Reaching CISOs has never been easy, but with different channels coming to the forefront and a barrage of AI-powered threats (and solutions) to contend with, how to engage that audience is trickier than ever.

On this episode, Gianna Whitver, CEO of the Cybersecurity Marketing Society, and Merritt Group's cybersecurity lead Michelle Shafer, spell out where to focus your efforts now and in the year ahead.

In this episode of Lay of the Brand, host Peter Jacobs talks with Nidhi Mehta, the Social and Influencer Lead at Samsung Electronics America, to unravel how influencer marketing is no longer just for B2C brands.

Nidhi shares actionable insights into how B2B brands can use influencer partnerships to tell more compelling stories, create emotional connections, and drive awareness and sales—even in highly technical fields.

Listen to learn how to:

• Choose the right influencers for your B2B campaign
• How to use micro-influencers for better targeting
• Use emotion and storytelling to go beyond product specs and features
• Build effective programs for nurturing leads
• Get ready for what's coming in 2025 for influencer marketing

The end of the federal government's FY gets everyone scrambling to deliver proposals, but marketing still has a lot to do. That's why we asked Mark Amtower, the godfather of federal marketing, for his insights on what to do now -- and what to focus on going forward. Not that he has an opinion.

Over 90% of professionals surveyed say their organizations will use AI more frequently this year than last year. AI providers need to learn what their target audiences really think about AI, both good and bad, who’s making the buying decisions, and the best ways to reach them.

Merritt Group's just-released B2B survey report answers those questions and more, and MG's Shahed Ahmed and Kelly Finneran are here to share the findings and what they mean for marketers looking to connect with AI buyers.

Download the full report here and check out the Merritt Group blog for more AI insights, tips, and recommendations.

Influencers are everywhere, but this trend goes beyond fashion tips and recipe hacks. Influencer marketing is essential for B2B tech marketers and PR pros, too.

Carter Hostelly, CEO of LeadTail, joins us to explain how you can build relationships with the people your audience trusts —and how to become an influencer yourself.

What's next for the B2B tech media world -- and how should PR pros and marketing leaders prepare for the big changes ahead? Sam Whitmore of Sam Whitmore's Media Survey (mediasurvey.com) joins host Peter Jacobs to tackle what's coming in 2024.

For more tech marketing and PR insights, visit layofthebrand.com

Marketing to the government is very different from a B2B approach. A lot of government-focused companies have strategies in place to crack this code, and have even engaged marketing and PR agencies to help them do it right.

Even so, it’s too easy to make avoidable errors that can derail your program — and your ability to engage government buyers.

To find out how to avoid 5 of the biggest mistakes that government marketers and their agencies can make, we’re talking with Matt Donovan, a Merritt Group partner who leads the team focused on government marketing and PR.

For healthcare technology marketers, knowing where to focus your efforts and your resources starts with understanding what CIOs really want from you — and what they don’t. What’s the best way to reach this elusive group, what are they reading and watching, and how can you avoid being the one who misses the mark?

To find out, we're talking with Amanda Bury, Chief Commercial Officer at healthcare platform creator, Infermedica. She'll give us her real-world insights, along with her take on Merritt Group's survey of healthcare CIOs, that spells out how to connect with that valuable market.