<p>In this episode, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonlombardo/" target="_blank">Jon Lombardo</a>, Co-Founder of Evidenza, unpacks the counterintuitive truth about B2B buying behaviour. Drawing on research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Jon reveals why most B2B marketers fundamentally misunderstand their audience. The 95-5 rule shows that 95% of potential buyers aren't in the market right now, which means the traditional focus on short-term lead generation is missing the bigger picture. </p> <p>Jon also explains how AI-powered synthetic research is transforming market intelligence, why B2B needs more brand building than B2C, and what marketers should do about it. </p> <p>If you're stuck chasing in-market buyers whilst your competitors build future demand, this conversation will change how you think about growth.</p> <p><b>Guest Introduction</b></p> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonlombardo/" target="_blank">Jon Lombardo</a> is Co-Founder of Evidenza, a synthetic AI market research platform that surveys AI-generated customer copies to build evidence-based marketing plans in hours rather than months. Previously, Jon was Head of Research at LinkedIn's B2B Institute, where he helped establish the 95-5 rule and commissioned pioneering research on how B2B brands grow.</p> <p><b>Key Topics</b></p> <ul><li>The 95-5 rule: why 95% of B2B buyers are out of market at any given time, and why that matters more than the 5% who are ready to buy</li><li>The 11X rule: how B2B buying cycles are 11 times longer than B2C, making brand building even more critical in B2B than consumer categories</li><li>The evolution from the 60-40 rule to 95-5: how research with John Dawes from Ehrenberg-Bass Institute challenged conventional wisdom about marketing budget allocation</li><li>Mental and physical availability in B2B: creating brand-relevant memories that activate when buyers eventually come into the market</li><li>AI and synthetic research: how Evidenza uses AI to interview synthetic customers, delivering market research in hours that would traditionally take months</li><li>Bootstrapped growth: how Evidenza launched with paying customers from day one without venture capital, growing to over 100 clients</li><li>The future of AI in marketing: why AI is underrated and will transform marketing beyond what most people imagine</li><li>Practical applications: how to use AI for execution whilst keeping strategic thinking human</li></ul> <p><b>Resources &amp; Links</b></p> <p><b>People Mentioned:</b></p> <ul><li><a href="https://au.linkedin.com/in/markritson" target="_blank">Mark Ritson</a> - Marketing professor, columnist, and founder of Marketing Week Mini MBA</li><li><a href="https://au.linkedin.com/in/john-dawes-059bab10" target="_blank">John Dawes</a> - Professor at Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/les-binet-9bb7453/" target="_blank">Les Binet</a> - Marketing effectiveness researcher and econometrician</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-field-20110120/" target="_blank">Peter Field</a> - Marketing consultant and author</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/weinbergpeter/" target="_blank">Peter Weinberg</a> - Co-Founder of Evidenza</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwatroba/" target="_blank">Brian Watroba</a> - Co-Founder of Evidenza</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenni-romaniuk-2746884/" target="_blank">Jenny Romaniuk</a> - Professor at Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedyatehrenbergbass/" target="_blank">Rachel Kennedy</a> - Professor at Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-hartnett/" target="_blank">Nicole Hartnett</a> - Professor at Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorbyronsharp/" target="_blank">Byron Sharp</a> - Professor of Marketing Science at Ehrenberg-Bass Institute</li></ul> <p><b>Companies &amp; Organisations:</b></p> <ul><li><a href="https://www.evidenza.ai/" target="_blank">Evidenza</a> - Synthetic AI market research platform</li><li><a href="https://marketingscience.info/" target="_blank">Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science</a> - The World's largest centre for research into marketing</li><li><a href="https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/b2b-institute" target="_blank">LinkedIn B2B Institute</a> - Marketing think tank (Jon's former employer)</li></ul> <p><b>Key Frameworks:</b></p> <ul><li>The 95-5 Rule - Research on B2B buying behaviour shows that only 5% of buyers are in market</li><li>The 11X Rule - How B2B buying cycles differ from B2C</li><li>The 60-40 Rule - Les Binet and Peter Field's framework for balancing brand building and sales activation</li></ul> <p>Subscribe to the xG Weekly Newsletter for weekly insights on B2B growth across APAC:<a href="https://xgrowth.com.au/newsletter" target="_blank">https://xgrowth.com.au/newsletter</a></p> <p>Contact &amp; Credits</p> <p><b>Hosts: </b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahinhoda/" target="_blank">Shahin Hoda</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinnieromano/" target="_blank">Vinnie Romano</a></p> <p><b>Guest</b> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonlombardo/" target="_blank">Jon Lombardo</a></p> <p><b>Produced by</b>: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahinhoda/" target="_blank">Shahin Hoda</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/awhipwell/" target="_blank">Alexander Hipwell</a></p> <p><b>Edited by:</b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/awhipwell/" target="_blank"> Alexander Hipwell</a></p> <p><b>Music by</b>: <a href="https://www.breakmastercylinder.com/" target="_blank">Breakmaster Cylinder</a></p> <p><b>APAC's B2B Growth Podcast is Presented by </b><a href="https://xgrowth.com.au/" target="_blank">xGrowth</a></p>