The Future of B2B Marketing: A Conversation with Rory Donnelly

Introduction

When you spend an hour talking with Rory Donnelly, you realise quickly that he is not a typical marketer.
After ten years at Microsoft, Quantcast, and LinkedIn, and now as the founder of B2B Geek, Rory blends academic depth with practical execution. He is equal parts strategist, teacher, and analyst, and a strong believer that B2B marketing has forgotten how to be human.

In this Baskey Conversation, Brian, Olivia, and Jessica sat down with Rory to explore how B2B marketing is evolving, what needs to change, and how marketers can think more intelligently in 2025.

From Microsoft Intern to B2B Geek

Rory’s story started, like many careers, by accident.

During an Erasmus year in France, a mix-up in course codes placed him in a master’s-level marketing program before he had even completed his undergraduate degree. That experience, combined with a year-long internship at Microsoft, ignited his fascination with technology and how large organizations adapt to change.

“At Microsoft, I was managing a project called Digtopia. It was about moving Microsoft Office away from CDs to cloud deployments. It sounds small now, but at the time it was a revolution.”

That early exposure to digital transformation shaped his approach to marketing as a systems challenge that combines technology and human behavior.

After Microsoft came Quantcast, where he learned demand generation and real-time advertising, followed by eight years at LinkedIn helping enterprise clients build smarter paid media strategies.

From LinkedIn to B2B Geek

Leaving a global tech company was not easy, but Rory saw an opportunity to do something most agencies were not doing: teach marketers how LinkedIn really works.

“I wanted to give advertisers the insight behind the scenes, what works at LinkedIn, what doesn’t, and what they don’t talk about publicly.”

With B2B Geek, he now advises brands and agencies on B2B strategy, media planning, and marketing education, or as he calls it, marketing literacy.

Why B2B Marketing Needs to Evolve

When asked what feels outdated in B2B marketing today, Rory did not hesitate.

“People try to separate B2B from marketing, as if it’s a different discipline. It’s not. You are still trying to get the right message to the right person at the right time.”

Too often, B2B marketers focus on tactics and forget that they are still speaking to people. The goal, he says, is to make marketing distinct rather than just different.

LinkedIn Isn’t Expensive, It’s Scarce

One of the most shared moments from the conversation came when Rory reframed LinkedIn’s reputation for being costly.

“LinkedIn isn’t expensive, it’s scarce.”

He explained why:

• Less supply. People spend less time scrolling on LinkedIn than on Meta or TikTok. That means fewer ad impressions to sell.

• High-value buyers. Advertisers on LinkedIn are not selling fifty-euro sneakers, they are selling half-million-euro solutions.

• Economic reality. Less supply combined with higher-value transactions naturally increases price, but still offers strong ROI if deal sizes justify it.

If your average contract value and close rate support a €2,000 cost per lead, LinkedIn can be one of your most effective channels. If not, use it for brand awareness and education instead of direct acquisition.

“Sometimes the best LinkedIn advice,” Rory said, “is don’t use LinkedIn, at least not for bottom-funnel activity.”

How to Set Smarter Budgets: Work Backwards from Revenue

Rory’s approach to media planning is simple and data-driven.

Instead of starting with the question “How much should we spend?”, he starts with “How much do we need to earn?”

“Start with your revenue goal, then work backwards:
Revenue → Sales-qualified opportunities → Marketing-qualified leads → Traffic → Cost-per-click.”

This turns budgeting into an equation instead of a guess. When you understand your conversion rates and cost per click, you can calculate exactly what you need to spend to reach your target.

“That’s how you turn a budget question into a math problem, not a guess.”

The Two Biggest Mistakes on LinkedIn Ads

After managing thousands of campaigns, Rory has seen the same errors appear again and again.

1. Using B2C targeting logic.
Too many advertisers still target by age and gender.

“That’s irrelevant in B2B. You can have a 25-year-old founder with a $10 million fund and a 60-year-old entry-level engineer. Age doesn’t tell you intent.”

