The easiest way to find out what someone thinks is to ask them. That’s the idea behind our annual Art & Science research study that asks technology buyers what they actually think about the marketing they receive, and explores what they like (and don’t like) about marketing communications. 

This year’s annual Art & Science report was our third. Just like in previous years, we wanted to better understand how inspiring and engaging creativity combines with pinpoint accurate data and insights to achieve the best buyer experiences.  

It’s a good thing we did. Because this year’s findings really took us by surprise. 

Trust me, I’m a marketing campaign  

The idea that marketing builds trust is part of industry lore. But this year’s study data tells a different story – one where marketing builds belief before it builds trust.  

Belief is step one on the journey to trust. It means customers accept your proposition and agree it offers a credible solution to their problems. They’re willing to give you a chance. You’ve earned the right to be heard. In our research, 95% of respondents recognised this stage and said they pass through belief before arriving at trust.  

But there are some serious hurdles to overcome if you’re to turn belief into trust. And not all of them fall on the Marketing Department’s shoulders: 

• Building belief doesn’t lend itself to a simple formula – so cut and paste strategies and cookie cutter content is unlikely to build real audience belief. 

• Belief fluctuates fast as multiple forces compete for customer attention, and content overload leads to audiences questioning your content’s authority.   

• Marketing can build belief but 94% of buyers say real trust begins only after delivery or performance. As a business, your products and services need to walk the walk as well as your marketing talking the talk if you want to genuinely win customers trust.  

Feeling surprised? We certainly were. So we dug a little deeper into the results, to really understand what’s shaping belief for B2B buyers. 

Three things to think about  

It’s important to keep in mind that marketing’s goal isn’t to create certainty in the mind of the customer. It’s about giving them just enough confidence to move forward in their buying journey. With this in mind, the 2025 Art & Science research tells us that three major forces are influencing your customers’ beliefs right now.  

1. Content dysmorphia: Overloaded and overwhelmed?  

It’s a paradox we can all relate to. 56% of buyers feel more informed than ever, but less confident in their decisions. IT leaders are hardly alone in this respect.  We all know the feeling of being bombarded by information, sceptical about its authority, and all too often giving up before we reach the end of what we’re reading (hey, if you got this far in this blog give yourself a pat on the back). 

 In this information-saturated environment, buyers are searching for content that inspires conviction, and often turn to known sources, with 44% of attention going to existing providers. So your challenge is to be there in the moment when buyers feel they’ve seen enough to establish a meaningful connection, and want to move forward with you.  

2. AI’s double edge: Can I trust this? 

Technology leaders see AI as giving with one hand and taking with the other. They’re happily using it for research and problem solving as they shortlist new solutions. But they’re also sceptical, with one third of our survey respondents saying AI-generated content reduces both belief and trust. 

Context is key. AI tends to be welcome it when it’s performing a function, like generating summaries, recapping research or suggesting solutions. But the scepticism level goes up several gears when AI enters spaces where belief is hard won – like thought leadership. So it’s important to think carefully about how your AI choices affect your audience’s mindset. 

If you’re using AI to impersonate humans, you’re very likely eroding your customers’ trust. If you’re using it to help them make tough decisions and build their belief then they’ll probably thank you. 

3. Thought Theatre vs Thought leadership: Is this for real? 

Thought leadership’s stock is dwindling, and audiences and noticing when genuine thought leadership is replaced by identikit white papers and blogs (unlike this one, and give yourself another pat on the back if you’re still with us).  

The key is to create thought leadership that’s informative rather than performative. 83% of our respondents see value in thought leadership that’s anchored in real research with real people. But the tide is heading in the opposite direction, and too much theatre means less than half of our respondents say that thought leadership is driving belief. It comes down to this: does your thought leadership have the authority and credibility to win the confidence and conviction of your readers? Or is it just pretending? 

Turning insights into actions  

Do our Art & Science 2025 findings resonate with you? Do they confirm your ideas about where the market is going? Or have they taken you by surprise? Either way, all the research and insight in the world is no help if you can’t turn it into something useful that improves your marketing results and RoI. As we like to say: “The science tells us what’s happening. The art is figuring out what to do about it” 

The data from our 2025 study paints a clear and scientific picture of what’s happening in our buyers’ heads and hearts. Then it’s down to the artists in our business to apply these insights to the projects and campaigns we create, and to bring them alive in marketing with personality, imagination and empathy.  

That’s how we roll. And it’s what can help elevate your next campaign so it cuts through the content overwhelm, reverses the AI scepticism, and builds authentic customer belief. 

View the report  

If you’d like to explore the full Art & Science 2025 report, including five Reasons to Believe, you can find it here.