The B2B buying journey has been fundamentally rewritten, and most brands are still marketing to a process that no longer exists.
Today's purchasing decisions are shaped less by brand-controlled touchpoints and more by what happens after the formal research ends: the peer conversations, the community forums, the candid Slack messages, and the trusted voices that never show up in your attribution report. This is the dark funnel—and it's where deals are actually won and lost.
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In this session, we're ditching the whitepaper playbook for something far more valuable: an intimate, AMA-style community council where B2B leaders get real about how buying decisions are actually made. We'll go beyond the official channels and approved messaging to explore how peer trust, community-led influence, and unseen buyer behavior are reshaping the entire purchase journey, both inside your organization and with your customers. Come ready for hot takes, honest stories, and hard-won advice that goes where polished case studies and public profiles can't.
Will Cady is on a mission to turn curiosity into understanding. As Reddit’s Global Brand Ambassador, his job is to communicate the power of Reddit’s communities to bridge the gap between people and drive the trends that keep culture interesting.
Prior to taking on the ambassador role, Will launched, hired, and managed KarmaLab, Reddit’s multi-award-winning global creative strategy team after launching Reddit’s Los Angeles brand partnerships office. As a leader, Will taps years of experience architecting revenue-driving programs that connect brands with fast-growing pockets of music, art, and experience just as they reach their tipping points. Will’s work as a brand and creative strategist covers a majority of Fortune 100 brands.Â
He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, recipient of an Emmy Award (New England Regional) for Best Musical Composition/Arrangement, and has been featured as a member of the 2020 AdWeek Top 50 for Tech, Media, and Marketing. His original music has amassed ~2M+ streams on Spotify and counting. Will’s debut book will be released in October of 2023 with a focus on examining where creativity comes from.
In all areas, Will endeavors to speak thoughtfully, listen deeply, and build on the resonance in between.
Andrew Dawson is Brandwatch's Industry Principal and CX Head of their Social Network Practice. He is tasked with helming relationships with Meta, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr and TikTok. Leading the global social network practice group, he holds a reputable position as a respected leader in crisis communications and digital communications. Prior to joining Brandwatch Andrew was an ensemble member of a social intelligence team at Publicis for nearly half a decade. His work has spanned a diverse array of clients such as the Saudi Royal Family, Walmart, and Tic Tac.
Outside of work, Andrew is an active member of the Columbia University community, recently completing his masters in strategic communications.
