Total Cost of Ownership: What a Demand Generation Platform Really Costs in 2025

Table of Contents

• The True Costs of Demand Generation in the B2B Sector
• Transparency in Direct Expenses: License and Subscription Costs
• Implementation and Integration: Significant Initial Investments
• The Often Underestimated Hidden Costs
• The Decisive Factor: Personnel Costs and Expertise
• Content as a Continuous Investment Factor
• From Costs to Value Creation: ROI Considerations
• Pragmatic Implementation Strategies for Medium-Sized Businesses
• Alternative Models: Hybrid and Tailored Approaches
• Frequently Asked Questions

The True Costs of Demand Generation in the B2B Sector

In the digital B2B landscape of 2025, demand generation is no longer optional, but existential. While 78% of B2B companies are investing in corresponding platforms according to Forrester Research 2024, only 31% fully understand the actual total costs of these technologies. This discrepancy leads to budget surprises and disappointed expectations.

A demand generation platform promises to automate and optimize the entire lead generation process: from the initial contact through nurturing campaigns to the handover of qualified leads to sales. The temptation to cover the complete marketing funnel through a single solution is significant.

But what does such a platform really cost? Those who only consider the monthly license fees dramatically underestimate the total investment. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) concept provides valuable orientation here.

The TCO Concept as a Strategic Decision Tool

Total Cost of Ownership describes the complete costs of a technology over its full lifecycle. In the context of MarTech platforms, this encompasses far more than just license costs:

• Direct software/platform costs (licenses, subscriptions)
• Implementation and integration costs
• Personnel costs for operation and maintenance
• Content creation and management
• Training and support
• Maintenance, updates, and customizations
• Opportunity costs due to resource commitment

According to a McKinsey study (2024), the hidden costs of MarTech implementations exceed direct license costs by an average factor of 2.7. For medium-sized businesses, this financial dimension is crucial.

The Current Market Landscape for Demand Generation 2025

The demand for demand generation solutions has increased by 34% since 2023 (Gartner MarTech Survey 2025). This has led to a fragmented market landscape where traditional marketing automation providers like HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot compete with AI-centric newcomers and specialized niche solutions.

In 2025, three dominant platform types are emerging:

1. All-in-One Marketing Suites: Comprehensive platforms covering everything from content management to lead nurturing to analytics
2. AI-optimized specialized solutions: Focused tools with advanced automation for specific aspects of demand generation
3. Modular platforms: Flexibly expandable systems that can be built out as needed

The pricing models vary accordingly. While all-in-one solutions typically cost between €1,500 and €15,000 monthly (depending on company size and feature scope), modular approaches can be implemented with entry costs starting at €500.

Why Superficial Cost Considerations Lead to Expensive Misjudgments

The most common mistake when evaluating demand gen platforms is focusing on the pure software costs. SiriusDecisions reports that 68% of companies dissatisfied with their MarTech implementation underestimated the actual total costs by at least 40%.

A realistic cost assessment must include all aspects – from technical requirements to organizational adjustments. Medium-sized companies with limited resources particularly risk:

• Oversized solutions with expensive, unused features
• Insufficient personnel resources for effective utilization
• Technical debt due to inadequate integration
• Disappointed ROI expectations due to delayed value creation

A transparent TCO approach, however, considers the entire investment horizon and enables informed decisions based on realistic expectations.

Transparency in Direct Expenses: License and Subscription Costs

The most obvious costs of a demand generation platform are the direct license or subscription fees. These vary considerably depending on the provider, feature set, and company size. A current analysis by the B2B Marketing Lab (2025) shows that the average annual license costs range between €15,000 and €180,000 for medium-sized businesses.

Common Pricing Models Compared

Demand generation platform providers have developed different pricing models that address various business requirements:

The choice of the right pricing model should be aligned with the company’s growth strategy. A fast-growing startup with ambitious lead generation goals, for example, should choose a model that doesn’t cause prohibitive cost jumps with increasing contact numbers.

Feature-based vs. Usage-based Cost Structures

When evaluating platform costs, the distinction between feature-based and usage-based models is crucial. While feature-based models offer a fixed price for certain functionalities, usage-based models scale with actual consumption.

An analysis by Demand Gen Report (2024) shows that 63% of B2B companies with 10-100 employees prefer feature-based models as they offer better budget predictability. Usage-based models, on the other hand, are often preferred by companies with seasonal business cycles.

The main price drivers in feature-based models are:

• Multi-channel campaign management (+30-50% compared to Basic)
• Advanced Analytics and Attribution (+25-40%)
• AI-based Lead Scoring and Prioritization (+20-35%)
• Personalization and ABM Features (+15-30%)
• CRM Integration and bidirectional synchronization (+10-25%)

For a medium-sized B2B company with 50 employees looking to build a solid foundation for demand generation, the annual direct costs typically range between €24,000 and €48,000 – without considering additional costs for implementation, personnel, and content.

