At B2B Ignite 2025, one theme stole the show: the CMO has entered a new era. No longer just brand custodians, today’s marketing leaders are stepping up as strategic growth architects—working shoulder-to-shoulder with sales, finance, and product to deliver measurable impact.
This shift mirrors what we’ve been hearing loud and clear in our own roundtables and client work at JPC. In fact, it’s something we’ve long advocated for: a more commercially aligned, human-first approach to B2B marketing—where sales and marketing operate not in parallel, but in partnership. Where ABM becomes ABX. Where value is not just communicated, but co-created.
And the message is clear: if marketing wants a seat at the revenue table, it needs to show up as a commercial leader, not just a creative one.
The CMO’s Evolution: From Brand to Boardroom
As Richard O’Connor, CEO of B2B Marketing, put it at Ignite: Marketing must prove its commercial impact or risk becoming obsolete.
CMOs today are expected to:
- Understand EBITDA as much as engagement
- Translate campaigns into commercial outcomes
- Align marketing metrics with board-level KPIs
This is exactly the kind of shift we explored in our recent JPC Competitive Edge Roundtable on harnessing value creation to win in complex sales. Senior sales and marketing leaders agreed: commercial alignment isn’t just a structural shift—it’s a mindset. One that values outcome over output, and evidence over assumption.
Sales + Marketing: The Power of One Story
One of the most urgent calls to action at Ignite—and at our roundtable—was the need to eliminate the silos that still exist between marketing and sales.
Even strong propositions collapse when sales and marketing don’t align around a single narrative.
JPC Roundtable Participant
- 208% more revenue is generated when marketing and sales are aligned – LinkedIn
- Win rates jump from 20% to 80% when suppliers engage earlier in the sales cycle – The BDCMM Benchmarking Study
Boards Buy Proof, Not Potential
CMOs are increasingly being asked to justify their strategies to the CFO, not just the CCO.
In the Ignite session “Communicating the Commercial Value of Marketing to the Board”, the panel outlined a stark reality: most marketing efforts fail to reach the board because they lack the metrics that matter—like TCO, EBIT, or time-to-value.
This aligns closely with our own roundtable findings:
CFOs and boards don’t buy belief. They buy structured, board-ready business cases.
Stuart Melhuish, Data Strategist (JPC Roundtable)
That’s why we equip clients with board-liftable artefacts—from impact calculators to tailored value frameworks—that make commercial sense and sell internally.
Why ABX Is the Only Way Forward
- Sales and marketing co-create the narrative
- Campaigns are orchestrated, not siloed
- Every touchpoint reflects the customer’s actual buying context, not just their profile
Our William Hill case study is a real-world testament to this. As BT’s Chris Cowie put it:
This programme didn’t just accelerate the value of our relationship—it helped us land and retain significant revenue. JPC were instrumental in keeping us aligned and moving forward despite huge organisational change.
From Campaigns to Commercial Conversations
At JPC, it means:
- Running sales-marketing sprints, not separate strategies
- Building board-ready narratives grounded in data, not anecdotes
- Treating renewals as re-sell opportunities, not passive renewals
It’s the same thinking that underpins our Edge Methodology—where human insight meets commercial precision.
Final Word: Marketing’s Moment is Now
The shift is happening. From Ignite’s main stage to our client roundtables, one thing is clear: Marketing’s seat at the revenue table is not a given—it’s earned through commercial credibility, aligned execution, and shared outcomes.
We’ve spent years helping our clients not just adapt to this future—but lead it.
And if your marketing still stops at MQLs or ends at brand awareness—it’s time to think bigger.
Want to make your marketing commercially unmissable? Lets talk.
