In this episode of Beyond B2B Marketing, host Lee Odden reconnects with B2B marketing visionary Jon Miller, co-founder of Marketo and Engagio, and now back in the lab building a new martech venture. From the rise and fall of MQLs to the role of AI in reshaping marketing automation, Jon delivers a clear-eyed view of what's broken in B2B marketing today and where the biggest opportunities lie ahead.

They explore how the old playbook of gated content and lead scoring is giving way to a new era of brand-driven growth, emotional relevance, and full-funnel accountability. Along the way, Jon shares insights on why most marketing automation platforms are stuck in the past, why brand is more important than ever, and how AI can unlock scale without sacrificing creativity or customer experience.

Episode Takeaways Include:

Why the "gumball machine" model of lead gen is broken - and what to do instead
How today's buyers are stitching together their journeys across micro-content, community, and AI search
Why brand isn't soft - it's revenue: the emotional edge in a data-saturated world
What Jon means by "Marketing Automation Stockholm Syndrome" - and how to escape it
How AI-native platforms will reshape campaign execution, segmentation, and content delivery
The three elements B2B marketers must double down on in the age of AI: experiences, relationships, and craftsmanship
Why original research is a powerful differentiator in an era of infinite content