2. Going too narrow.
LinkedIn’s advanced targeting tools tempt advertisers to over-filter their audiences.

“If your audience is 1,300 people, you’re not reaching anyone.”

Instead, he recommends keeping targeting broad and qualifying through creative and messaging.

Emotional Marketing Wins in B2B

Perhaps Rory’s most impactful point came when discussing creativity.
B2B marketers often assume that rational, data-driven buyers only respond to facts. Rory disagrees.

“In B2B we think that if it’s a rational buying decision, we should convince them with rational messaging. But people remember brands that make them feel something.”

Drawing on research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, he explained that emotion builds mental availability, the memory structures that help brands stay top of mind when a buyer finally enters the market.

“You might only buy a CRM once every three years, but when you do, you’ll shortlist the brands that made you feel something.”

His framework is straightforward:

• Target logically, using data and firmographics.

• Message emotionally, using storytelling and creativity.

Brian summed it up during the discussion:
“So, cold logic for targeting, warm emotion for messaging.”
Rory’s reply was instant: “Exactly. I’m stealing that line.”

Case Study: The Four-Hour Sellout

To illustrate emotional timing, Rory shared one of his favourite examples from LinkedIn.
A luxury car brand wanted to fill a 50-seat private event at the Geneva Motor Show. Using LinkedIn’s data, Rory’s team found executives in the automotive industry who had recently been promoted.

The message read:
“Congratulations on your new role. Treat yourself. Join us for an exclusive preview.”

Within four hours, every seat was filled.

“It was the perfect example of reaching the right person, at the right moment, with the right emotion.”

Organic Reach and the Unified Brand Mindset

Rory does not dismiss organic LinkedIn. He just believes most companies use it incorrectly.
Only around 14 percent of a company page’s followers match their ideal customer profile. The rest are employees, investors, peers, and partners.

That, he says, is not a problem but an opportunity.

“Your company page is not just a sales channel. It’s a unified brand channel. Speak to all your stakeholders -employees, partners, candidates -not just buyers.”

Good organic content educates, entertains, and informs the entire ecosystem around your brand.

Creativity, Emotion, and Memory

Referencing professors Mark Ritson, Jenny Romaniuk, and Byron Sharp, Rory highlighted how B2B marketers can learn from consumer advertising.
Distinctive assets -visual cues, tone, and repetition- build recognition and trust.

“You build mental availability before people need you. That’s what keeps you top of mind when the buying window opens.”

He recommends three books to any marketer serious about their craft:

1. How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp

2. Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy

3. The Choice Factory by Richard Shotton

Each one, he said, reminds us that creativity and psychology matter as much as data and tools.

The Future of Internships, Soft Skills, and AI

At the end of the conversation, Olivia asked about something very different: what happens to entry-level marketers in a world where AI automates basic tasks?

Rory’s answer was personal and reflective.

“Internships taught me more through relationships than hard skills. The soft skills-relationship building, curiosity, follow-ups- those are what shaped my career.”

He cited a LinkedIn study showing that job applicants who get a referral are nine times more likely to be hired. That insight led to LinkedIn’s “network gap” initiative, which gave employees ten free Premium licenses to share with people outside their own networks to improve access and opportunity.

“Our networks often decide our opportunities. If AI reduces entry-level roles, relationships will matter even more.”

Key Takeaways for B2B Marketers

1. Stop treating B2B as a different species of marketing. It is still about people.

2. Understand the economics of your channels. LinkedIn is expensive only if your numbers do not work.

3. Budget backwards from revenue. Turn targets into math, not wishes.

4. Target logically and message emotionally. Emotion drives memory and growth.

5. Broaden your reach. Go wide with targeting, narrow with creative.

6. Think of your company page as a brand hub, not just a sales tool.

7. Invest in relationships. Networks create opportunity.

Join the Conversation

Do you see LinkedIn’s ad costs as a challenge or an opportunity?
How are you adjusting your marketing strategy for 2025?

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