERS: B2B tech CMOs must look beyond current digital metrics to consider how AI can orchestrate holistic, personalized experiences—preparing for new interfaces, leveraging AI for real-time adaptation, and strategically integrating offline touchpoints to cut through digital noise.

Comment insights:

  • dotsoyebolu notes the challenge of content creation being democratized by AI, requiring new differentiation strategies.

  • MrPankajSingh expresses excitement about leveraging new marketing technologies.

  • creativestrat shares insights on Apple's AI approach, highlighting how major players are shaping consumer interaction.

Geographic and Market Considerations

Is your "global" strategy truly equipped for regional differences? Antony Panteli warns in CIO.com that one-size-fits-all approaches are failing as geopolitics, regulation, and cultural nuances increasingly shape technology priorities across regions.

From Europe's strict data sovereignty rules to AI infrastructure development in Asia and US protectionist policies—all influence platform access, vendor partnerships, and operational models. For example, the Ukraine conflict has heightened cybersecurity urgency in Europe, while US public sector austerity is reshaping vendor landscapes. These regional divergences extend to resource allocation too, as Gartner's 2025 CMO Spend Survey shows 39% of CMOs planning labor cost reductions and agency cuts.

BIG IDEA: 🌐 Effective global tech leadership requires nuanced understanding of regional differences—regulatory, cultural, economic—and the agility to adapt strategies accordingly.

WHY IT MATTERS: For B2B tech CMOs expanding internationally, centralized global marketing plans often fail. Success depends on understanding each market's context, tailoring messaging and channels, and making informed decisions about team structures to navigate diverse environments.

Comment insights:

  • Okukuboi highlights how regions like Africa have unique needs and opportunities for tech adoption.

  • SINewsUpdates discusses Singapore's digital trade position, pointing to varying levels of digital maturity across Asia.

  • BusinessDefense touches on technology's national security aspects, relevant to geopolitical considerations.

AI Adoption and Strategy

Are your AI directives falling flat? Many organizations find that top-down AI mandates typically sputter out without taking hold. Andrea Fryrear at CMSWire explains that telling teams to "use AI" rarely leads to meaningful integration—successful implementation requires continuous testing and experimentation.

Rather than mandates, cultivate an agile mindset focused on experimentation. Mo Cherif writing for Unite.AI affirms that AI adoption without a guiding vision leads to disjointed efforts. The Alephic 2025 report on marketing AI highlights how generative AI has transformed the build-vs-license equation, making proprietary data and institutional knowledge the new competitive moat.

BIG IDEA: 💡 Successful AI adoption isn't about mandates; it's about fostering an experimental culture guided by a strategic roadmap that leverages your unique strengths.

WHY IT MATTERS: Arbitrarily implementing AI tools wastes resources and risks backlash. A team-empowered approach ensures AI initiatives align with business goals and deliver measurable ROI rather than becoming another box-ticking exercise.

Comment insights:

  • midinbu suggests that integrating AI requires fundamentally rethinking customer interaction, not just adding tools.

  • BowTiedBiotech highlights growing excitement around AI specifically for enterprise use cases.

  • jryanalford emphasizes that AI's power in marketing lies in personalization at scale, requiring more than directives.

CMO and Marketing Leadership

How do you ensure your marketing strategy truly drives impact? Leandro Perez, Salesforce's ANZ CMO, shared with B&T that effective leaders must zoom out from tactical details, develop curiosity about the entire business, and lead with clarity while avoiding fleeting trends.

This broader business understanding is critical. Krithika Shankarraman emphasizes building a "chameleon CMO" skill set combining analytics, storytelling, and technical fluency. Meanwhile, Gartner's 2025 CMO Spend Survey reveals that while 39% of CMOs plan to reduce labor/agency costs, marketing is increasingly viewed as a profit center—making value demonstration crucial.

BIG IDEA: 🚀 Modern marketing leadership transcends departmental silos, requiring a holistic business view, commitment to clarity, and the ability to foster an adaptable team that can navigate technological shifts.

WHY IT MATTERS: For B2B tech CMOs, success means cultivating a broader perspective beyond campaigns. Build C-suite credibility by demonstrating strategic thinking, fostering responsible innovation, and articulating how marketing directly supports business objectives.

Comment insights:

  • diginomica points to executive transitions as pivotal moments that reshape marketing leadership and strategy.

  • jryanalford reiterates that marketing's role is to understand customer needs deeply and deliver personalized value.

  • ValueAddedRS implies strong leadership is needed to navigate complex SaaS markets effectively.

Sound Bites

Quick insights from videos and podcasts:

Until next week!