Table of Contents
WHY WE NEED ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING
Knowing your client
Successful marketing relies on its ability to speak directly to the needs, preferences, and challenges of its audience. Customers today are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of marketing messages they encounter daily, which means generic, one-size-fits-all campaigns often fail to make a meaningful impact. This leaves a gap that account based marketing can fill.
When marketing efforts align with the specific needs and characteristics of a customer segment, the messaging feels more relevant, personal, and valuable. This relevance builds trust and fosters stronger relationships, as customers perceive the brand as one that understands and respects their unique requirements rather than treating them as part of a faceless mass. By tailoring campaigns in this way, marketers not only capture attention more effectively but also drive engagement, loyalty, and, ultimately, conversions.
Account Based Marketing represents an evolution beyond conventional segmentation strategies. Instead of focusing on broad groups, ABM treats high-value accounts as individual markets of one, designing highly personalised campaigns for each account’s specific challenges, goals, and decision-makers. This approach combines the precision of segmentation with the depth of personalisation, ensuring that every interaction is tailored to resonate deeply with the target account. By aligning sales and marketing teams around these key accounts, ABM creates a superior way of engaging customers that delivers stronger relationships, higher conversion rates, and increased return on investment compared to traditional segmentation methods.
BEFORE ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING
The Old Faithful Funnel
The traditional sales funnel is a foundational concept in marketing and sales, designed to illustrate the customer journey from the first interaction with a brand to the final purchase. It is the precursor to account based marketing.
The top of the funnel begins with Awareness, where potential customers first learn about a product, service, or brand through channels such as advertising, social media, search engines, or word of mouth. The next level is Interest, where prospects move beyond simple awareness to active curiosity about the brand or product. They begin engaging with content, reading articles, watching videos, or signing up for newsletters. Following this is Consideration, where prospects actively compare options, evaluate benefits, and weigh their choices before making a decision. The final stage is Purchase, where the prospect becomes a customer by completing the transaction.
The goal is different at each stage. First the focus is to capture attention and build brand recognition so that when a need arises, the brand is among the first considered. Then, marketing efforts shift to education and value, positioning the brand as a credible source of information and a potential solution to the customer’s needs or problems. Then differentiating the brand from competitors to demonstrate why it offers the best solution. Lastly, the focus shifts to ensuring a seamless buying experience, offering support where needed, and building trust to encourage repeat purchases and loyalty.
Marketers use wide-reaching tactics at each stage because they are targeting the largest and least defined audience group. Interest-building activities help nurture a relationship and guide prospects towards deeper engagement and providing detailed product information, case studies, testimonials, and personalised communications helps address specific concerns or preferences.
Over time, the marketing industry adopted and relied on this funnel because it provides a clear, structured approach to understanding the customer journey, aligning sales and marketing efforts, and creating targeted strategies for each stage to improve conversion rates and maximise return on investment, but the need to pivot to account based marketing was on the horizon.
IS THERE A NEED FOR ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING
The problem with the Funnel
Relying solely on the traditional sales funnel can have downfalls that open the door to allowing account based marketing to take root. The linear nature of the funnel assumes that customers move neatly from awareness to purchase in a predictable sequence. Marketers and brand managers often find this overly simplistic because modern customers interact with brands through multiple channels at different times, moving back and forth rather than following a single straight path. Meaning that decision-making is less predictable and often influenced by factors outside a brand’s direct control. As customer journeys become increasingly non-linear, the traditional funnel struggles to account for this complexity.
Retention, loyalty, or advocacy are now essential for sustainable brand growth and with the funnel ending at sales, there’s no room for these elements which are a key focus in the account based marketing model. Marketers today recognise that customers expect ongoing relationships with brands that reflect their values and provide continued value beyond the transaction itself. With communities forming around shared brand experiences and social perspectives favouring authenticity, there is a greater need to nurture long-term connections, which the traditional funnel does not inherently support.
The rise of personalisation and customer-centricity also highlights a shortcoming in the traditional model. Modern audiences expect tailored content and experiences that reflect their individual preferences and behaviours, whereas the funnel often treats customers as a collective rather than unique individuals. Marketers, then, have to adapt to a mindset where engagement must feel personal and relevant.
The traditional funnel was developed at a time when brand-driven messaging held more sway over purchasing decisions.
Today, customer reviews, user-generated content, and social proof heavily influence buyer behaviour.
The funnel underplays the importance of external voices and ignores the struggle to align slow, funnel-based campaigns with the need for agile, real-time interactions demanded by modern audiences. Account based marketing could be a possible response to the cultural shift towards immediacy, inclusivity, and two-way communication means that brands now require models that allow for flexibility, continuous engagement, and adaptability, moving beyond the linear approach of the past.
