Episode 139: Predictions for 2026

Let's get into hypotheticalsLet me hear your budget talk, your budget talkIn this episode, we ask a hypothetical, yet revealing question:If you had to shift 20% of your marketing budget tomorrow, where would it come from and where would it go?Let’s get hypothetical, hypothetical.We cover:Why “low-intent” spend is getting far more budget than it deservesWhere experimentation should really live (and why most teams dont 'protect it)Why content, AI search visibility, and brand building deserve more money — even when they’re hard to measureWhy optimising for MQLs is still one of marketing’s favourite self-inflicted woundsLets challenge some sacred cows to focus on how buyers buy - not what looks good in a dashboard.

In this episode, we ask a deceptively simple question:If you could reallocate 20% of your marketing budget tomorrow, where would you put it and what would you take it from?We cover:Why paid search and “low-intent” spend is eating far more budget than it deservesWhere experimentation should really live (and why most teams never protect it)Why content, AI search visibility, and brand building deserve more budget — even when they’re hard to measureWhy optimizing for MQLs is still one of marketing’s favorite own goalsTime to focus on how buyers actually buy — and not what looks good in a dashboard.

In this episode, Casper and Jen debrief on the first-ever Growthforia — a sold-out B2B SaaS marketing conference launched from scratch in Copenhagen.Casper shares the real story behind the event:Why they built it (and what was missing in the market)How they sold 120+ tickets without a legacy brandWhat worked, what flopped, and what they'd never do againThe not-so-glamorous reality of organizing a first-time eventLessons on community building, brand exposure, and ROI for agency-led eventsYou’ll hear honest reflections on everything from technical mishaps to slide disasters, surprising channel performance (spoiler: email wins again), and why networking needs to be more than just wine at the end.If you’re a marketer thinking about running your own event—or just curious about what goes on behind the scenes—this one’s for you.Practical, unfiltered, and packed with takeaways.

In part two of our deep-dive with Liam Bartholomew from Cognism, we go beyond theory and unpack how brand and demand gen can (and must) work together — especially in high-growth environments.We explore:Why most teams get the sequence wrong: building the brand after capturing leadsHow Cognism structures brand ownership across content, product marketing and leadershipThe difference between scaling broad awareness and going deep with the right audienceWhy treating SEO and LinkedIn as brand—not performance—channels is now criticalHow to use a content engine and messaging hierarchy to stay aligned and avoid “random acts of content”Measurement frameworks that tie content and demand back to revenue impactLiam also shares hard-earned lessons from Cognism’s journey from 50 to 500 people, and why brand reach without relevance is a fast track to burnout and missed goals.This one is a must-listen for any startup marketer trying to turn theory into execution — and make brand actually drive pipeline.Check out the ungated Demand Gen Playbook from Cognism for more.

We’re joined by Liam Bartholomew, VP of Brand & Customer Marketing at Cognism, to break down one of the biggest shifts happening in B2B marketing right now: the move from traditional lead generation to true demand generation.Cognism didn’t just tweak their funnel. They fundamentally rethought how marketing drives growth. In this episode, Liam shares the real story behind that transition: what triggered it, how they proved it internally, and what had to change across content, paid media, and sales alignment to make it work.We talk about:• Why cheap leads and high volume were holding growth back• The data that exposed the flaws in a lead-gen-first model• What actually happens when you ungate content• How demand gen changes the role of content, video, and distribution• How to keep sales onside while reducing “leads”• Why intent matters more than engagement• The fear, risk, and internal pushback no one talks aboutLiam also shares practical advice for marketers who believe in demand gen, but are stuck in lead-driven organisations, including how to start building momentum before making the big switch.Learn more about Cognism's Demand Gen playbook course hereFollow Liam on LinkedIn

We're back with Chief Advisor at PRCEPTION, Dennis Bylov Dalgaard, to unpack one of the most misunderstood parts of modern leadership: how founders and executives should communicate publicly - without blowing themselves up in the process.From technical founders who hate being on camera, to charismatic CEOs who say the wrong thing at the worst possible time, to the PR disasters that happen when “authenticity” goes unfiltered - this episode goes deep into the real dynamics of executive visibility.We explore:• Founder vs. brand: who should actually be the spokesperson?• Why charisma is an asset… until it isn’t• The difference between “authentic” and “unfiltered”• How to build a leadership persona that feels natural, not fake• Why journalists want raw honesty but brands need guardrails• How social media fits into modern executive communication (X vs. LinkedIn vs. everything else)• Why the best founders are exceptional simplifiersDennis also shares his #1 communication skill every founder should learn... Tune in to hear it!This episode is a masterclass in leadership communication, stakeholder management, and the art of showing up as your “authentic self”… without self-sabotage.

In this episode, we sit down with Chief Advisor at PRCEPTION, Dennis Dalgaard, to talk about how AI is changing PR.We dig into:- Why traditional earned media still matters (and what even is it?)- What “AI relations” means for your comms strategy- How LLMs are reshaping how stories spread online- Why most startups get PR wrong and how to fix itIf you’re still thinking of PR as nothing more than press releases and media lists, this one’s for you!Connect with Dennis on LinkedInFind out more about PRCEPTION

So relevant it bears repeatingEvery marketer knows the drill:Someone pitches a “fun idea,” everyone smiles… and none of it actually moves the business forward.In this episode, we talk about why great marketing leadership sometimes means being the Fun Police 👮 - the one who says,“Cool idea, but absolutely not.”We dig into:• How to spot the difference between fun work and impactful work• Why prioritization is a discipline, not a group brainstorm• ICE vs. BRASS: the models we actually use to keep teams focused• How to push back on stakeholder pet projects without setting the building on fire• Why saying “no” is often the most strategic thing a marketer can doIf you’ve ever felt like you’re running a daycare for rogue ideas, this one’s for you.Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

We're back in the vault this week to discuss creativity at work:Most teams say they want creativity.Very few create the conditions for it.In this episode, we break down why creative thinking dies inside fast-moving companies — and how to actually keep it alive. We get into:• Why creativity comes from consistency, not once-a-year Post-it workshops• The real (and usually unspoken) reasons good ideas never make it past the meeting• How the HiPPO quietly suffocates innovation — and how to push back without starting a war• Small structural shifts that make creativity a weekly, repeatable habit• A handful of exercises that look odd on paper but genuinely unlock better thinkingIf you’re tired of treating creativity like a “special event” instead of a core operating skill, this is your reset.Available wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

Some stories are so wild, they deserve a reboot. We’re bringing back an episode that didn't get the attention it deserved:Rippling vs Deel — the alleged corporate espionage saga.Inside, we break down:• The employee who allegedly flipped sides and fed intel• The Slack searches that were anything but discreet• A bathroom confrontation that would be hilarious if it weren’t real• And what does Russia have to do with all this?Then we step back and tackle the bigger questions:• Is this just one rogue case or the start of “SaaSpionage”?• How can scaleups protect themselves from insider threats?• What happens when growth pressure pushes companies past ethical lines?If your instinct is “This would never happen to us,” this episode might change your mind.Available wherever you get your podcasts.The case is ongoing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2025/10/20/deels-billionaire-cofounders-just-got-500-million-richer-but-theyre-still-poorer-than-bitter-rival-ripplings-parker-conrad/