Hari Krishnan ServiceNow and EY are rewriting the B2B marketing playbook, moving beyond the traditional divide between brand and demand. In a recent conversation, marketing leaders from both firms revealed how artificial intelligence is allowing them to unify storytelling with measurable outcomes, closing the gap between awareness and action.
For ServiceNow, the strategy begins with trust. “Eighty-one percent of B2B purchases come from a ‘day one list’, trusted companies already in the buyer’s mind,” said Athyantha, the company’s global brand lead. That insight shaped their latest campaign featuring Idris Elba, built around the line “putting AI to work for people.” But the campaign isn’t just brand theater, it’s also the foundation for targeted demand efforts, carrying the same message through performance channels and sales touchpoints.
At EY, the focus is equally human. CMO Kelly Mackie emphasized the need for mental and physical availability being visible and accessible across the client journey. EY’s long-standing credibility, she said, helps reinforce trust, but it’s the alignment with ServiceNow’s messaging and mission that makes the partnership powerful. Together, they show how consistency across marketing efforts drives both recognition and results.
What’s enabling this shift is AI — not just as a trend, but as a core capability. ServiceNow is leaning into AI agents to automate campaign deployment, deliver tailored content, and improve relevance without increasing spend. For marketers long stuck choosing between brand-building and lead generation, this signals a new operating model: one where creative storytelling and conversion tactics don’t compete but compound.
Emotional resonance, long considered the domain of consumer marketing, is now a central theme in B2B as well. Both firms understand that logic drives decision-making, but emotion gets you noticed. As AI takes over the heavy lifting, marketers are free to focus on crafting messages that matter and making sure they’re heard.
