Why AI makes human experiences more valuable, not less, with Claire Ellis of JPC
ABM was supposed to be about relationships. As AI makes targeting and personalisation cheap and abundant, the thing ABM was meant to build in the first place, trust with the people who actually decide, has become the real differentiator. Nowhere is that more acute than in ABM's biggest deals, where a single account can be worth millions and keeping it can matter even more than winning it.
➡️ Joel Harrison is joined by Claire Ellis, Managing Director of JPC, to unpack experiential ABM: human moments designed to move specific stakeholders, rather than events that simply fill rooms. Claire explains why buyers are now using AI to form preferences early and out of sight, why so much supplier activity is noise rather than relationship progress, and how to work out who really carries the room. She shares how BT moved from infrastructure provider to strategic partner with Translink, where organisations should deliberately keep human judgement in the loop, and why accountability matters more than accuracy when AI shapes what a senior buyer sees. If you run ABM, or are weighing up where your next experience budget should go, this conversation will sharpen how you plan, measure and own those moments. This episode is sponsored by JPC.
What you’ll learn
- Why AI has made trust harder to earn in complex deals, and what buyers rely on instead.
- How to design experiences around the change you need in specific stakeholders, rather than around the format.
- How to spot who really carries the room, and when to rethink your account plan.
- Where to deliberately keep human judgement, and how open to be about AI's role.
- What credible relationship movement looks like, and who should own what happens next.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: trust and ABM in an AI world
01:55 Claire Ellis and JPC
04:29 Where suppliers go wrong in complex deals
08:26 AI cuts both ways: why trust is harder to earn
11:59 Influencing an account before the opportunity exists
15:30 What experiential ABM is, and what it isn't
18:06 Why the format gets decided first, and what it costs
22:00 Finding who really carries the room
26:17 BT and Translink: when co-creation is real
31:14 Where to keep human judgement in the loop
35:13 Accuracy, authenticity and accountability in AI
37:44 What credible relationship movement looks like
41:47 What a CMO should ask before booking anything
44:11 Close and where to find out more
Follow Claire Ellis
Claire Ellis on LinkedIn ▶ https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireellisjpc/
JPC ▶ https://thinkjpc.com/
Find out more
Read JPC's report, The human advantage in an AI-powered world ▶ https://thinkjpc.turtl.co/story/experiential-abm-roundtable-recap/page/1?pid=6aabbc5b8632548bf34bd33c
Hear Claire and JPC at the Global ABM conference ▶ https://events.b2bmarketing.net/abmconference
If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach, whether you're a marketing leader, an ABM practitioner, or working alongside sales on your most important accounts.
🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/
💬 What's the last event in your account plan that actually moved a relationship? Let us know in the comments below.
🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing.
📲 Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:
LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/
Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/
Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/
#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ABM, #AccountBasedMarketing, #ExperientialABM, #ExperientialMarketing, #B2BTrust, #AIinMarketing, #EnterpriseSales, #StrategicAccounts, #SalesAndMarketing, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BStrategy, #CMOLeadership, #B2BGrowth
