Redefining ICPs in 2025 – How Well Do You Know Your Customers?
Joaquin Dominguez, Head of Marketing at Adzact, hosted a panel discussion exploring the complexities of defining and refining ICPs in 2025. The conversation highlighted how businesses are adapting their ICP strategies to remain competitive, leveraging new data sources, refining segmentation tactics, and enhancing internal collaboration.
Host
Joaquin Dominguez was joined by industry experts to discuss the evolution of ICPs.
Guests
Dawn Crew, CMO at Trulioo
Aishwarya Thakur, Product Marketing Manager at Quid
The Evolving Definition of ICP
Defining an ICP is no longer a one-size-fits-all exercise. Aishwarya Thakur described ICP as an evolving framework that guides go-to-market strategies based on changing business needs. She emphasised that ICP is more than firmographic segmentation—it must incorporate behavioural insights, buying intent, and iterative A/B testing. Given Quid’s shift from a SaaS tool to a services-led offering, redefining ICP has required continuous adaptation to identify the right buyers.
Dawn Crew offered a different perspective, shaped by Trulioo’s more mature business model. She explained that traditional firmographic data remains useful, particularly for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), but targeting large enterprises demands deeper insights into technographics and operational priorities. By integrating qualitative insights with quantitative data, businesses can refine their ICPs beyond demographic assumptions.
"Defining an ICP is no longer a one-size-fits-all exercise. It’s an evolving framework that requires continuous adaptation, cross-functional collaboration, and deep customer understanding. Instead of relying solely on firmographics, we need to integrate behavioural insights, buying intent, and real-time market feedback to ensure our ICP aligns with actual customer needs." – Aishwarya Thakur
Strategic Alignment: Firmographics vs. Behavioural Insights
While firmographics help cluster similar companies based on industry, size, and revenue, both speakers agreed that deeper engagement with customer needs is crucial. Dawn underscored the difference between an ideal customer profile at the account level and an ideal buyer profile at the persona level. The latter requires an understanding of pain points and motivations, necessitating direct feedback loops from sales teams.
Aishwarya reinforced this point, noting that ICP success hinges on granular segmentation. By enabling precise targeting, businesses can streamline messaging and ensure that the ICP effectively aligns with buyer intent. However, the trade-off is balancing detail with scalability, particularly in product-led growth (PLG) models where A/B testing must be carefully structured to deliver meaningful insights.
"Firmographics are essential for businesses that have outgrown the startup phase and are scaling. At this stage, they provide a foundation for targeting the right customers efficiently, even as deeper insights like technographics and operational priorities become increasingly important for growth." – Dawn Crew
Collaboration and Cross-Functional Input
A key theme of the discussion was the collaborative nature of ICP development. Aishwarya detailed how Quid works closely with sales, strategy, and operations teams to refine their ICP. The company actively integrates field feedback to ensure messaging resonates with prospects, using an iterative approach that continuously evaluates ICP effectiveness.
Dawn echoed this sentiment but warned against frequent, ad-hoc ICP changes based on isolated feedback. She stressed the importance of embedding ICP updates within structured planning cycles, such as annual strategy reviews, to maintain consistency. By formalising the process, companies can avoid reactionary shifts that disrupt alignment across sales and marketing teams.
Technology, Segmentation, and Data Challenges
ICP definition is only as effective as the tools used to operationalise it. Both speakers agreed that while platforms like LinkedIn Campaign Manager offer useful starting points, they lack the depth needed for precise targeting. Dawn explained that while firmographics provide an initial filter, businesses must further refine their audience through segmentation tools and first-party data analysis.
Aishwarya highlighted Quid’s approach to leveraging AI and social intelligence tools to enhance segmentation. She emphasised that while technology plays a critical role, real ICP validation comes from direct customer interactions. Tools like Gong and Salesforce help track engagement, but sales-led feedback remains invaluable for confirming whether an ICP truly aligns with buyer behaviour.
Making ICPs Actionable in 2025
For organisations looking to refine their ICPs, the panellists shared several key takeaways:
Secure Executive Buy-In Early – Successful ICP refinement requires cross-functional support. Ensuring leadership alignment from the outset prevents ICPs from being dismissed as mere list-building exercises.
Balance Short-Term and Long-Term ICP Fit – While targeting immediate buyers is crucial, companies should also consider which accounts are likely to grow into high-value customers over time.
Track Everything with Data – Decisions should be data-driven, incorporating insights from sales, marketing, and customer interactions to refine ICP effectiveness.
Maintain a Strategic Update Cadence – ICPs should not shift based on every new insight. Instead, they should be revisited at structured intervals to ensure alignment without causing instability.
Use Technology, but Don’t Rely on It Alone – While AI, social listening, and segmentation tools help define ICPs, direct feedback from field teams is irreplaceable in validating real-world fit.
Conclusion
The discussion underscored the evolving complexity of ICP development in 2025. As markets shift and business models transform, ICPs must be continuously refined to remain relevant. Whether through firmographic segmentation, behavioural insights, or AI-driven intelligence, businesses must strike a balance between precision and adaptability.
By fostering cross-functional collaboration, leveraging new data sources, and maintaining a disciplined approach to ICP evolution, B2B marketers can ensure they are targeting the right customers with the right message at the right time.
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