Customer Marketing Manifesto

On June 18, 2025 at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado, 15 customer marketing leaders came together to discuss the future of customer marketing, our role as leaders in the new era of AI, and what must change to show up at our best for our customers, our organizations, and ourselves. Below is the manifesto, and we hope you’ll join us by signing off on the collective definition of customer marketing and our path forward.

Customer marketing has been overlooked for too long in B2B. We drive growth, retention, and expansion, but all too often do not get a seat at the table. This manifesto is a rally cry. A declaration of the power and impact of customer marketing and its future.

WHO WE ARE

We are customer-first marketers, and we are the lifeblood of modern go to market. We are the quarterbacks of collaboration and strategy, embedded across teams and driving growth through the trust we earn with our customers—across every stage of the customer journey. We lead with both technology and humanity, embracing data and AI to scale - but never at the cost of trust.

We are innovators and storytellers driven by our values. And we are the future CMOs and CXOs of B2B.

WE BELIEVE

  • Humans trust humans, and this is the most powerful lever for growth in the AI age.

  • The customer voice is the most valuable proof.

  • Customer value and business impact are not mutually exclusive.

  • Customer marketing is the connective tissue of GTM.

  • Storytelling, data, and empathy are a powerful combination that unlock growth.

  • Customers are the core catalyst of growth. Because no customers, no business.

WE REJECT

  • That more is always better.

  • Using customers in transactional ways.

  • Short-term thinking at the cost of long-term trust.

  • Silos between marketing, community, product, and CS.

  • Tactical order-taking and reactive programs..

WE WILL

  • Recognize our role as the strategic growth lever that lifts every part of the GTM motion.

  • Make our value undeniable at every stage of the customer journey.

  • Be the innovators in our organization with AI and technology

  • Use signals and proof to drive strategic decisions.

  • Deliver brand-defining, trust-building experiences.

  • Lead our companies to be more human.

OUR VALUES

  • Authenticity over performance. We lead with honesty, transparency, and humanity.

  • Mutual value over extraction. We strive to deliver value to, not exploit, our customers. All roads lead back to customer satisfaction.

  • Connection over silos. We are collaborators that actively break down silos across people, products, and teams.

  • Proof over promises. We believe customer outcomes speak louder than brand promises.

  • Iteration over perfection. We adapt, test, and evolve. We fail fast to learn faster.

It's time for transformation!

If not us, who?

If not now, when?