Platform analysis by Chris Fowler, Alex Seabrook and Oli King
Adobe Journey Optimizer B2B Edition: The Future of Buying Group Marketing
by Richard Shafe •
The Mindset Shift with AJO B2B Edition
Chris Fowler, Director of Research & Enablement
For years, marketers have wrestled with the limitations of lead, contact, and account-based marketing. Each approach comes with strengths and weaknesses, but neither has been able to fully address the complexity of modern B2B engagement. Often, businesses end up stitching together hybrid strategies that are cumbersome, inefficient and difficult to scale.
Enter Adobe Journey Optimizer B2B Edition (AJO B2B Edition). This is not just another piece of martech, it’s a fundamental rethinking of how B2B organisations can build journeys and deliver experiences. Instead of focusing only on individual leads or aggregated accounts, AJO B2B Edition introduces a new lens: one centred on Buying Group Marketing (BGM).
Chris explains the concept of 'B2B 3.0' and the mindset shift to Buying Group Marketing at our State of Martech event, June 2025
Traditional B2B marketing often relied on objects like Leads, Contacts, Accounts, and Opportunities within CRM and automation platforms. These helped marketers organise and push campaigns forward, but the experience was fragmented. AJO B2B goes further, making it possible to build audiences and orchestrate highly relevant, personalised journeys that map to the way organisations actually make buying decisions.
What sets AJO B2B apart from Marketo, Adobe’s long-standing marketing automation powerhouse, is not simply the technology but the mindset shift it enables. Where Marketo often forced marketers to retrofit account-based strategies onto lead-focused workflows, AJO B2B Edition provides a native environment built for account and group engagement. Adobe has called this evolution the shift from “B2B 2.0” to “B2B 3.0”.
Instead of chasing Jane Doe the lead, you can now meaningfully engage with Doe Industries as a whole. This shift means AJO B2B consultants can help businesses stop fighting against platform limitations and instead unlock strategies designed for how buying really works today.
“Making the move from lead-based to buying group marketing takes more than technology - it takes expertise. Our team of AJO B2B consultants can guide you through the shift to Adobe Journey Optimizer B2B Edition.”
What makes AJO B2B Edition different?
Alex Seabrook, Director of Delivery & Business Solutions
So, what does Adobe Journey Optimizer B2B Edition actually offer in practice? To start, Marketo isn’t disappearing… in fact, AJO B2B is built to complement and extend your Marketo strategies. Think of it as adding a turbocharger to your existing engine.
Here are three standout features that distinguish AJOB2B:
Account Audiences
Instead of focusing on individual leads, ‘Account Audiences’ allow you to target entire organisations. While you may have dabbled with account segmentation in Marketo, AJO B2B Edition elevates this capability. You can now build sophisticated account views and act on them seamlessly, cutting down on the complexity of chasing scattered leads.
Buying Groups
This is where buying group marketing truly comes alive. B2B purchasing cycles are long and involve multiple stakeholders with different roles – eg. decision-makers, influencers and practitioners. Buying Groups let you map all these roles, ensuring you engage every key player in the process. Better yet, you can create Buying Groups tailored to each of your products or services. Instead of fragmented communication, you now orchestrate collective engagement that respects the dynamics of the modern B2B buying committee.
Account Journeys
At the heart of AJO B2B Edition is a canvas-style journey builder that is intuitive, powerful, and flexible. You no longer need advanced Marketo expertise to build sophisticated campaigns. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to design role-specific journeys within accounts. For example, technical practitioners might be invited to a webinar, while decision-makers receive curated nurture streams aligned with business outcomes.
This is true account orchestration. The ability to personalise at scale while keeping the full buying group in mind. Combined with omnichannel capabilities, AJO B2B Edition ensures all members of the group experience tailored, connected journeys across email, events, web, and beyond.
Ultimately, the difference isn’t just about features. AJO B2B Edition represents the next generation of B2B marketing, one that builds directly on Marketo’s strengths but removes its limitations. It makes account-level engagement easier, more scalable and more impactful.
“Account Audiences, Buying Groups and Journeys are just the start. With the right support, you can orchestrate truly personalised B2B experiences at scale.”
Preparing for success with AJO B2B Edition
Oli King, Data Engineer
Getting ready to go on an AJO B2B adventure? It's not just about embracing the new tech - it's about reimagining how your marketing engine operates. It’s not simply a technology rollout; it’s an organisational shift. To make the most of the platform, there are several important considerations.
- Build a Unified Data Ecosystem
Like most, if not all, martech platforms, the power of AJO B2B Edition rests on the quality of your data. Integrating CRM systems, marketing automation tools, event platforms and web analytics into Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) ensures you have a single, holistic view of accounts and the individuals within them. High-quality integrations lead to better targeting, better orchestration, and ultimately, stronger outcomes. - Redefine Marketing Operations
AJO B2B Edition’s user-friendly journey builder means that marketers can design and deploy sophisticated campaigns without advanced technical knowledge. This frees up marketing operations teams to focus on higher-value work, such as refining integrations, strengthening analytics and enabling scalability. Over time, roles within MOps will evolve, with more emphasis placed on data engineering and advanced analytics to fuel personalised experiences. - Prioritise Data Quality for Personalisation
Data is the backbone of personalisation and orchestration. Inaccurate or outdated information undermines even the most sophisticated journeys. Regular audits, clear data ownership, and proactive remediation are critical. Since buying group marketing relies on engaging multiple stakeholders accurately, ensuring your data is reliable will directly impact pipeline velocity and conversion.
Even the smartest journey in AJO B2B cannot compensate for poor data inputs. Organisations that prioritise data governance and invest in building strong foundations will see the most value from AJO B2B Edition.
“Data quality and orchestration go hand in hand. Ensure your business is ready to unlock the full value of Adobe Journey Optimizer B2B Edition with expert guidance.
Final thoughts and where next
Adobe Journey Optimizer B2B Edition is more than a new platform; it’s the foundation for the future of B2B marketing. By shifting from lead-focused approaches to buying group marketing, it enables true personalisation at scale and empowers businesses to orchestrate journeys that reflect real-world decision-making.
For organisations looking to stay competitive in the next wave of B2B, the support of experienced AJO B2B consultants can make all the difference. From platform setup and data strategy to orchestration design and execution, the journey is as much about people and process as it is about technology.
The move to AJO B2B Edition represents a leap forward: from fragmented efforts to unified, scalable strategies that put accounts and buying groups at the heart of the experience.
The future of B2B is here. Don’t get left behind. Start your journey with Adobe Journey Optimizer B2B Edition today.
