An Ipsos survey of 1,226 marketers across the US, Canada, and Australia asked 10 multiple choice questions on basic marketing fundamentals — and two thirds failed.We're not talking advanced strategy. Segmentation. Positioning. The four Ps. Above-the-line marketing. Omnichannel. Quantitative research. The bare minimum from a year and a half of formal marketing training.This is the state of B2B marketing in 2026.If you're focused on AI efficiency gains, growth hacking, and the next few percentage points of performance — but you can't pass this test — you're optimizing a broken foundation.Matthew Sciannella breaks down what the data actually means for marketers who only do promotion (ads, email, events, SEO) and why that's exactly why so many can't survive past 18 months in a role.Q: What did the Ipsos marketing fundamentals survey find?The Ipsos survey tested 1,226 marketers in the US, Canada, and Australia on 10 multiple choice questions covering segmentation, positioning, the four Ps, above-the-line marketing, omnichannel, and quantitative research. Two thirds failed — with an even split between B2C and B2B marketers.Q: Why do so many B2B marketers only last 18 months in their roles?Marketers who focus exclusively on promotion — running ads, sending emails, attending events, or managing SEO — never develop a durable, full-funnel marketing strategy. Without understanding customers, sales channels, and market positioning, they can't survive a funding round or leadership change.Q: Is AI a substitute for marketing fundamentals?No. AI and growth hacking tactics can improve efficiency at the margins, but they don't replace the strategic foundation of real marketing: understanding your market, your buyer, and how they make decisions. Scraping signals from the internet isn't the same as doing the work.Q: What is the difference between promotion and marketing?Promotion is one of the four Ps of marketing — it includes advertising, email, events, and SEO. Marketing as a discipline covers the full picture: segmentation, targeting, positioning, pricing, product, and channel strategy. Most B2B marketers today only practice promotion.#B2BMarketing #MarketingFundamentals #MarketingStrategy #B2BSaaS #SaaSMarketing #GrowthMarketing #CMO #MarketingLeadership #DigitalMarketing #DemandGeneration #MarketingROI #GTMStrategy #ContentMarketing #MarketResearch #B2BDemandGen #MarketingTips #Ipsos #FourPs #Omnichannel #Refinelabs
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