Sword and the Script

A survey of 1,500 B2B respondents by DigitalZone finds that about 1/3rd report reading on their own time; but the gap between what they read, and what gives them confidence is plain to see Business executives read vendor content outside of work hours. At least some of them do, according to a global survey of 1,500 B2B respondents by Digitalzone, with a margin of error of +/ 3%. About one-third of respondents indicated they do industry reading on their personal time.

80%-plus of CEO polled say marketing would have more credibility if they spoke the language of business and demonstrated a stronger commercial understanding A couple of weeks back I highlighted a survey by the UK-based marketing agency Propolis. They polled business leaders, primarily CEOs, and found most of them have little faith in marketing. The survey found most of them don't think marketing helps the business; it's a cost center.

63% of marketing and comm pros surveyed say business leaders are asking about AI visibility, but in an odd twist, a plurality of respondents are leaning on marketing operations (17%) and paid media (35%) to influence it Marketing and communications professionals are taking AI visibility seriously, but their ideas for improving it seem to be at odds with what can and cannot improve it. That's according to a new survey of U.S.-based professionals, the vast majority of whom work in-house (76%).

84% of B2B CEOs think marketing is a support function; 75% say marketing does not drive growth; let's stop guessing and design a test that provides a definitive answer More than 4 out of 5 (84%) of CEOs "think marketing is a support function, not a commercial growth driver." That's according to a survey published in late July called "The CEO blind spot: How B2B marketers prove, protect, and grow their commercial impact." A UK-based B2B marketing agency conducted the survey in July 2026.

When you step back and look, the trend line is clear: when companies cut B2B marketing brand and awareness programs, sales cycles grow longer and require more touches It takes 62-plus touches to close a deal in 2026. The B2B tech buyer requires 62.4 touches on average, across 3.5 different marketing channels - from first touch to deal closed. It's a process that exceeds six months and now lasts 192 days. It sure seems like an incredibly high number of touches.

Muck Rack Academy's Fundamentals of Media Relations is a course taught by Michael Smart, a respected public relations coach who helps PR professionals strengthen their media relations and communication results Successful media relations requires more than writing a strong pitch, according to Michael Smart, in a free online class covering the basics of media relations.

Successful writing is not just about selling a product or promoting an organization; it is about understanding the audience and creating messages that build trust and inspire action Great writing doesn't just begin with the first sentence, hook or lede. It begins with understanding the audience and the bigger picture.

Global visitors traveling for the World Cup may well be the best 'brand ambassadors' for the U.S., but it's Americans who needed that third-party validation A news story is an event that defies expectations. We all expect a dog to bite a man, so that's not news. However, when a man bites a dog, that's a rare occurrence and the makings of a solid news story.

Public relations is like a puzzle; paid, earned, shared and owned media each serve as a piece, working together to create one complete and effective communication strategy The PESO Model consists of four different communication channels: paid, earned, shared and owned media.

Cliff notes to 3 studies on AI visibility in maromm: lessons on visibility ownership, consistent messaging, and emerging manipulation from recent reports Many of the studies and surveys about AI and marketing or comms are giving me déjà vu: I've seen this story before: AI visibility is increasingly important, but nobody owns it, which was also true of social media when it first gained in prominence; Clarity and consistency of messaging matters to AI visibility; that's been true of marketing...