What's actually working in B2B marketing right now.

I've spent the last 15 years in B2B marketing. From PR intern to CMO, and now as the guy who gets to talk to the smartest practitioners in the game every day. I send out what I learn twice a week.

Real plays from real marketers. Names, numbers, examples you can take straight back to your team.

If you're a B2B marketer who wants to know what's actually working, this newsletter is for you.

40,000+ marketers read Dave's newsletter every week.

Newsletter Archive

Latest editions

Alex Howe from Funnel Leasing on Exit Five podcast with Daver Gerhardt talking about organic marketing
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #268

How Organic Marketing helped Funnel Leasing Grow to $50 Million ARR

Every marketing team feels the pressure to hit the number, and the easy move is to throw more money at it: more ads, more outbound, more tools. The CEO and CFO love paid because it’s simple: spend more, get more. But here at Exit Five, we know that “marketing” doesn’t just mean “advertising” – there […]

Jul 16, 2026 · 5 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #267

TV Ads for B2B – why it works and where to start

The pressure to grow is on. At the same time, the paid channels you’ve always leaned on (LinkedIn, Google, Meta) are getting more competitive and expensive. But here’s something new. More people are watching TV than ever (but through streaming now). CTV (connected TV) is one of the biggest paid channels very few B2B teams […]

Jul 14, 2026 · 4 min read
Group discussing high-ROI strategies.
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #266

5 plays these B2B marketers said worked in H1 2026

There’s a lot of hype right now about what’s possible in marketing. Our job is to help you understand what’s real by showing you real examples from real marketers. The number one thing we hear is: show me examples, give me ideas, give me inspiration, and that’s what we have for you today. I’m going […]

Jul 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Group of smiling marketing professionals
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #265

9 Marketers Share Their Top Plays of 2026 (So Far)

Last week we ran a Live Session called the B2B Blitz. Nine marketers each shared the best play they’ve run so far this year. The catch: I had my buzzer ready for the two-minute mark.  “Insanely valuable.”  “A masterclass in modern marketing.” “Best webinar format I’ve ever sat in on.” Just a glimpse of the […]

Jul 6, 2026 · 6 min read
Exit Five podcast with Jonathan Hunt on content marketing and brand marketing
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #264

How HubSpot’s VP of Content delivers 50 Million impressions each month (and tells the measurement story to the CFO)

Every time I talk to a marketer who’s building a real content program, video, podcast, creator partnerships, the question that keeps coming up is the same one: “How do I explain this to my CFO?” This question comes up not because we don’t know how to measure content, but because the rest of the organization […]

Jul 2, 2026 · 4 min read
Dave Gerhardt and Louis Grenier discuss Brand Marketing for B2B companies
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #263

How to Make Your B2B Brand Stand Out in 2026

This newsletter is guest written by Louis Grenier, author of Stand The F*ck Out and upcoming Drive keynote speaker. I spent the better part of May auditing brand marketing for 100 B2B SaaS and AI brands, such as Linear, Notion, Gong, Ramp, or Vanta. Rest assured, I didn’t just do it for fun.  I had a point […]

Jun 30, 2026 · 5 min read
Dave Gerhardt shares wisdom from years of working alongside and in some of the top B2B marketing teams
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #262

Every B2B marketing channel works. Picking the right one is the real job.

Everything in B2B marketing works. I’ve done over 300 hours of interviews with CMOs and VPs in B2B marketing. Spent a decade as a marketing leader myself. I can tell you – it all works. YouTube, LinkedIn (works – take it from me), direct mail, webinars, TikTok, email, events, PR, partnerships…they all can work. Even spending […]

Jun 25, 2026 · 3 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #261

Timeless B2B Marketing lessons

How to write copy that gets your buyer to act Early in my career, it seemed like everyone was becoming “the growth marketer” and I thought that’s where the job security was. I needed to become the growth guy. The CEO at the time told me the opposite: you have a superpower in creativity and […]

Jun 23, 2026 · 5 min read
Several B2B Marketers share what's working for them with AEO GEO in B2B Marketing
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #260

What’s Working in AEO Right Now

Does website traffic matter any more? AI ate search. So any time you look something up now, even if you’re just doing it in the browser, you get an AI summary of the results. Or you might be like me, walking down the street talking to Claude (don’t judge me). For years, we’ve used website […]

Jun 18, 2026 · 6 min read
Audience engaged at a conference event
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #259

How to Make Your B2B Influencer Marketing Work

When a B2B brand play beats demand gen “Oh we don’t have the budget for that.” “That’s not relatable, they have a million dollar influencer budget alone!” Most B2B marketers write off influencer marketing and sponsorships before they ever try it because we think it’s too expensive, or too hard to measure. This type of […]

Jun 16, 2026 · 4 min read
Row of B2B marketing professionals wearing Exit Five lanyards with laptops open, actively engaged during a conference session
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #258

3 Lessons From Ramp’s VP Growth & Demand (And Did You Know They Don’t Have a CMO?)

Referrals make the world go round. There is nothing better than getting a referral from someone smart and with good taste, whether we’re talking restaurants or recruiting. But even in podcasting! So a few months ago I had Drew from Ramp’s data science team on my show. I think he had a blast, and then […]

Jun 11, 2026 · 6 min read
Robots and man discussing marketing strategies.
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #256

The Narrative On AI Is Shifting

We polled 540 B2B marketers on how they really feel about AI right now — and the mood is shifting. Here's what the data showed, from near-universal daily usage to the growing pushback against the hype.

