In B2B tech, brand is often treated as secondary to pipeline. Yet as buying becomes more global and influenced by trust, brand and PR increasingly determine who buyers notice.
In this episode of Crossing the Pond, Richard Cook speaks with Agnes Psathas, VP of Global Marketing at Exclusive Networks, about what it takes to build a B2B brand that scales globally without losing local relevance. Drawing on her experience across automotive, cybersecurity, and B2B technology, Agnes explains why brand and PR are long-term plays, how buyer behaviour has changed, and why clarity and alignment now matter more than ever.
Five Lessons for Modern B2B Marketing Leaders
Think Glocal, Not Just Global: Global consistency matters, but relevance is created locally. Clear direction at the centre allows regional teams to move faster and stay authentic in-market.
Play the Long Game with Brand and PR: Brand strength builds over time, not in quarters. PR compounds trust and visibility long before it shows up in pipeline numbers.
Use Earned Media to Build Authority: Editorial coverage delivers credibility at scale. Buyers trust third-party voices more than brand-owned messaging.
Accept That Marketing Starts the Relationship: B2B buyers arrive informed and with preconceived opinions. Content and insight now shape perception before sales are involved.
Use AI to Simplify, Not Complicate: AI enables scale and personalisation, but only with clear strategy. Without alignment, more tools create more noise.
Why It Matters
B2B marketing has shifted from supporting sales to shaping buyer perception from the very first interaction. As Agnes highlights, brands are now judged by the content they publish, the stories others tell about them, and how consistently they show up across markets long before a sales conversation begins.
For global organisations, this raises the stakes. Strong brands aren’t built through control, but through clarity: a shared vision, empowered teams, and long-term investment in credibility. PR, earned media, and content are no longer optional add-ons; they are foundational to trust, relevance, and growth.
These themes — and how to apply them in practice — are explored in Agnes’s conversation with Richard Cook on Crossing the Pond.
Listen to the full episode on YouTube or Spotify.
An Award Winning B2B PR Consultancy
B2B Content Campaign of the Year – Champion Communications & MobileIron: Trouble at the Top
Best Use of Data in a Content Campaign – Champion Communications & MobileIron: Trouble at the Top
Shortlisted – B2B Campaign
of the Year (Aptum)
Shortlisted – Best corporate decision-maker targeted campaign: Trouble at the Top, MobileIron
Winner: gold – best pr campaign, go instore
Winner: bronze – best corporate decision maker targeted campaign, Ivanti
Winner: Gold – Best Use Of Data (Agilysys)
Winner: Gold – Best Activation Of Media Coverage (Agilysys)
Winner – Best Use of Data (Ivanti)
Winner – Best one-off Content Campaign (Ivanti)
Winner – Best Use of Data (Greenlight Commerce)
Winner – Best Content Campaign to Assist with Corporate Positioning (Greenlight Commerce)
Shortlisted – Best one-off Content Campaign (Aptum)
Best B2B Trade Campaign – Aptum
Best B2B Trade Campaign – Ivanti
Best Use of Data – Ivanti
Shortlisted – B2B Technology Campaign: It’s not always sunny in the cloud – The Aptum Cloud Impact Study
Shortlisted – B2B Technology Campaign: The Public Sector Problem
