Initiative’s head of B2B explains why emotional creativity, bold thinking and AI-ready content now define effective B2B work.
Kandace J. Baker
Kandace J Barker joins this year’s Drum Awards Festival as a B2B juror with a sharp view of how quickly the category is evolving. “AI tools are the second most used resource for executives seeking information, second only to search,” she says. That change means B2B content must show up earlier, when buyers are still forming their thinking. For Barker, that requires “AI-ready content, clear, structured and discoverable,” built to surface long before a brand enters the shortlist.
“AI can personalize at scale, anticipate buyer needs and deliver value earlier in the journey,” she adds. This is why she believes the most effective work now influences buyers upstream rather than waiting for lower-funnel triggers. It is about shaping the conversation, not responding after it has already taken hold.
“Brand-building media has a 0.24 higher correlation with purchase intent than lower-funnel demand tactics,” Barker says, underscoring her view that brand is not ornamental. It is a performance driver. “Brand investment doesn’t just create awareness. It actively drives buying decisions.” This is also why she pushes B2B marketers to break free from purely rational messaging.
“Today’s buyers are younger, more diverse and deeply connected in their lives outside of work,” she says. They expect emotion and creativity from B2B brands in the same way they do from consumer ones. “Connection, not just logic, drives preference and purchase decisions.” When asked which channel delivers emotional storytelling best, she does not hesitate. “Video is unmatched in its ability to tell stories, build emotional connection and humanize brands.”
“One of the most overlooked challenges is the internal battle to prove the value of brand building,” Barker says. In a tight economic climate, she often sees brand budgets squeezed in favor of near-term metrics. But she insists that “brand is not a nice-to-have. It’s a growth multiplier,” and urges marketers to use “evidence, data and storytelling” to make the case inside their own organizations.
“Agility, connectivity and boldness” are the traits she believes will define the next generation of B2B marketers. Agility to adapt quickly, connection to culture and society and the boldness to challenge safe defaults. “Playing it safe won’t drive growth in the next decade,” she says. Her own challenge reflects that reality. “Many clients still face pressure to do things the way they’ve always been done because it feels safe,” she adds. But safe does not create momentum. Effective B2B work “must be bold, forward looking and aligned with the way modern buyers make decisions.”
The Drum Awards Festival celebrates the leaders pushing B2B marketing toward richer stories and sharper strategy. Follow jurors like Kandace J. Barker as they spotlight the work that reflects how modern buyers learn, feel and choose in 2025.
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