Jun 9, 2026 · 4 min read
Audience member taking notes during event
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #255

4 lessons from the lady who runs ABM for North America at Snowflake

That lady is Casey Patterson and she is responsible for managing 23 marketers at Snowflake with the mission of driving revenue through account based marketing. I love writing about ABM (and our audience here seems to like it too) because it is the one motion in B2B where marketing and sales actually stop arguing about credit. It’s […]

Jun 4, 2026 · 6 min read
Scenic resort surrounded by autumn foliage
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #254

9 Reasons to Join us in Vermont for Drive 2026 this September

So I sat down to write my newsletter and had this whole rant about Claude and AI, but then I remembered: I have something better to share with you today! We just unveiled a big part of the agenda for Drive 2026, our big event for Exit Five in Stowe, Vermont this September. Meet the […]

Jun 2, 2026 · 7 min read
Two women talking outdoors, mountain backdrop.
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #253

How To Run a Calm Marketing Organization (aka Why You Should Run Marketing Like The Product Team)

I’ve done over 300 podcast interviews with VPs, CMOs, and marketing leaders over the last four years (weird flex, I know). But there’s something I’ve noticed about the ones who are on top of their game as marketing leaders. It’s not that they’re more creative or smarter than everyone else (though most of them are). […]

May 28, 2026 · 6 min read
Audience members at a B2B marketing event raising smartphones to record a speaker's presentation projected on a purple-lit screen
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #250

Are you sick of AI yet? [Take the survey]

B2B marketers are pushing back on AI — the narrative is shifting. Dave shares what a Fortune 500 CMO told him, and asks: where do you actually stand right now?

May 26, 2026 · 3 min read
marketing event guests eating ice cream while networking
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #249

AI is eating the B2B marketing funnel

AI is eating the B2B marketing funnel

May 21, 2026 · 4 min read
B2B marketing professionals seated in Adirondack chairs networking outdoors at an Exit Five event with a scenic lake and mountain backdrop on a sunny day
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #248

Everyone is lying about AI

Everyone is lying about AI

May 19, 2026 · 7 min read
Seth Godin, Ann Handley, Kara Hardin, Louis Grenier are keynote speakers for Drive 2026 by Exit Five
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #247

Seth Godin is speaking to Drive 2026

Seth Godin is speaking to Drive 2026

May 14, 2026 · 5 min read
Small group of B2B marketers in a workshop session around a wooden conference table in a modern glass-walled venue at an Exit Five event
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #246

Stop overcomplicating B2B marketing strategy

Stop overcomplicating marketing

May 12, 2026 · 7 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #245

Will AI replace creatives?

Will AI replace creatives?

May 7, 2026 · 7 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #244

PR is back, baby.

PR is back, baby.

May 5, 2026 · 8 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #244

How to survive in a job you don’t love

How to survive in a job you don’t love

Apr 30, 2026 · 5 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #243

How to make B2B social work

How to make B2B social work

Apr 28, 2026 · 8 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #242

How to be the CMO everyone loves

How to be the CMO everyone loves

Apr 23, 2026 · 7 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #241

The most useful things B2B marketers built with AI this week

The most useful things B2B marketers built with AI this week

Apr 21, 2026 · 5 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #240

How Ramp is turning its marketers into builders with AI3

How Ramp is turning its marketers into builders with AI3

Apr 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Man doing pull ups as part of a promotion at a B2B marketing event booth
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #239

What To Do With Your Trade Show Booth

Show me your booth?

Apr 14, 2026 · 5 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #238

5 types of ownable ideas (pick yours)

5 types of ownable ideas (pick yours)

Apr 9, 2026 · 7 min read
EXIT FIVE
Newsletter #237

5 B2B ad campaigns that actually worked

5 B2B ad campaigns that actually worked

Apr 7, 2026 · 7 min read
Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you might be wondering about the newsletter.

Dave Gerhardt sends the Exit Five newsletter twice a week. Every issue covers what's actually working in B2B marketing right now, drawn from real conversations with practicing marketers.

Dave Gerhardt, founder of Exit Five, writes every issue himself. He spent 15 years in B2B marketing — including VP of Marketing at Drift and CMO at Privy — before building Exit Five into one of the largest B2B marketing communities in the world.

Yes. The newsletter is free and open to anyone. More than 40,000 B2B marketers subscribe.

Real plays from real marketers — names, numbers, and examples you can take straight back to your team. Expect B2B marketing strategy, demand gen, positioning, and career growth, not recycled industry news.

Most B2B marketing newsletters round up industry news. Exit Five's is written by a practitioner drawing on direct conversations inside a 6,000+ member community of B2B marketers, so the advice is grounded in what's actually working right now, not theory.

Yes. Every past issue is archived and free to read below, with new issues added twice a week.