The ability to work with both hands (ambidexterity) in B2B marketing – a reality check with concrete recommendations for action

True innovation arises outside the comfort zone – through courage, curiosity, creativity, and a spirit of discovery. The bvik shares Konrad Wolfenstein 's fundamental ideas on the necessity of strategic ambidexterity . However, the shift away from the "red ocean hamster wheel" can only succeed from the top down. Company management must not only demand performance optimization but also actively promote innovation – through modern structures, clear briefings, long-term budgets, and a culture that allows for productive failure. Only then will marketing gain the necessary scope for action.

Our research and industry insights show why the problem does not lie in marketing itself.

B2B environment fact check

1. Real scarcity

According to the bvik study "B2B Marketing Budgets," budgets declined for the first time in five years in 2025 (-3.1%). At the same time, 87% of marketing decision-makers reported significant price increases for external services (average +17%). Around 40% of the external budget remains reserved for trade fairs and events – still essential touchpoints in the capital goods business. Only one in five respondents expects budgets to increase in 2026. The financial leeway for experimentation is therefore structurally limited.

We have also observed for years that when sales decline, marketing budgets are often the first to be cut. While this reaction is understandable, it carries risks: internationally, competitors invest significantly more on average, relative to their revenue. Professional brand positioning therefore remains a key factor for the future.

2nd position in the company

In 75% of companies, marketing is primarily seen as an internal service provider for sales. This indicates insufficient C-level support and a delayed involvement in strategic decision-making. As a result, marketers' opportunities to implement ambidexterity and become drivers of innovation remain systemically limited.

3. Silos instead of transparency

According to the "Trendbarometer Industrial Communication 2025," cross-departmental data management is among the biggest challenges. In practice, fragmented systems and historically grown responsibilities block the radical data transparency that would be necessary for genuine innovation and AI-supported use cases. Interdisciplinary teams are still the exception, and friction at departmental boundaries is a real obstacle to innovation.

4. Digitalization expertise exists – but without a strategic framework

Marketing departments today make above-average use of new technologies, especially AI. However, strategic support, systematic knowledge building across departments, and a clear relevance assessment of new tools are often lacking. Uncoordinated use drains scarce resources and hinders rapid decision-making. At the same time, marketers see the close alignment of shared goals and processes with sales as a major challenge. Yet this is precisely what is needed to drive innovation from within marketing.

Requirements for ambidexterity (two-handedness) in B2B

B2B companies need to reliably deliver proven solutions while simultaneously testing new ones. These two aspects are complementary. However, rigid quotas for exploration don't reflect the realities of the B2B environment. A more sensible approach is a binding yet flexible testing framework with clearly defined resources, timeframes, hypotheses, and stop/go decisions, followed by a transition to regular operations once benefits are demonstrated. This creates space and security for productive learning.

Furthermore, increasing market volatility necessitates close collaboration within task forces comprised of marketing, IT, sales, HR, and external specialists. Shared goals, transparent performance measurement, professional risk management, and a shared data space form the basis for future viability.

From bvik's perspective, marketing, with its strong communication skills and customer knowledge, is a key success factor for the competitiveness of German SMEs – both externally in market positioning and internally in retaining skilled workers. Strong brands and professional transformation communication are powerful accelerators in times of change.

What has an impact – concrete recommendations for action

Involve marketing in a co-leading role from an early stage.

Marketing's expertise, tools, and digital capabilities must be integrated into foresight strategies. Strategic foresight opens up search fields beyond short-term campaign goals. A steering committee comprised of management, sales, IT, and marketing establishes shared goals, definitions, and approval SLAs.

Creating legally sound guidelines for AI

Data protection, copyright, labor law, and co-determination must be addressed. Ethical guidelines and transparent communication prevent the dangerous emergence of shadow IT, as we are currently witnessing, build trust in the use of AI, alleviate employees' anxieties about the future, and consequently lead to the hoped-for increases in efficiency.

Increase data transparency, break down silos

Consistent data collection and use in close cooperation between marketing, sales and IT, as well as central access across system boundaries, create speed and enable exploratory projects with measurable impact.

Agility over perfection

Clear processes and interdisciplinary, agile teams lead to faster, verifiable results. The experience of self-efficacy fosters dynamism, courage, and creativity within the team.

Enabling cross-departmental learning

Professional knowledge management and a fixed testing corridor with stage gates and termination criteria create space for radically new things.

Strategically expand competencies

AI, automation, and data literacy must be integrated with in-depth product and market knowledge as well as solid marketing fundamentals. Education and training directly contribute to the future viability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Only then will "blue ocean" patterns emerge – new fields for growth and prosperity.

Blame-shifting between departments cements divisions that should have been bridged long ago. Ultimately, everyone is in the same boat with the same goal. Realizing this and implementing it across the entire company is one of the key tasks of future-oriented leadership.

German Association for Industrial Communication (Bundesverband Industrie Kommunikation eV)

The German Association for Industrial Communication (bvik), the industry association for communication and marketing, was founded in 2010 and is an independent organization for marketing managers in industry and professionals in the B2B communications sector. The association's goal is to promote, improve, and professionalize collaboration between industrial companies and communication service providers. It offers its members a platform for exchange, knowledge sharing, and dialogue. Press materials from bvik can be found at https://bvik.org/presse/ .

Tanja Auernhamer

Tanja Auernhamer has worked in various roles at the bvik office since 2013. In her capacity as Head of Association Communications and Press Officer, she is particularly committed to the professionalization of B2B marketing and its establishment as a key success factor for German industry.

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B2B support and SaaS for SEO and GEO (AI search) combined: The all-in-one solution for B2B companies - Image: Xpert.Digital

AI search changes everything: How this SaaS solution is revolutionizing your B2B rankings forever.

The digital landscape for B2B companies is undergoing rapid change. Driven by artificial intelligence, the rules of online visibility are being rewritten. It has always been a challenge for companies to not only be visible in the digital masses, but also to be relevant to the right decision-makers. Traditional SEO strategies and local presence management (geomarketing) are complex, time-consuming, and often a battle against constantly changing algorithms and intense competition.

But what if there were a solution that not only simplifies this process, but makes it smarter, more predictive, and far more effective? This is where the combination of specialized B2B support with a powerful SaaS (Software as a Service) platform, specifically designed for the needs of SEO and GEO in the age of AI search, comes into play.

This new generation of tools no longer relies solely on manual keyword analysis and backlink strategies. Instead, it leverages artificial intelligence to more precisely understand search intent, automatically optimize local ranking factors, and conduct real-time competitive analysis. The result is a proactive, data-driven strategy that gives B2B companies a decisive advantage: They are not only found, but perceived as the authoritative authority in their niche and location.

Here's the symbiosis of B2B support and AI-powered SaaS technology that is transforming SEO and GEO marketing and how your company can benefit from it to grow sustainably in the digital space.

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• B2B Support & Blog for SEO, GEO and AIS – Artificial Intelligence Search
• Forget expensive SEO tools – this alternative dominates with unbeatable B2B features