ING dodged the sandboxes and the endless proofs of concept and headed directly for strategic clarity, freeing up top talent, and building an AI-specific risk “highway” to move fast.

This McKinsey interview with COO Marnix van Stiphout is a case study in how big companies can actually move like startups—if they’re serious.

Dutch banking giant ING didn’t wait around for perfection. Instead of experimenting endlessly, they picked five domains:

Generative AI now drives personalization, improves onboarding, speeds up development, and cuts operational drag across the board.

Leadership assigned board members to each AI stream, cleared obstacles, and brought in outside experts where needed. It’s not just about deploying AI tools—it’s about rewiring how the business works.

If your AI efforts feel stuck in pilot mode, the problem likely isn’t technology, it’s your approach to the project.

Personalization is supposed to drive revenue. But according to Gartner, 53% of customers say it’s had the opposite effect—leading to regret, overwhelm, and a lower chance of buying again.

Name insertions, triggered emails, or “recommended for you” suggestions based on stale data. It assumes what the buyer wants, but doesn’t adapt when the context shifts.

And that context always shifts. Especially during task-switching moments, like moving from research to selection, when buyers are navigating emotional and cognitive friction. That’s when passive personalization can backfire hardest.

Active personalization creates dynamic, two-way co-creation experiences that invite the buyer in and help them make sense of their decisions. Think:

And it unlocks the zero-party data loop that powers smarter engagement going forward.

Personalization can’t be a blunt instrument. To grow loyalty and revenue, marketers must help customers out of decision traps, rather than push them deeper in.

If your message makes people think too hard, they bounce. Vague claims, bloated copy, and lookalike language all drain momentum from your funnel.

We help B2B teams cut through the noise with messaging that’s clear, compelling, and built to close.

Display isn’t dead. But it is misunderstood. Most B2B marketers treat display ads like digital billboards: loud, repetitive, and built for brute-force impressions.

In 2025, that approach is simply noise that B2B buyers don’t want to hear.

Today’s best-performing display ads build narrative momentum, showing up with the right tone, sequence, and clarity to reinforce what your brand stands for.

Modern tools like dynamic creative optimization (DCO) and sequential targeting make it possible to guide buyers across the funnel, not just poke them at the top. That means using display to:

The point is to be remembered. Display works when it feels like part of the journey.

Don’t treat display like a megaphone, treat it like a drumbeat.

Your goal is to build familiarity, reinforce meaning, and carry your story forward one well-timed beat at a time.

For years, analytics teams delivered value no one could prove. Time saved, decisions improved, revenue influenced—but without structured reporting, it was all invisible to the business.

But according to new research that’s changing fast. 97% of analysts now use AI in their workflows, and 87% use automation to streamline prep, generate insights, and—critically—track results.

Modern platforms and AI now do what dashboards couldn’t:

And no-code tools mean business users can see and share impact without needing a data science degree.

AI is making the value of analytics undeniable. In the era of smart reporting, data teams finally have the means to validate their impact.

Most B2B teams don’t have an ad problem—they have a funnel problem. Weak landing pages. Off-target messaging. Misaligned intent.

Our ad optimization partner helps fix the full path—tightening strategy, lifting ROAS, and turning clicks into actual conversions.

The gap between idea and impact is closing fast. In this market, you either prove your value—or you quietly lose budget to someone who did.

—Jay