Spotlight on B2B Marketing

Karen Lloyd
  • 5.0 (1)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Welcome to Spotlight on B2B Marketing.Join me as we embark on a journey through the ever-evolving landscape of B2B marketing, featuring engaging interviews with industry leaders and C-suite decision-makers. Listen as we uncover the strategies, insights, and success stories where marketing has helped to drive revenue, innovation, and growth in the exciting B2B space.

  1. The Problem With AI Marketing Is Not The Tech, It’s How We Talk About It with Stephen Christou

    MAY 5

    The Problem With AI Marketing Is Not The Tech, It’s How We Talk About It with Stephen Christou

    Most AI companies think they have a positioning problem. They don't. They have a translation problem. In this episode of Spotlight on B2B Marketing, host Karen Lloyd is joined by Stephen Christou, a B2B marketing leader with experience across HPE, TIBCO, and Cohesity, who has spent the last year building a repeatable demand engine inside an early-stage AI company. From navigating the AI adoption gap to rethinking how buyers discover products, Stephen shares what he learned on the ground about why buyers stall and what marketing can do about it. What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ Why the AI adoption gap is the defining challenge for B2B marketers right now ✔️ How to turn complex AI capability into narratives buyers can actually absorb ✔️ Why broad transformational positioning is losing deals and what to do instead ✔️ How AI SEO is changing the way buyers discover products ✔️ Why your ICP is your anchor when the market is changing weekly ✔️ How to help buyers make the internal case upward to budget holders ✔️ The difference between AI that transforms organisations and AI that augments individuals ✔️ What senior marketers need to focus on to stay commercially relevant Whether you're marketing an AI product and trying to cut through the noise, or a business leader trying to understand why buyers keep stalling, this episode is essential listening. Connect with Stephen: linkedin.com/in/stephenchristou About the Host: Karen Lloyd is the host of Spotlight on B2B Tech Marketing and Managing Director of Armstrong Lloyd, a specialist sales and marketing headhunting firm. To discuss your hiring needs or the current market, contact Karen at karen@armstronglloyd.co.uk Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    32 min
  2. Sink or Swim: Why Standing Still is No Longer a Strategy for B2B Marketers with Pavneet Syan

    APR 21

    Sink or Swim: Why Standing Still is No Longer a Strategy for B2B Marketers with Pavneet Syan

    The pace of change in business has never been faster. AI is reshaping entire industries, macroeconomic pressure is intensifying, and organisations that aren't experimenting now will start to feel it in six, twelve, eighteen months' time.  In this episode of Spotlight on B2B Marketing, host Karen Lloyd is joined by Pavneet Syan, Marketing Director at Capita's AI organisation, to explore what it really takes to lead transformation inside large, established businesses. From navigating resistance to building a human-first change strategy, Pavneet shares the practical thinking behind making change stick at pace.  What You'll Learn in This Episode:  ✔️ Why AI acceleration and macroeconomic pressure are compounding forces, not separate challenges  ✔️ Why a human-first approach is the foundation of effective change leadership  ✔️ How to communicate an AI-first vision to stakeholders at every level of knowledge  ✔️ What it means in practice to become an AI-first BPO and how Capita is doing it  ✔️ Why change is never "done" and how to build for longevity while moving at pace  ✔️ How to build a knowledge base that doesn't walk out the door when people leave  Whether you're a marketing leader navigating a transformation project, or a business leader trying to understand why change feels so hard to embed, this episode is essential listening.  Connect with Pavneet: linkedin.com/in/pavneet-syan About the Host: Karen Lloyd is the host of Spotlight On B2B Marketign and Managing Director of Armstrong Lloyd, a specialist sales and markting headhunting firm. To discuss your hiring needs of the current market, contact Karen at karen@armstronglloyd.co.uk Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    24 min
  3. Why "Professional" Content Is Killing Your Engagement with Xandrina Allday

