In Episode 18 of Beyond the Billboard, Kathleen Booth, SVP of Marketing and Growth at Pavilion, joins OneScreen’s Charlie Riley and Greg Wise for a real conversation about what’s broken in B2B marketing — and what to do about it.
Kathleen has led marketing in VC-backed tech companies, built an agency, and now helps lead one of the most well-known marketing and sales communities in the world. She knows exactly what modern marketers are dealing with, and she’s not afraid to say what needs to change.
The Tension Between Brand and Demand in B2B
One of the most important takeaways from this episode is how deeply disconnected many B2B organizations are when it comes to balancing brand and demand.
Kathleen sees this tension play out every day inside Pavilion’s 10,000+ member community:
“There’s a clarion call in the market right now. Marketers are crying out for understanding and support. They’re being boxed into demand gen KPIs, when they know brand is what drives long-term growth.”
Most marketing teams are under pressure to deliver pipeline quickly, especially in VC or PE-backed companies where quarterly goals often outweigh long-term strategy. The result? Burnout, high churn, and surface-level results that don’t scale.
What’s missing is leadership alignment around the full scope of marketing. Kathleen believes it’s time to reclaim what marketing is really about — building trust, relevance, and preference before a buyer ever enters your funnel.
Why Brand is No Longer a Long-Term Play — It’s a Competitive Advantage Now
The digital landscape is changing. Marketers can’t rely on the same paid media tactics that worked in the past. AI-powered search and content engines are rewriting how buyers discover information — and how companies get found.
“Brand search is now a proxy for trust. If people aren’t typing your name into the search bar, your content isn’t going to surface — no matter how optimized it is.”
This is a critical insight for B2B marketers. Investing in brand doesn’t just help you in the future. It helps you get discovered today. That means brand is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s your shortest path to visibility and authority.
Watch the full episode below.
You Don’t Need a Big Budget to Start Building Brand
One of the most actionable parts of the conversation came when Kathleen shared how marketing teams can take control of the brand narrative, even with limited budgets.
“Start small. Earn the trust to run brand experiments. Then prove they work. That’s how you get buy-in.”
This might look like launching a content series, building a targeted community, or running a highly-focused event. It’s less about scale and more about showing what’s possible when marketing is allowed to play the long game.
She also highlighted examples of B2B brands doing it right:
- Sixth Sense: Built community and brand equity through thought leadership and events.
- Pavilion: Grew an engaged network of marketers, sellers, and founders through real educational value.
- Empowered CMO: Elevated brand through niche events and authentic relationships.
These are not just brand plays. They are demand generators — because they create trust, engagement, and affinity that drive inbound pipeline.
Why the Old Playbook Doesn’t Work Anymore
If you’ve worked in B2B marketing for the last decade, you know the formula: run paid ads, gate a high-intent ebook, pass leads to sales, and measure conversion.
That playbook was efficient—until it wasn’t. Kathleen explained why marketers must evolve or risk being left behind.
“We’ve been trained to optimize for short-term outcomes. But that’s not how modern marketing works. If all you do is demand gen, you’re building on a shaky foundation.”
Today’s buyers are smarter, more skeptical, and more independent. They research anonymously, follow people over brands, and make decisions based on what they hear from their peers, not just what they see in an ad.
This is why brand matters more than ever. It builds mental availability. It keeps you top of mind. And it reduces the need to always compete for attention.
Final Takeaways for B2B Marketing Leaders
Kathleen’s episode is a must-listen for any B2B marketing leader trying to balance short-term growth with long-term brand health.
Key points to take away:
- Brand isn’t separate from demand. The two need to work together.
- Search algorithms and buyer behavior now favor brands with authority.
- Marketers must push for balance in the boardroom — and prove value through small wins.
- You don’t need to wait for a massive budget to start building your brand today.
- Community, events, and thought leadership are powerful tools for brand-driven growth.
As Kathleen shared:
“Marketing is more than just lead generation. It’s reputation. It’s relevance. It’s trust.”
You can listen to the full conversation with Kathleen Booth on Episode 18 of Beyond the Billboard — now available on all major platforms.