LinkedIn Shifts Focus to Owned Prominence in B2B Marketing

The Shift Toward Owned Prominence

In a groundbreaking report published on December 2, 2025, LinkedIn’s B2B Institute introduced the concept of "owned prominence," challenging traditional B2B marketing strategies that rely heavily on paid advertising. Authored by Kate Newstead, the research emphasizes the importance of building organic brand recognition over short-term rented visibility through ads.

The study, titled "Moving from Rented to Owned Prominence," highlights that while paid advertising delivers immediate visibility, it fails to build lasting mental associations with buyers. In contrast, owned prominence focuses on creating memorable brand assets, thought leadership, and community engagement that persist in customers’ minds without ongoing media costs.

LinkedIn’s research, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Grace Kite at Magic Numbers, reveals stark differences between B2C and B2B search behaviors. In B2C telecommunications, 87% of searches included brand names, whereas B2B telecommunications searches referenced brands only 46% of the time. In the purely B2B category of cybersecurity, branded searches dropped to just 14%, indicating a significant gap in mental brand awareness.

The study builds on LinkedIn’s earlier findings, which underscored the importance of emotional resonance and distinctive creative execution in B2B advertising. This new research extends these principles to owned media and organic brand-building activities, arguing that consistency and authenticity are key to long-term success in a rapidly evolving market.

The Role of AI in Reshaping B2B Marketing

The report also addresses the growing influence of AI on B2B marketing. As AI-driven search tools like Google and generative AI platforms increasingly shape how buyers discover brands, traditional paid advertising models are being disrupted. LinkedIn argues that companies with strong organic presences are better positioned to benefit from algorithmic amplification, making brand building more critical than ever.

The research emphasizes that 86% of cybersecurity searches are generic, presenting an opportunity for brands to shape the narrative and capture mindshare before competitors do. By investing in owned prominence, companies can establish mental availability and ensure they remain top of mind when buyers begin their research.

LinkedIn’s findings suggest that while short-term performance metrics often favor direct-response tactics, investments in brand-building activities like thought leadership and community engagement yield significantly higher returns over time. For example, non-branded searches deliver a meager 68% ROAS, while branded searches generate $12.99 for every dollar spent—nearly 19 times more efficient.

The report concludes that balancing rented and owned prominence is a strategic necessity for B2B marketers in the age of AI. While paid advertising remains valuable, the long-term benefits of owned prominence cannot be overlooked.