    MAR 30

    Why "Professional" Content Is Killing Your Engagement with Xandrina Allday

    Most B2B brands are trying to look professional on social media. But in doing so, many are becoming invisible. In this episode, host Karen Lloyd is joined by Xandrina Allday, social media strategist and founder of Allday Marketing, to explore why social media is one of the most underutilised commercial drivers in B2B, and what it actually takes to make it work. From platform selection and the LinkedIn algorithm update, to cold DM strategy and employee-generated content, Xandrina shares a practical, no-nonsense playbook for B2B brands who are ready to stop playing it safe. What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ Why corporate tone is costing B2B brands trust, engagement and pipeline ✔️ How to align your social media activity with real business goals, not vanity metrics ✔️ The process for choosing the right platforms based on your ICP ✔️ Why Instagram can be a powerful lead generation tool for B2B and how to use it ✔️ The ManyChat comment-to-DM tactic that converts social followers into email leads ✔️ What LinkedIn's 360 Brew algorithm update means for your content and profile ✔️ How to build a cold DM strategy that actually gets responses And in B2B, where trust, relationships, and credibility matter most - that human layer isn't optional. Connect with Xandrina Allday: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/socialmediatips/ Website: alldaymarketing.co.uk About the Host: Karen Lloyd is the host of Spotlight on B2B Marketing and Managing Director of Armstrong Lloyd, a specialist sales and marketing headhunting firm. To discuss your hiring needs or the current market, contact Karen at karen@armstrongloyd.co.uk  Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    41 min
  4. What Happens When You Hire Your First True Marketing Leader with Joe Walker & Victoria Wilson

    MAR 17

    What Happens When You Hire Your First True Marketing Leader with Joe Walker & Victoria Wilson

    Many growing businesses reach a tipping point where ad hoc campaigns and word of mouth simply are not enough. But knowing when and how to make that first senior marketing hire is harder than it sounds. In this episode of Spotlight on B2B Marketing, host Karen Lloyd is joined by Joe Walker, Head of Global Marketing, and Victoria Wilson, HR Director at Panorama Antennas, to explore what really happens when a business brings in its first true marketing leader. From recognising the triggers for the hire to transforming a fragmented, sales-driven function into a strategic growth engine, Joe and Victoria offer a candid and practical first-hand account of the journey. From calibrating the right level of hire to building a data-driven, full-funnel marketing function, this episode is packed with actionable insights for founders, business leaders, and marketing professionals alike. What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ How to identify the right moment to hire your first senior marketing leader ✔️ The key criteria for finding someone who can balance strategy with hands-on execution ✔️ What changes when marketing shifts from a support function to a strategic partner ✔️ Why emotional intelligence and cultural fit matter as much as technical skill ✔️ How a new marketing leader should approach their first weeks, listening before acting ✔️ The power of HR and marketing collaborating on employer branding ✔️ What the Great Place to Work accreditation is and why it drives commercial value Whether you are a founder considering your first senior marketing hire, an HR leader navigating the process, or a marketing professional stepping into a new organisation for the first time, this episode will give you a practical framework and the confidence to get it right. Connect on LinkedIn with: Joe: https: linkedin.com/in/joewalker Victoria: linkedin.com/in/victoria-wilson Karen: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    34 min
  5. How To Stop the Blurred Lines Between Sales, Marketing and Product with Louise Early

    FEB 24

    How To Stop the Blurred Lines Between Sales, Marketing and Product with Louise Early

    Sales are asking what marketing is doing. Marketing is questioning where sales are focusing. Teams operating in silos instead of segments. Sound familiar? In this episode of Spotlight on B2B Marketing, host Karen Lloyd welcomes Louise Early, Marketing and Commercial Director at Navtech Radar, to explore how she is tackling that challenge head on. By building segment teams where sales, marketing and product work together, aligned to the same market focus and success metrics. With a career spanning engineering, field sales, product management and strategic marketing, Louise brings a rare end-to-end perspective on what it actually takes to make these functions work as one. What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ Why frontline sales experience shapes stronger, more empathetic marketers ✔️ How to implement true segmentation — not just talk about it ✔️ What a segment team model looks like in practice ✔️ How to define shared KPIs built by the team, for the team ✔️ Why curiosity is the most important hire criterion in technical B2B ✔️ The real risks of duplicating capability in a segment model ✔️ Where AI fits in — and where to be cautious If you are leading marketing in a technical or engineering-led business, this one is for you. Connect with Louise on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/louiseearly/ Connect with Karen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    24 min
  6. How To Lead a Rebrand With Reduced Budgets During An Economic Downturn with Angela Brown

    FEB 10

    How To Lead a Rebrand With Reduced Budgets During An Economic Downturn with Angela Brown