ADOPTING ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING
Embracing progress and change
Account based marketing is designed to address many of the pain points that marketers and brand managers face when relying solely on the traditional sales funnel. Where the funnel often takes a broad, linear approach, ABM recognises that not all potential customers are the same. Instead, it focuses on treating high-value accounts as individual markets with unique needs and decision-making processes. The purpose of ABM is to create highly personalised marketing efforts that align closely with the specific characteristics, challenges, and goals of each account. By doing this, account based marketing ensures that marketing resources are used efficiently while delivering campaigns that feel relevant and tailored, rather than generic or one-size-fits-all.
The function of account based marketing goes beyond simply generating leads. It brings marketing and sales teams into closer collaboration to develop targeted strategies that resonate deeply with specific accounts. This alignment allows both teams to share insights, coordinate outreach, and measure success based on meaningful engagement rather than sheer volume of leads. Because account based marketing campaigns are customised, they foster stronger relationships, shorten sales cycles, and improve the chances of converting high-value prospects into long-term customers. In a business environment where decision-making often involves multiple stakeholders, ABM’s personalised approach ensures that brands speak directly to the concerns and aspirations of everyone involved in the buying process.
Shifting leadership and teams towards these more strategic metrics requires education, patience, and clear communication about how account based marketing aligns with the company’s larger business objectives. Additionally, adopting ABM often requires investment in new tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) integrations, marketing automation, and analytics platforms, which can slow buy-in if budgets are tight or technical expertise is limited. Decision-makers often want clear evidence of return on investment before committing to a new strategy, but ABM’s success metrics, such as engagement and relationship-building, take time to develop compared to the immediate lead volume numbers produced by the traditional funnel.
Marketers and brand managers who understand and apply account based marketing are at the forefront of progress because they are embracing a strategy that reflects the realities of modern customer expectations. Buyers today demand relevance, authenticity, and value at every stage of their interaction with a brand. ABM meets these demands by using data, insights, and creativity to craft experiences that feel bespoke and meaningful. By moving away from broad, impersonal campaigns and towards highly targeted engagement, these forward-thinking professionals are positioning their brands as partners rather than just vendors. In doing so, they are not only driving measurable business results but also shaping a marketing future built on collaboration, personalisation, and lasting customer relationships.
UNDERSTANDING ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING
Flipping the funnel
Flipping the traditional sales funnel in account based marketing signifies a fundamental shift in focus from chasing broad awareness to building meaningful, long-term relationships with a smaller group of high-value accounts. By placing the largest part of the funnel at the bottom, ABM highlights that the ultimate goal is not merely to generate a purchase but to cultivate advocacy and loyalty, turning customers into brand champions. This approach reflects a deeper understanding of behavioural science, where trust, familiarity, and emotional engagement influence decision-making far more than transactional encounters. It also aligns with the growing importance of personalisation and relevance in modern marketing, ensuring that every interaction speaks directly to the needs and values of the customer.
1. Identification
The first stage, Identification, focuses on selecting the right accounts to target rather than casting a wide net. This stage draws from the marketing concept of segmentation, where markets are divided into meaningful groups based on shared characteristics. Behavioural science supports this with the principle of cognitive ease, as people respond better to messaging that aligns with their existing needs and preferences. By identifying accounts that already exhibit signals of interest or alignment with the brand’s values, marketers can tailor messaging in a way that feels relevant and effortless for the audience to engage with.
2. Engagement
Engagement in account based marketing goes beyond one-way communication and seeks to foster dialogue and connection with key accounts. This stage is closely related to the marketing concept of relationship marketing, which prioritises building trust and emotional resonance over time. Behavioural science reinforces this through the reciprocity principle, where people are more likely to respond positively when they feel valued and understood. By offering personalised content, exclusive insights, or meaningful interactions, brands create a sense of partnership rather than persuasion, leading to deeper engagement and long-term commitment.
3. Purchase
In the Purchase stage, account based marketing reframes the buying decision as the natural outcome of trust and relationship-building rather than the result of hard selling. This aligns with the marketing concept of value creation, where customers perceive products or services as meeting both functional and emotional needs. Behavioural science supports this through the concept of loss aversion, where individuals are motivated to avoid losing a valuable opportunity or relationship. By nurturing accounts with tailored solutions and clear demonstrations of value, marketers make the decision to purchase feel both rational and emotionally rewarding.
