Rethinking ABM: Outperforming the market in the world of AI

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) today stands on the cusp of transformation with the widespread adoption and democratization of artificial intelligence (AI).

Twenty years after Momentum ITSMA pioneered the approach with a handful of global tech firms, ABM is now pervasive across B2B marketing.

In the early days, ABM focused on growing a small group of top accounts. Today, B2B firms deploy multiple types of ABM to achieve a wide range of business and marketing objectives.

ABM represents a sizeable share of all B2B marketing investment, and most practitioners are seeing at least some positive results.

Now, the rapid rise of generative AI opens the door to dramatic improvements in every aspect of the discipline.

Digging below the surface, however, we see a set of fundamental challenges that marketing leaders need to address if they are to take full advantage of the promise of the next generation of ABM.

• Although most programs achieve some measure of success, only small minorities achieve significant improvement (more than 10%) across the most important metrics.

• The top challenges for ABM-ers today are virtually the same as 10 and 20 years ago: Aligning with sales, leveraging data and insight for relevant engagement, and proving the return on ABM investment.

• Amid the constant pressure for short-term results, many programs continue to deploy ABM as little more than targeted lead generation; they struggle to invest in the program and organizational development initiatives required to sustain and optimize long-term performance.

In this context, integrating generative and other AI tools and methods is far from 'the answer' to ABM limitations. A broader rethink is required if companies want to fully leverage ABM to outperform the market. Questions include:

• What role should ABM play in driving growth with you most important accounts?

• What organizational changes and cross-functional collaboration is required to unlock the full capabilities of the company to grow strategic accounts?

• What is the best way to test, develop, and integrate new AI-based capabilities to maximize value while limiting risk?

• What new skills and teams are necessary to move ABM forward?

Rethinking ABM: Outperforming the market in the world of AI provides a deep dive into the state of ABM in 2023.

Based on the 7th annual Momentum ITSMA-ABM Leadership Alliance benchmark study, the report provides essential data and insight on ABM strategy and objectives, staffing and spending, tools and tactics, and metrics and results.

Most important, the report provides a view of what the highest performing ABM programs do differently, and defines a set of priorities for 2024 to help accelerate growth with your most important accounts as we enter the new world of AI.

Read the full report here.