Today, 3 questions to Virgile Brodziak, general manager, and Sylvain Pausz, partner & BtoB practice lead at VML.
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CB News: The second edition of BtoB Morning focuses on the theme “Innovation at the heart of strategies”. Why did you choose this theme this year?
Sylvain Pausz: BtoB is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. Decision-makers have higher expectations, purchasing journeys are more complex, and competitive pressure is increasing. In this context, innovation is no longer just an option but a strategic necessity for any BtoB brand wishing to differentiate itself and generate sustainable growth. At VML, we see a growing awareness that Branding in BtoB is a major innovation lever. It is no longer just about short-term performance, but about building a strong brand preference capable of resonating with increasingly demanding audiences. The BtoB Morning is an opportunity to explore how this demand for innovation is pushing market players to rethink their approaches, step out of their comfort zone to enhance their communication and marketing strategy.
CB News: What forms of innovation did you want to highlight during this morning?
Sylvain Pausz: Of course, Artificial Intelligence is at the heart of our discussions. We now have concrete feedback and proven use cases showing a successful transition from experimentation to real scaling. We will highlight how AI transforms operational efficiency and personalization in BtoB. But innovation is not limited to technology. We also want to illustrate how advertisers are rethinking the entire marketing and communication value chain. It is about optimizing the entire process, from the finest customer insights to performance analysis, through content creation, distribution, and engagement. We will have enlightening testimonials on the impact of these global approaches on team organization and effectiveness.
Finally, we will address more strategic and creative forms of innovation to improve the effectiveness of BtoB brands: exploiting unexpected or under-used channels, adopting bold narratives, or the ability to surprise and engage differently. The goal is to show that innovation is a holistic mindset that maximizes impact, far beyond simply adopting tools.
CB News: On this occasion, VML will unveil for the first time a BtoB section of its trend report. What challenges does it meet and how can it help brands to nurture and guide their strategies?
Virgile Brodziak: The Future 100 has become over the years the reference for marketing and communication trend reports. We have expanded it from BtoC to BtoB to meet our clients’ challenges and help them build what we call at VML, “connected brands,” capable of immediately resonating with consumer expectations, but also of maintaining relevance in the medium and long term. This report is a goldmine of weak signals, and although we are presenting a BtoB version this year, I invite every marketer to dive into related categories to benefit from the “lateral thinking” effect that will spark product, service, or message ideas for brands.
