Demand Generation in 2025: Strategies for Sustainable Pipeline Growth
The shifting landscape of demand generation in B2B marketing presents an ongoing challenge for marketing leaders. From evolving buyer behaviours to budget constraints and the growing role of AI, businesses are under increasing pressure to balance long-term brand-building efforts with immediate pipeline needs. In a recent episode of B2B Marketing Futures, Joaquin Dominguez, Head of Marketing at Adzact, hosted a discussion with Justin Noll, VP of Marketing at Sense, and Phillip Lewis, Marketing and PR Manager for the Americas at Hexagon, to explore the realities of demand generation in 2025. The conversation provided valuable insights into the tactics, tools, and mindset shifts that marketing teams need to adopt to drive sustainable growth.
Host
Joaquin Dominguez, Head of Marketing at Adzact
Guests
Justin Noll, VP of Marketing at Sense.
Phillip Lewis, Marketing And Public Relations Manager Americas, Hexagon
The Challenges of Demand Generation Today
The discussion opened with a shared acknowledgment that B2B marketing teams are increasingly being asked to do more with fewer resources. Justin Noll highlighted the growing inefficiency of traditional sales development functions, such as SDR and BDR teams, which have struggled to deliver the same pipeline impact as in previous years. As a result, marketing is now expected to take on a greater share of the revenue-generating burden—often without additional budget or headcount.
From a manufacturing perspective, Phillip Lewis noted the shift in buyer behaviour, with decision-makers now expecting a more personalised and authentic engagement. Buyers, he explained, are no longer responding to generic outbound efforts. Instead, they conduct extensive independent research before engaging with vendors, making it crucial for marketing teams to meet them at the right moments with the right messaging.
"Buyers aren’t responding to generic outbound efforts anymore. They’re doing their own research before engaging with vendors, so we need to meet them with the right message at the right time”, - Phillip Lewis
Aligning Content, Paid Media, and Organic Efforts
The challenge of reaching and engaging prospects has placed renewed emphasis on the strategic alignment of content, paid media, and organic channels. Justin described how Sense blends event marketing with digital efforts, ensuring that engagement is consistent throughout the year. Events remain highly effective for relationship-building, but they are resource-intensive and require a complementary digital strategy to maintain momentum between activations.
Phillip reinforced the importance of leveraging influencers and ambassadors to drive demand. He described how Hexagon has successfully incorporated industry influencers—both thought leaders and actual users of their solutions—into their marketing efforts. This approach has created an emotional connection between prospects and the brand, leading to more meaningful engagement.
"Personalisation and authenticity are critical," he said. "Your audience isn't just looking for a product; they want validation from people they trust."
Balancing Top and Bottom of the Funnel
A key tension in demand generation is the need to balance top-of-funnel brand awareness with bottom-of-funnel conversion-focused activities. Phillip acknowledged the challenge of proving ROI on brand-building initiatives such as PR and influencer marketing. While these efforts are difficult to quantify directly, they play a crucial role in shaping perception and trust—both of which influence conversion rates further down the funnel.
Justin emphasised the need for long-term thinking in demand generation. While bottom-of-funnel efforts often yield immediate results, they are not sustainable in isolation. He stressed the importance of defining an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and continuously engaging those accounts so that when they enter the buying cycle, the brand is already front of mind.
"For most B2B companies, only around 5% of their market is in buying mode at any given time. If you're only targeting in-market buyers, you're missing out on the 95% who will buy later," he explained." - Justin Noll
The Role of AI in Demand Generation
With AI becoming an increasingly dominant topic in marketing, Joaquin asked whether AI is truly revolutionising demand generation or if it is merely a buzzword. Justin acknowledged that while some applications of AI are overhyped, certain use cases—such as AI-driven content creation—have had a significant impact. By leveraging AI tools, marketing teams can generate more content with fewer resources, freeing up time for strategic initiatives.
Phillip agreed but cautioned against over-reliance on AI for outbound engagement. Hexagon has found success using AI to enhance internal processes, such as repurposing existing content and enabling sales teams to craft more effective thought leadership pieces.
Shifting from Lead Volume to Revenue Impact
One of the key takeaways from the discussion was the need to move beyond traditional lead generation metrics. Both Justin and Phillip agreed that marketing teams should focus on revenue impact rather than lead volume. This requires a shift in mindset, particularly when working with finance teams and executives who may still view marketing through an outdated lens of MQLs and lead counts.
"We don't report MQLs outside of the marketing team," Justin stated. "We focus on pipeline and revenue because those are the metrics that actually matter."
Phillip reinforced this sentiment, explaining that Hexagon's demand generation strategy is increasingly focused on understanding what activities drive the biggest revenue impact. By aligning marketing efforts with business outcomes, teams can secure greater executive buy-in and scale their programs more effectively.
Conclusion
The insights from this discussion underline the complexities of demand generation in 2025. As marketing teams are asked to drive more revenue with fewer resources, they must adopt smarter, more efficient strategies. This includes aligning content, paid media, and organic efforts; balancing short-term pipeline needs with long-term brand building; and leveraging AI in a way that enhances rather than replaces human expertise.
Above all, success in demand generation requires a mindset shift—from focusing on lead volume to prioritising revenue impact. By embracing this approach, marketing teams can position themselves as strategic growth drivers rather than cost centres, ensuring they remain essential to their organisation’s success in the years ahead.
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