4. Advocacy
Advocacy represents the most significant shift in the flipped funnel, as it places the greatest emphasis on turning customers into brand champions. The marketing concept of word-of-mouth and influencer effects is central here, as advocacy relies on customers sharing positive experiences within their networks. Behavioural science ties this to the principle of social proof, where people look to others for cues on what to trust and support. When customers become vocal advocates, they provide authentic endorsements that resonate far more powerfully than traditional advertising, creating a ripple effect of trust and credibility.
5. Growth through Loyalty
Although not always explicitly listed as a separate step in the account based marketing model, loyalty often emerges naturally from advocacy, leading to sustained growth. This reflects the marketing concept of customer lifetime value, where the goal is not a single purchase but a lasting relationship that delivers mutual benefits over time. Behavioural science highlights the mere exposure effect, where repeated positive interactions increase familiarity and preference. By investing in loyalty-building initiatives, brands create a cycle where advocacy and retention feed each other, ensuring long-term success and consistent brand growth.
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING
Learning from our neighbours
Industries outside of the creative sector, such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and finance, bring unique perspectives to account based marketing because their primary goals often centre on operational efficiency, compliance, long-term contracts, and highly specialised client relationships rather than purely brand visibility or consumer sentiment.
For instance, in manufacturing and logistics, account based marketing concepts often revolve around building highly tailored solutions for a few large accounts that may form the backbone of their revenue. Instead of focusing on storytelling or brand advocacy in the traditional sense, these industries use ABM principles to map out supply chain needs, procurement cycles, and service-level agreements with precision, ensuring that every engagement point addresses specific operational challenges and delivers measurable value.
Healthcare organisations take another approach by using ABM-inspired strategies to personalise communications for institutions, government agencies, or corporate healthcare buyers. The focus here is often on trust, data security, and evidence-based value delivery. Rather than purely marketing a product or service, the messaging becomes consultative and education-driven, tailored to the decision-making protocols of each account. This demonstrates how ABM principles, when applied outside creative fields, shift towards long-term relationship building, patient or client outcomes, and compliance assurance while still embracing the core idea of treating each account as a market of one.
Finance and technology sectors often adapt account based marketing differently again, leveraging data analytics, automation, and AI to scale personalisation while maintaining accuracy and regulatory compliance. Instead of relying on broad campaigns, they use account scoring, behavioural triggers, and predictive modelling to identify high-value accounts and deliver hyper-relevant solutions at exactly the right time. In doing so, these industries focus on progress through precision, risk management, and technological innovation, proving that ABM concepts can drive efficiency, trust, and measurable ROI even in sectors where creativity is secondary to reliability and performance.
APPLYING ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING
Real world successes
When brands embrace account based marketing and treat individual accounts as unique opportunities rather than part of an anonymous crowd, they unlock deeper engagement, stronger relationships, and more efficient use of marketing investment. The strategic alignment of sales and marketing, personalised content, and account-specific insights elevate not only conversion metrics but also customer perception and loyalty.
Snowflake’s campaign with Terminus is a striking example of how focused, personalised outreach can transform results. By zeroing in on enterprise-level accounts and creating content that specifically addressed each account’s unique pain points, they achieved remarkable outcomes: engagement rates rose by 300 per cent, and their sales cycle shortened significantly. This performance stood in contrast to broader marketing campaigns, which tend to generate awareness but lower conversion and longer decision times. The precision of account based marketing allowed Snowflake to speak directly to decision makers, reducing noise and increasing relevance.
Another strong example is GumGum’s campaign aimed at T-Mobile. Rather than sending mass messaging or standard materials, GumGum created a custom comic book featuring T-Mobile’s CEO as a superhero, aligning narrative, creativity and account-specific insight. This creative, memorable outreach secured the account and also generated social media buzz, demonstrating how ABM can combine personalisation and storytelling to build both relationship and brand exposure more effectively than generic campaigns.
LiveRamp also provides a powerful case study. They identified a list of high-value, Fortune 500 accounts and used a multichannel ABM strategy—combining personalised outreach, display ads, thought leadership events and sales follow-ups. Within weeks, they saw a dramatic conversion rate from cold leads to meetings, and over time their revenue from these targeted accounts grew substantially. In comparison, traditional broad demand generation campaigns might have spread resources more thinly and yielded many leads but fewer high-impact results.
Those who integrate account based marketing into their marketing roadmap are not just chasing transactions but building advocacy, trust, and sustainable growth. By treating key accounts as “markets of one,” brands can rise above the noise and forge connections that last. Transformation is possible when strategy is paired with daring creativity and empathetic understanding. The opportunity is ripe.
Updated: 10 October 2025
