Chris Warren

B2B marketers consider brand advertising important, says a new study, but most of them are still in the preliminary stage of developing a branding strategy. The gap between rhetoric and reality carries major risk as an increasing number of younger buyers attuned to branding enter the market and demand more original content.

It was just a few years ago that brand purpose — what a company stands for other than making money — was trumpeted as a transformative force in marketing and advertising. However, brand purpose seems to have lost its way lately. Thomas Kolster, founder and creative director of Copenhagen-based Goodvertising Agency, and author of The Hero Trap, says brands often struggle because they "tiptoe" around areas that don't align with their company.

Sports partnerships are drawing more advertisers looking to highlight their brand purpose and connect with fans and audiences in ways that are beyond transactional and reflect shared values.

Corporate leaders have scrambled in the last several years to boost their investments in brand purpose, a new survey reveals. But things have started to stabilize, as corporate leaders begin to thread purpose throughout their entire organization. In fact, 88 percent of corporate leaders say their "impact strategies" help future-proof their business in areas such as talent, customers, and regulation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to affect virtually every aspect of marketing and advertising. However, the boost comes at a significant environmental cost, as AI applications require a seemingly endless supply of electricity to keep all those data centers percolating. How can marketers help curb AI-driven emissions and reduce their environmental footprint?

While email marketing continues to provide healthy returns, an increasing number of B2B marketers are convinced that the channel can be turbocharged with generative artificial intelligence (AI).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banning red dye No. 3 and recommending more detailed food and alcohol labeling underscores several questions for marketers. Namely, should brands be more proactive and opt for greater transparency about health concerns associated with their products?

Donald Trump's first term in the White House put businesses' ability to deduct advertising expenses on the chopping block. Experts say his next term could have equally significant — and surprising — implications for the industry.

The advertising industry, which is a major contributor to rising greenhouse gas emissions through digital advertising, has a growing role in reducing carbon levels and fostering sustainability.

The decline in corporate partnerships with nonprofits raises major questions for marketers: What are the challenges and barriers to forging mutually beneficial partnerships? How can negotiations be simplified? And do guaranteed partnership minimums need to be discarded? Answering those questions will be crucial for nonprofits that want to stay solvent, cultivate deeper relationships with donors, and boost their visibility.

Business marketers could be forgiven for thinking that B2B publications born of the analog age had been left for roadkill by the internet and social media. But amid the ongoing atomization of media, trade publications have held their own and continue to provide B2B marketers with a way to connect with senior executives and major decision-makers.