Alter Agents Chief Strategy Officer Devora Rogers recently published a new article in MarketingProfs that takes a closer look at a long-standing assumption in B2B marketing: that business decisions are primarily logical, structured and driven by clearly defined roles. It’s a useful simplification, but one that often breaks down in practice.

In the article, Devora explores how B2B decisions actually unfold inside organizations. While data, pricing and performance metrics all play a role, they are only part of the picture. She notes that alongside those inputs, marketers are navigating internal alignment, credibility and competing priorities across teams. Even the strongest business case does not move forward on logic alone. It moves when someone is willing to advocate for it and when it fits how the organization works.

That dynamic becomes more visible when multiple stakeholders are involved. Different functions evaluate the same decision through different lenses, whether that is usability, cost, risk or long-term value. As Devora points out, decisions rarely come down to a single perspective and tend to take shape through discussion and negotiation rather than a clean, step-by-step process.

This has implications for how research is designed. In consumer work, marketers already recognize that demographics alone do not explain behavior. But in B2B, it is still common to rely heavily on firmographics and high-level personas. The risk is that these approaches capture who the audience is, but not how decisions actually get made. When research stays at that surface level, it can miss the context that ultimately shapes outcomes.

The article also highlights how expectations are shifting. The line between B2B and B2C continues to blur, with brand perception, digital experience and content playing a larger role in how business buyers evaluate options. At the same time, those buyers bring their own experiences and instincts into the workplace, even as their decisions sit within more structured systems.

The result is a more complex decision environment, where understanding behavior requires a broader lens. As Devora emphasizes, research that reflects real-world dynamics, including the trade-offs, pressures and internal conversations behind decisions, leads to strategies that are more grounded and more actionable.

You can read Devora’s full article in MarketingProfs for a deeper look at how B2B decision-making is evolving and what it means for marketers and insights teams: https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2026/54481/b2b-buyer-behavior-marketing-research-insights