On episode 21 of Beyond the Billboard, hosts Charlie Riley and Greg Wise are joined by veteran B2B marketer David Kirkdorffer, who shares fresh insights on where modern marketing is headed and how brands must evolve to stay relevant in a world powered by AI and LLMs (large language models).
Watch the full episode below.
Discoverability Has Changed, And So Should Your Strategy
David’s current focus is on helping B2B companies improve their visibility inside AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Why? Because that’s where buyers are researching today. Instead of just Googling a solution, people are increasingly turning to LLMs to curate and recommend vendors based on their unique situation.
David makes it clear: this isn’t just SEO 2.0. It’s a multi-disciplinary brand challenge. Companies need to equip these models with clear, credible signals that represent their brand — otherwise, they may never even show up in the conversation.
Demand Gen Is Broken — Enter Buyer Enablement
From his years in demand gen, David points out a harsh truth: traditional lead-gen tactics (like gated content and email blasts) are losing their effectiveness. Instead, he champions “buyer enablement” — equipping buyers with answers before they ever talk to sales.
That means publishing un-gated, detailed, buyer-friendly content that reflects what a real person would ask during a selection process. Done right, this strategy doesn’t just help with conversions — it positions your brand as a trusted, credible source across the web and within AI models.
The Blurred Line Between Brand & Demand
David and the hosts agree: the old silo between brand and performance marketing is fading. Today, brand work drives discoverability, demand, and pipeline — especially when buyers are 80% of the way through their research before talking to anyone.
As Charlie notes, building a strong brand today is the best way to win that crucial “shortlist” spot in any buying decision.
Why Out-of-Home (OOH) Still Matters
David draws smart parallels between long-term email nurturing and OOH advertising. Both rely on repetition, context, and familiarity — not direct clicks. When buyers are ready, they remember who stood out.
The episode dives deep into how out-of-home placements (like billboards, transit ads, or digital signage) support brand awareness across physical space, increase recall, and provide surround-sound coverage in key markets.
As Greg puts it: “A digital ad might find you anywhere. But a real-world placement lets us control context, audience, and even the emotional tone of the moment.”
Measuring OOH Impact: What Works
For marketers asking, “How do I measure if out-of-home worked?”, the OneScreen team outlines several methods:
- Lift in branded search volume
- Traffic growth in target markets
- Meeting rates in ABM accounts
- Sales team feedback on brand awareness
- Social sharing and user amplification of real-world placements
- Control groups to measure differences between exposed vs. unexposed regions
In short, OOH isn’t about immediate click-throughs. It’s about showing up where your buyers are, so that when they go searching (or ask ChatGPT), they remember your name.
Final Thought: Connecting AI and OOH
David ends the episode with a big idea: How might real-world marketing fuel better performance in LLM-driven search? It’s a new frontier — and a reminder that brand visibility, wherever it happens, has lasting value.
Want to hear the full conversation?
Listen to Episode 21 of Beyond the Billboard on your favorite podcast platform.