    How do you lead a full rebrand, restructure a global marketing team, and compete with better-funded rivals — in the middle of an economic downturn? In this episode of Spotlight on B2B Marketing, host Karen Lloyd welcomes Angela Brown, Chief Marketing Officer at NCC Group, to share her truly inspirational journey. Angela joined the business in January 2023, just as the macroeconomic turndown started, but since then has delivered a complete brand transformation while working with challenging budgets. From navigating profit warnings to restructuring a global team across multiple disciplines, Angela offers unfiltered insights that marketing leaders can implement when facing their toughest challenges. This is real experience from a CMO who actually did it. What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ How to execute a complete rebrand during a profit warning and budget cuts ✔️ Why decision-making by committee kills rebrand projects and what to do instead ✔️ How to restructure a global marketing team from regional silos to a unified function ✔️ The secret to competing against better-funded competitors without matching their budgets ✔️ How to balance internal and external communications during massive organisational change ✔️ The mindset shift required to move from digital-heavy to relationship-driven marketing Whether you're leading a rebrand in uncertain times, competing with companies that can outspend you, or rebuilding a marketing team through a restructure, this episode is packed with practical takeaways from a CMO who successfully navigated all three challenges. Connect with Angela on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/angelabrowncmo/ Connect with Karen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    34 min
  7. When Product-Led Growth Works, When It Fails, and What to Do Instead with Gary Gonsalvez

    JAN 27

    When Product-Led Growth Works, When It Fails, and What to Do Instead with Gary Gonsalvez

    There's an ongoing debate in B2B tech: should you let your product sell itself through product-led growth, or invest in a traditional sales-led approach?  What if the answer isn't binary? In this episode of Spotlight on B2B Marketing, host Karen Lloyd speaks with Gary Gonsalvez, Marketing Director at Coveo, who brings over 20 years of experience delivering 10x growth through strategic marketing. Unlike many marketing leaders who stay in one lane, Gary has successfully operated in both sales-led organisations like SAI Global and Coveo, and product-led growth companies like Pledge. From understanding which customer tasks suit each model to navigating the organisational challenges of hybrid approaches, Gary provides a framework for choosing the right growth strategy based on customer behaviour rather than industry trends. What You'll Learn in This Episode: ✔️ The fundamental difference between product-led and sales-led growth—where you place the burden of education and value demonstration ✔️ How to determine which growth model suits your business based on three critical questions about customer tasks ✔️ Why transitioning from PLG to sales is significantly easier than going sales-to-PLG ✔️ The hidden costs of PLG that many companies underestimate—from continuous UX investment to product analytics Connect with Gary on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gary-gonsalvez/ Connect with Karen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    34 min
  8. The Marketing Framework That Lets You Innovate Without Sacrificing ROI with Joe Dotson

    JAN 13

    The Marketing Framework That Lets You Innovate Without Sacrificing ROI with Joe Dotson

    How do you encourage creative marketing campaigns while still hitting your pipeline targets? It's the question every marketing leader wrestles with, especially in field marketing where ROI is constantly under scrutiny. In this episode of Spotlight on B2B Tech Marketing, host Karen Lloyd welcomes Joe Dotson, Director of EMEA Field Marketing at Infoblox, an award-winning marketing leader who has transformed field marketing from tactical execution to strategic partnership. With sevenyears at Infoblox, Joe has developed frameworks that allow his team to innovate boldly while maintaining strict accountability to revenue goals. From the "Patch Plan" strategy that aligns marketing with sales territories to the "Fail Forward" philosophy that dedicates 20% of time to experimentation, Joe shares the processes that have driven significant growth. **What You'll Learn in This Episode:** ✔️ The "Fail Forward" approach: dedicating 20% of time to innovation while hitting 100% of targets ✔️ How to create "Patch Plans" that align marketing strategy with individual sales territories ✔️ The follow-up framework that ensures no lead gets left behind after events ✔️ How to position field marketers as "mini CMOs" rather than just "the events people" ✔️ How to break down sales-marketing silos by treating sales as your customer ✔️ Practical tactics for working across diverse regional cultures in EMEA Whether you're a field marketing leader looking to elevate your team's strategic impact, a CMO restructuring your marketing team, or a CEO trying to understand how marketing can truly partner with sales, this episode delivers actionable frameworks you can implement immediately. Connect with Joe on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joedotson Connect with Karen on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lloydkaren/ Brought to you by Armstrong Lloyd - your go-to solution for recruiting marketing, sales, and business leaders in B2B. Want to know more? Discover more at armstronglloyd.co.uk

    31 min
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About

Welcome to Spotlight on B2B Marketing.Join me as we embark on a journey through the ever-evolving landscape of B2B marketing, featuring engaging interviews with industry leaders and C-suite decision-makers. Listen as we uncover the strategies, insights, and success stories where marketing has helped to drive revenue, innovation, and growth in the exciting B2B space.

Information

  • Creator
    Karen Lloyd
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Spotlight on B2B Marketing
  • Show Website
    Spotlight on B2B Marketing