The B2B Marketing Delusion: Why Most Companies Are Spending Millions to Stand Still

ADELAIDE, Australia - EntSun -- Lustosa Marketing, a boutique B2B marketing advisory based in Adelaide, has released a strategic report arguing that most B2B companies are misdiagnosing their marketing problem, pouring growing budgets into tactics that fail to move the needle.

The report, authored by founder and Fractional CMO Celeste Lustosa, draws on research from Forrester, Gartner, McKinsey, 6sense, and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising to argue the real issue is not spend or channel choice. It is a foundation problem: unclear positioning, generic messaging, and a lack of long-term brand investment.

Forrester's 2024 State of Business Buying research found that 86 percent of B2B purchases stall, and 81 percent of buyers end up dissatisfied with the vendor they chose. Separately, 73 percent of B2B buyers say they actively avoid vendors sending irrelevant or generic outreach.

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The report also cites 6sense's 2025 Buyer Experience Report, which found that 95 percent of the time, the vendor that wins a deal was already on the buyer's shortlist from day one. That means most of the decisive commercial work happens before a prospect ever contacts a salesperson.

Drawing on Les Binet and Peter Field's research with LinkedIn's B2B Institute, the report argues that B2B brands investing at least half their marketing budget in long-term brand building deliver stronger financial returns, yet most companies remain weighted toward short-term lead generation instead.

"When the foundation is right, every downstream investment performs better," the report states. "When it is wrong, no amount of campaign spend will compensate."

About Lustosa Marketing

Lustosa Marketing is a boutique B2B marketing advisory based in Adelaide, South Australia, led by founder and Fractional CMO Celeste Lustosa, who brings 25 years of marketing experience. The agency specialises in B2B pipeline growth, LinkedIn lead generation, and fractional marketing leadership. Lustosa Marketing authored the Australian B2B Marketing Trends Report 2026 to 2027.

Media contact

Celeste Lustosa Founder & Fractional CMO Lustosa Marketing celeste@lustosamarketing.com lustosamarketing.com

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