Interview - B2B Marketing is Playing the Game on Hard Mode. With Tyrona Heath.
EP 220 · Jul 21, 2026 · 41 min · Tyrona Heath
0:00 / 40:58
The short version
B2B marketing isn't playing a different game. It's playing the same game on hard mode.
In this episode, we're joined by Ty Heath, Global Director of Thought Leadership Go-to-Market at LinkedIn and co-founder of the B2B Institute.
Fresh off serving as Jury President for the Creative B2B Lions at Cannes, Ty shares what separated the best work from the rest—and why B2B creativity is entering a new era.
We discuss:
- What won at Cannes B2B Lions
- Why B2B creativity has matured
- The role of emotion in B2B
- Buying committees and "viability"
- Why ecosystems beat campaigns
- The origin story of the B2B Institute
- Long-term thinking inside LinkedIn
- Why B2B marketers are playing the game on "hard mode"
Whether you work in B2B, B2C, media, or brand strategy, this conversation offers practical lessons on creativity, leadership and marketing effectiveness.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome Back, Tyronna Heath
00:38 - Tyronna’s New Role at LinkedIn
01:11 - Winning an Effie for “Only on LinkedIn”
02:58 - Becoming Jury President for the Creative B2B Lions
05:24 - Reviewing 355 Cannes Entries
07:20 - Has B2B Creativity Finally Matured?
09:14 - What Effective B2B Creativity Looks Like
12:00 - Why the Best Ideas Can Be Explained in One Sentence
13:24 - What Is Still Missing from B2B Creative?
16:01 - Why Ecosystems Can Be More Powerful Than Campaigns
18:09 - The Role of Emotion in B2B Decision-Making
18:23 - Cannes as a B2B Brand Experience
21:37 - The Origin Story of the B2B Institute
25:25 - How the B2B Institute Built Its Influence
28:05 - Thought Leadership and Betting on What Won’t Change
31:09 - Human Behaviour as the Enduring Marketing Truth
32:43 - Where B2B Creativity Goes Next
34:15 - Why B2B Marketing Is “Hard Mode”
37:07 - LinkedIn’s Long-Term B2B Playbook
38:01 - Building Authority, Credibility and Confidence
39:10 - The B2B Institute as a Marketing Cheat Code
40:05 - Where to Follow Tyronna and the B2B Institute
Chapters
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Transcript
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SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Sleeping Barber Podcast.
SPEAKER_03: Uh, I think the new question for us, as maybe there's multiple questions, is uh more so like now, what does effective B2B creativity look like?
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Sleeping Barber Podcast, a place for business leaders to get the best and most credible information on marketing, strategy, and innovation. Your hosts, Mark Binkley and Vasily Storos, share their experiences as they gather insights from the world's leading experts. Now, on with the show.