Building resilient growth

At this year’s European ABM Forum in Amsterdam, one theme cut through every keynote, panel and conversation: uncertainty is now the default and ABM is the strategy bringing clarity to it.

Framed around the theme “Building Resilient Growth: How ABM Creates Clarity in Uncertain Times,” the event brought together senior marketing leaders from across Europe to share how they’re evolving account-based strategies to navigate complexity, align revenue teams and drive measurable growth.

From complexity to clarity

Across sessions, a consistent narrative emerged: B2B buying has never been more complex. With larger buying groups, longer cycles and increasing pressure to prove impact, traditional demand models are falling short. ABM, however, is being redefined not as a campaign tactic, but as a strategic operating model for go-to-market.

Speakers like Marije Gould (VP of Growth Marketing, Culture Amp) and Julie Horville-D’Ammacco (Marketing Director EMEA, Mirakl) highlighted how ABM is helping organisations cut through noise by focusing on high-value accounts and aligning teams around shared outcomes.

The shift is clear:

• From volume to value
• From leads to buying groups
• From campaigns to continuous engagement

Alignment is still the hardest and most critical part

If there was one challenge every speaker agreed on, it’s this: ABM success lives or dies on alignment.

Leaders including Naomi Landman (CCO, Renewi) and Katrin Marquardt (Associate Director, Kyndryl) emphasised that ABM is as much about organisational change as it is about marketing strategy.

Sales and marketing alignment is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s the foundation.

As discussed in multiple sessions, teams that succeed are those that:

• Build a shared language around accounts and opportunity
• Align on account selection and prioritisation
• Create joint accountability for pipeline and revenue

This reflects a broader trend across European organisations: ABM is becoming the glue that connects revenue teams.

The evolution from ABM to ABX

Several sessions explored the shift from traditional ABM to Account-Based Experience (ABX), a more holistic, customer-centric approach.

Case studies and discussions pointed to a common realisation:
ABM isn’t just about targeting accounts, it’s about orchestrating meaningful, consistent experiences across the entire buying journey.

Speakers from organisations like Merck Group (Lisa Ocharo) and NTT DATA (Ulrike Wanner) shared how they are:

• Moving beyond campaign-based thinking
• Designing journeys across multiple stakeholders
• Embedding personalisation at scale

The takeaway: ABM maturity means thinking beyond marketing and into experience design.

AI: Powerful, but not a silver bullet

AI was a recurring theme, but the tone was notably pragmatic.

Rather than hype, leaders focused on where AI is actually delivering value in ABM today:

• Identifying in-market accounts through intent data
• Enhancing personalisation at scale
• Improving efficiency in campaign execution

At the same time, there was caution. As highlighted in discussions, AI is only as good as the data and strategy behind it, and over-reliance without human oversight can create noise rather than clarity.

The emerging mindset across Europe:

• AI is an enabler not the strategy itself
• ABM as a growth engine, not a tactic

Perhaps the most important shift discussed at the Forum is how ABM is being positioned internally.

No longer a pilot or side initiative, ABM is increasingly seen as a core growth engine, one that is:

• Scalable across regions and segments
• Embedded into go-to-market strategy
• Measured against revenue, not activity

What European leaders are doing differently

Compared to previous years, there’s a noticeable shift in how European B2B leaders are approaching ABM:

1. Prioritisation over expansion. Teams are focusing on fewer, higher-value accounts with deeper insight.
2. Integration over experimentation. ABM is being embedded into core GTM strategies, not run as standalone pilots.
3. Experience over execution. Success is measured by engagement and progression, not just campaign delivery.
4. Revenue accountability over marketing metrics. Marketing leaders are increasingly owning pipeline and revenue outcomes.

Clarity is the competitive advantage

In a market defined by uncertainty, ABM is emerging as a framework for focus. The organisations winning in this environment aren’t doing more, they’re doing less, better, and together.

And that’s ultimately what ABM is delivering: clarity in where to focus, how to engage and how to grow, no matter the conditions.

Want to see how leading B2B teams are turning ABM into a true growth engine?

Meet with us to explore how you can bring greater clarity, alignment and impact to your go-to-market strategy.