Beyond the buzzword: A more honest look at ABM

Where ABM goes wrong — and how to get it right

Marketing leaders came together to vent about a much-maligned strategy at our Food for Thought lunch. What they shared instead? Real optimism about its potential.

HotTopics’ latest Food for Thought event for its CMO 2.0 community convened B2B marketing leaders at St Paul’s Cathedral. They were drawn by three things. A collective frustration on the shortcomings of account-based marketing (ABM); its inconsistencies as a strategy when measured, valued or repeated; and a need to increase influence in a revenue-focused cycle. While this roundtable indeed found a shared recognition of how many current approaches to ABM are not working, a refreshingly practical and pragmatic debate took over.

ABM itself is not broken. In fact, those around the table were still strong advocates of the approach. But many of them acknowledged, quite openly, that the way ABM is being implemented—often siloed, misaligned, or under pressure to deliver immediate results—falls short of its potential. It is within this gap between potential and actual where marketers experience uncomfortable scrutiny from sales in particular.

HotTopics invited Rachel Fairley, the highly experienced fixer of brands, marketing and experiences, and co-author of Rebrand Right, to co-moderate the debate whilst offering her own pearls of wisdom. She opened the conversation with a frank observation:

“Account-based marketing is pure buzzword bingo.”

It struck a chord.

Where ABM falls short

One of the more consistent themes across the group was the tension between long-term ambition and short-term pressure.

Several shared that they had been asked to prove ABM’s impact within a single quarter. Unsurprisingly, that’s rarely possible—not because the programs aren’t delivering value, but because the nature of ABM is relational, cumulative and long term, making it difficult to measure in the moment.

Others pointed to a disconnect between teams. Content was being developed with care and precision, but sales were not always part of the process. One marketer described building a thoughtful, highly tailored campaign, complete with an 18-touch sequence, only to find that not a single sales rep had deployed it because it wasn’t theirs.

The issue wasn’t quality, necessarily, it was engagement.

“We created amazing content and no one even sent it out.”

When sales and marketing aren’t aligned—or when there is no clear shared objective—even the best work can be lost.

There was also acknowledgement that tools and platforms alone do not equate to strategy. Several around the table had seen platforms purchased ahead of purpose, and left underused as a result.

What ABM looks like when it works

Despite the challenges, the group shared plenty of reasons for optimism.

Interestingly, many of the most successful ABM programs had started quietly; a small number of accounts, a few motivated account executives, and a marketer willing to build the case. These “stealth mode” pilots were often deliberately not described as ABM internally, with the goal of demonstrating value before asking for broader investment.

What worked?

• Deep alignment and engagement between marketing and sales, often in the form of shared pods or working groups;
  
  
• Template-led execution, where high-quality assets could be lightly adapted to account needs without reinventing the wheel;
  
  
• Consistent internal communication, not just about the programme but about the why behind it—ensuring sales understood both the proposition and their role within it.
  
  

One participant shared that she had had far more success partnering with two engaged salespeople than trying to scale ABM across the entire sales organisation from the outset.

“If your AE doesn’t care, don’t waste your time.”

It’s a pragmatic mindset, one that prioritises traction over perfection. And one that echoed a broader idea: ABM working well isn’t a standalone campaign, it’s a way of operating, or, perhaps, just good marketing and sales.

ABM and brand: An oft-missing layer

Another important theme that emerged was the interplay between ABM and brand.

It’s easy to treat ABM as a highly targeted, data-driven pursuit, but many in the room reflected that awareness and confidence in the brand plays a foundational role. Without it, even the most tailored journeys can struggle to resonate.

As one marketer noted:

“People have already got their shortlist before they even go to market.”

In her view, brand is what earns you permission to be part of that shortlist in the first place. And that awareness doesn’t happen in isolation. It needs to be built consistently—through creative, through partnerships, through presence—well before any ABM sequence begins.

Rachel has seen this many times. Her view about ABM and Brand?

“Brand predisposes the buyer and their influencers to choose your business and keep choosing you. ABM is about targeting the right accounts. See it from the buyer’s perspective: the product features and functionality may change, the sales or customer service rep may change, but the brand is what makes people feel certain that they are making a no-regret choice.”

The key takeaway for me? ABM works best when it is a combination of brand and demand efforts that address the buyer’s needs. Combining the two in your ABM is a requirement, not a choice.

From specialism to standard practice

As the conversation drew to a close, there was a shared recognition that ABM’s true value may lie in what it signals about the future of marketing more broadly.

Done well, ABM shifts marketing’s role from one of campaign delivery to one of a strategic partnership with sales, product and customer success. It prioritises relevance and engagement over reach, and encourages the business to think long-term in an environment that rarely affords it.

But for that shift to stick, ABM needs to stop being treated as a side project.

“ABM is your opportunity to become the commercial marketers the business listens to, not just the ones delivering leads.”
– Fiona Jensen, HotTopics

In other words, ABM is not broken. It is just deeply misused, often by those in marketing in particular. With the right internal alignment, strategic patience and cross-functional intent, it has the potential to be one of the most effective ways to develop loyalty and increase share of wallet with customers in an organisation’s toolkit.

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