What We’re Reading: Week of Sept. 28, 2026

Welcome to What We're Reading, a weekly rundown of news stories, marketing columns, and B2B industry news that caught our eye.

Organizations are still figuring out AI

According to new research shared by The Drum, only 17% of B2B marketing revenue leaders say AI search optimization is fully embedded within their organization, and 39% say they’re still developing their capabilities. Not only that, but 45% provide no AI search training to staff, compared to 28% that see formal AI training as essential.

There are more stats in the feature spanning approaches to auditing and measurement, but the main takeaway is that AI readiness is developing unevenly. While there’s no right or wrong answer to how quickly your organization should adopt AI, what's important is that it's done strategically alongside human decision-making, is considered, and in alignment with everything else happening in your business. 

New B2B buying behaviour insights

New insight published by LinkedIn, and shared by Social Media Today, found that the social media platform plays a key role in the B2B buying journey, and offered some clarity on when buyers start researching.

Specifically, it found that buyers typically begin researching, evaluating, and discussing solutions around 124 days before they speak to a seller, and companies that pair LinkedIn Ads with organic activity achieve a 2.4x higher win rate than those running paid campaigns on their own.

The stat about how early buyers start thinking about options indicates not just how long B2B sales cycles can be, but where you can start tapping into early discovery. Keep in mind how they’re doing that discovery too. It’s likely independent and with a lot of help from AI search.

AI shouldn’t decide why your business matters

This feature from Fast Company outlines three myths B2B marketers need to bust if they want to get the most out of the seemingly countless tools available. One of those myths is that AI makes brand storytelling less important.

“Generative AI works by identifying patterns in what already exists and repeating them,” the article reads. “Brand differentiation works the opposite way. It requires departing from those patterns at precisely the right moment, as only a human being can determine.”

It’s a great lesson to keep in mind as the B2B landscape keeps changing. Your business is probably using AI for research, content, and processes, but at the end of it all, your B2B buyer is human, and should appeal to that.