B2B Marketers, You Are Now a Commodity | by Randy Brasche

Over the past decade, B2B vendors have seen their competitive moats dry up as features are quickly replicated using no-code or low-code tools. At the same time, a noisy marketplace comprising tens of thousands of companies — amplified by mobile devices, social media, and countless digital channels — makes it impossible to stand out.

As marketers, our primary purpose is to uniquely define and elevate our brands in this noisy and commoditized marketplace. Today, marketers find themselves in the same boat as the products they serve. In the age of AI, B2B marketers are now a commodity, with a faster-than-expected expiration shelf life in the upcoming year.

Here’s the reality: Marketing and sales (GTM) functions likely represent approximately 20–30 percent of the 77,999 AI-displaced jobs in 2025.

Traditional market researchers and marketing data analysts have experienced the most disruption from AI, which could potentially replace more than 50 percent of the tasks currently performed by market research analysts.
Sixty-seven percent of sales representatives have been impacted, compared to just 21% for their managerial counterparts.
Over 81.6% of digital marketers today fear that AI will replace content writers.
Despite the doom and gloom, the jury is still out on whether the job apocalypse will truly materialize.

Regardless, marketers should embrace this transition as an opportunity of a lifetime.

I recently attended a Pavilion community dinner with fellow GTM leaders. Many indicated that they now have “a lot of time on their hands” after becoming the latest victim of non-stop reorganizations or downsizing driven by the promise of AI generating greater efficiencies. The others were worried that they could be next.

“The Lots of Free Time on My Hands Club” can provide much-needed relaxation and the space to think and hit the reset button without any intrusive thoughts about next quarter’s pipeline. At the same time, too much free time can lead to negativity, boredom, and an overwhelming sense of purposelessness.

During the discussion, one thing became apparent: As marketers become commoditized, we aren’t standing still. Many are leveraging this moment to reinvent themselves and use generative AI to up their game. The key is to stop competing where AI excels and start creating where it cannot.

I, too, have been part of this club and have enjoyed the opportunity to “uncommidize” myself. What does that mean? One of the participants at the dinner succinctly articulated our current reality: “Today, B2B marketers need to specialize and become the best within a specific niche. Each of us needs to reinvent ourselves”.

Need inspiration?

1. Create new service offerings that blend AI efficiency with human insight:

AI-Augmented Strategy Consulting: Use AI for data analysis while providing the strategic context and change management that only humans can deliver
Prompt Engineering as a Service: Help companies optimize their AI tools for industry-specific marketing needs
AI Ethics and Brand Safety Auditing: Ensure AI-generated content aligns with brand values and compliance requirements

2. Target underserved or tech-laggard industries:

Manufacturing companies that struggle to digitize complex configuration and pricing processes, or
Healthcare insurance providers that can’t effectively maintain HIPAA compliance while delivering exceptional digital experiences.

3. Become the “Human Touch” Specialist:

Crisis Communication and Reputation Management: When brands face backlash, they need human empathy, not AI responses
Executive Ghostwriting and Thought Leadership: C-suite leaders need authentic voices that AI cannot replicate
Community Building and Engagement: Foster genuine connections in niche B2B communities where relationships matter more than scale

4. Pioneer New AI-Human Hybrid Roles:

AI Orchestra Conductor: Manage multiple AI tools to create cohesive campaigns while adding creative direction
Revenue Intelligence Analyst: Combine AI insights with market intuition to predict trends before they’re datafied
Customer Success Storyteller: Transform AI-generated data into compelling narratives that drive renewals and upsells

In the long term (>5–10 years), I firmly believe that AI will elevate marketers in new ways — many of which we can’t yet imagine — and create net-positive job growth. We’ve seen this trend in the past during the early days of digital transformation.

Unfortunately, the short-term (<5 years) transition will be messy and displace marketers and other GTM professionals across all functional domains and experience levels. The continued pumping of VC money into AI startups will only exacerbate this challenge.

For me, I’ve become an author, fractional CMO, AI consultant, and B2B instructor. Will I be successful? It’s still early days for me. That said, I feel confident that I have a path forward that I can control and evolve as needed.

Don’t wait until your expiration date and you become a commodity. The clock is ticking, so use your time wisely to reinvent yourselves.

To learn more about how AI can help automate the mundane, elevate your strategic focus, and create new opportunities, get my new book, Some Assembly Required” — a Survival Guide for B2B Revenue Marketers. Click here to order from Amazon.