In this episode of Future Fuzz, Justin is joined by Katie Desmond, Chief Revenue Officer and Partner at iMarc, a full-service digital agency with a 27-year legacy and one of the highest client retention rates in the industry. Katie shares how her agency leverages AI not for novelty but for real operational impact - from streamlining translation and content optimization to accelerating B2B research cycles. She also dives into the evolving expectations of B2B buyers, the importance of authenticity in digital marketing, and why relationships and strategic insights remain irreplaceable - even in an AI-driven age.

Guest Bio

Katie Desmond is the Chief Revenue Officer and Partner at iMarc, a premier digital agency with over 35 employees and clients ranging from Marriott to JetBlue. With a background in business development, account leadership, and project management, Katie is focused on helping brands achieve measurable results through strategic custom marketing solutions. She is a vocal advocate for using AI to enhance, not replace - human creativity and decision-making. Under her leadership, iMarc has sustained a 27-year reputation for client loyalty, innovation, and exceptional outcomes.

Takeaways

• AI should solve real problems, not be used for its own sake.
• Authenticity in B2B is more vital than ever, especially on platforms like LinkedIn.
• Buyers often make decisions before ever contacting a business.
• Entry-level marketing roles are shifting toward prompting and data analysis.
• Client retention depends on trust, results, and being the voice of the client.
• Cross-functional team collaboration builds long-term agency success.
• B2B is catching up to B2C in leveraging video and authenticity.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Katie Desmond

01:11 The Evolving CRO Role in the Age of AI

03:00 Real-World AI Use Cases at iMarc

04:38 Using AI to Optimize Internal Applications

06:08 QA and Human Oversight in AI Workflows

07:05 Budget Pressures and Efficiency in Client Work

08:37 Paid Media Trends and AI Optimization

09:36 B2B Buyer Behavior Has Changed Drastically

10:40 Using ZoomInfo to Detect Early Interest

12:03 Is the Traditional Sales Call Dead?

13:42 Future of Entry-Level Roles in AI Marketing

14:18 Voice Search and Longer Prompts

15:15 Authenticity and the Role of Video in B2B

17:51 B2C vs. B2B: Speed vs. Depth

20:05 Tips for High Client Retention

21:45 Polite Push-Pull with Clients Builds Trust

23:26 What Makes the iMarc Team DNA Special

25:30 Where to Find Katie

LinkedIn

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow ⁠Katie Desmond ⁠on LinkedIn

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