B2B organizations are moving faster than ever to advance digital transformation, making alignment across customer experience, commerce, and digital marketing essential. Our recent online Performance Commerce Online 2025 events, reserved exclusively for Smith clients and special guests, brought together experts from each area for interactive workshops and forward-looking insights from Forrester analysts.
Session 1: CX + Commerce
The event opened with an interactive session on Practical AI Solutions to CX Pain Points led by Smith CX leaders Jared Hochradel and Stephanie Hopper. Attendees worked through practical applications of AI in B2B commerce, like predictive analytics, natural language interfaces, and adaptive customer experiences. The group brainstorming session helped identify real pain points B2B leaders are experiencing and opportunities to mend these pain points with AI-driven solutions.
Following the workshop, guest speaker Chuck Gahun, Principal Analyst at Forrester, shared insights from his Future of Commerce research. He explored emerging trends in B2B buying behavior, including the rise of marketplaces, generational shifts in purchasing dynamics, and the balance between digital and offline sales. Gahun also touched on how generative AI is reshaping the buying process, from discovery and evaluation to final commitment, and emphasized the growing role of social media and AI-driven tools influencing decisions.
As these forces continue to evolve, Gahun underscored the importance of adapting content and experiences to meet buyers where they are. The biggest takeaway? Reducing friction and building confidence through data, relevance, and anticipation are becoming the core drivers of B2B success.
Session 2: Digital Marketing
The second session, Evolving Content Strategies in the Face of Change, was led by Smith’s Benjamin Sullivan, Associate Director of SEO & Content. They explored how AI is reshaping search visibility and what brands can do to adapt as zero-click results, and AI overviews change how people discover content. The discussion centered on creating purpose-driven pages, strengthening trust signals through authoritative sources and user-generated content, and preparing 2026 strategies for an AI-driven search landscape.
In the second half, Lisa Gately, Principal Analyst at Forrester, followed with insights from her recent research on building content that wins in answer engines. She highlighted the importance of making content discoverable wherever buyers are, creating decision-driving assets that connect needs to solutions, and structuring content for both humans and machines. Gately also emphasized that AI systems reward substance and structure, and that buyers seek proof through authentic stories, data, and validation rather than promotion. Her session reinforced the idea that content that demonstrates expertise, clarity, and credibility and keeping humans in the loop will build trust and stand out in an AI-driven world.
The discussions throughout Performance Commerce Online 2025 made it clear that AI is reshaping how B2B organizations build trust, create relevance, and deliver value. The insights shared will continue to guide how businesses adapt and grow as we head into 2026. If you’re interested in participating in future Performance Commerce events, contact us to learn more.