Account-Based Marketing Strategies Boost Business ROI
Owners can drive better outcomes by focusing marketing efforts on the high-value accounts that generate the most revenue.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Marketing
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Sloan Newman, the Americas regional lead for account-based marketing at NTT DATA, spoke to the Mount Pleasant Rotary Club about shifting toward relationship-focused marketing strategies. The talk addressed how businesses can better manage expenditures and adapt their outreach as artificial intelligence changes how customers discover information.
Why it matters
Operators often struggle to isolate which marketing investments drive measurable growth. This shift toward identifying high-value accounts helps firms focus resources on the relationships that generate the bulk of their revenue.
Drawing on a 20-year marketing career, Newman emphasized the 80/20 principle of customer revenue distribution. The session focused on helping businesses move beyond broad outreach to concentrate on the specific accounts that drive long-term value.
The players
Sloan Newman
The Americas regional lead for account-based marketing at NTT DATA and author of The Relationship Revolution.
NTT DATA
A global digital business and IT services provider with deep expertise in enterprise-level client strategy.
Mount Pleasant Rotary Club
A local professional service organization that hosts community leaders and business experts.
The details
Account-based management centers on identifying high-value accounts and researching the specific people behind those buying decisions. By prioritizing these relationships, businesses can move away from general marketing spending that lacks a clear return. Operators must now also contend with how large language models and artificial intelligence platforms alter how potential customers gather and process information about their services.
Timeline
October 21, 2026: Sloan Newman addressed the Mount Pleasant Rotary Club.
Market Landscape
Newman’s strategy follows the documented trend of businesses needing to adapt their discovery techniques in response to the rise of AI-driven search. This shift forces a departure from legacy advertising models toward the more precise relationship-building required for modern client acquisition.
Operators should audit their current marketing expenditures to ensure they align with their most profitable 20% of customer accounts. Moving forward, focus on establishing direct relationships that provide value even as AI changes how prospects discover company information.
The takeaway
Focusing on deep account-based relationships mitigates the volatility of broad, unsegmented marketing spend. Review your customer data to identify the top 20% of your accounts and prioritize engagement strategies that specifically serve their decision-making process.
Further reading
For more on adapting your outreach to modern buyer behavior, see Marketing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Post and Courier.
Live Poll
Do you believe personalized customer relationships are more effective than broad-scale marketing campaigns for business success?