Price Comparison of Leading Providers 2025

The current market offers a variety of options. Here’s a comparison of the annual license costs of leading providers for a typical B2B company with 50 employees and 10,000 contacts (as of Q2 2025):

• HubSpot Marketing Hub (Professional): €18,000 – €22,000 annually
• Adobe Marketo Engage: €48,000 – €65,000 annually
• Salesforce Pardot (Plus): €25,000 – €35,000 annually
• ActiveCampaign (Enterprise): €12,000 – €18,000 annually
• SharpSpring by Constant Contact: €15,000 – €24,000 annually
• Braze: Usage-based, typically €30,000 – €50,000 annually
• Newer AI-optimized platforms: €20,000 – €40,000 annually

These figures reflect only the direct license costs. According to a TrustRadius study (2024), these actually account for only 36% of the total costs over five years. The remaining 64% is distributed across implementation, personnel, training, and ongoing optimization.

“License costs are comparable to the tip of an iceberg – visible, but only a small part of the total mass. Companies that focus only on this part are often heading for a costly collision.” – Marketing Technology Insight Report 2025, Gartner

A realistic TCO assessment must therefore go far beyond the direct software costs and include the hidden cost blocks, which are examined in detail in the following sections.

Implementation and Integration: Significant Initial Investments

The implementation of a demand generation platform represents a critical cost factor that is often dramatically underestimated. According to the Technology Adoption Institute (2024), 42% of all MarTech implementations fail due to unrealistic budget and time expectations in this phase.

Implementation costs can range between 50% and 200% of the annual license costs, depending on complexity. For a medium-sized company with an annual license of €30,000, this means additional investments of €15,000 to €60,000 – a significant sum that is often not adequately considered in budget planning.

Technical Integration into Existing Systems

One of the biggest challenges is integration with the existing system landscape. Typical integration requirements include:

• CRM systems: Bidirectional synchronization of contacts, activities, and opportunities
• Website and CMS: Tracking integration, form embedding, content personalization
• ERP and sales systems: Data exchange for 360° customer view
• Analytics tools: Attribution and performance measurement
• Social media platforms: Campaign integration and data collection
• Legacy systems: Connection of older, often proprietary enterprise software

Each of these integrations incurs costs, with complex scenarios often requiring custom development work. According to a survey by Marketing Automation Insider (2024), an average CRM integration costs between €5,000 and €15,000, while more comprehensive multi-system integrations can reach €20,000 to €50,000.

API limits and data transfer volumes can cause additional ongoing costs if large amounts of data need to be synchronized. These variable costs are rarely considered in initial budget planning.

Process Adaptation and Change Management

Beyond the technical aspects, successful implementation requires significant organizational adjustments. Implementing a demand generation platform is not just a technical project, but primarily a transformation project.

According to a study by Dimension Data (2024), organizational adjustments and change management account for an average of 30% of implementation costs. These include:

• Process analysis and redesign
• Documentation and standardization of workflows
• Stakeholder management and internal communication
• Adaptation of reporting and KPIs
• Establishment of internal governance structures

Process adaptation is particularly crucial in the B2B sector with complex sales processes and long customer journeys. A McKinsey study shows that companies that spend more than 15% of the implementation budget on change management achieve a 30% higher success rate in technology adoption.

“The biggest challenge in implementing demand generation platforms is not the technology, but the transformation of the way of working. Companies that cut corners here pay later through low adoption and missed potential.” – B2B Marketing Transformation Report 2025, Forrester Research

Typical Time Investment Until Full Functionality

The timeline from decision to full functionality is another critical factor. The duration influences both direct costs (longer implementation projects = higher costs) and opportunity costs due to delayed value creation.

The implementation duration varies depending on complexity and scope:

According to data from the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (2024), 72% of medium-sized businesses need more time than originally planned for full implementation. The average overrun is 3.4 months.

These delays have direct cost implications: project teams remain tied up longer, external consultants are needed longer, and value creation begins later. For a typical medium-sized company, these delays can cause additional costs of €10,000 to €30,000.

Realistic time planning and adequate resource allocation are therefore crucial for successful and cost-efficient implementation. The Brixon Group recommends in their Revenue Growth Blueprint to plan a buffer of at least 30% for unforeseen challenges.

The Often Underestimated Hidden Costs

Beyond the obvious expenses for licenses and implementation, there exists a multitude of hidden costs that are frequently overlooked in TCO calculations. A study by Chartmogul (2024) shows that these hidden costs can account for 40-60% of the total costs over a five-year period.

These hidden costs are particularly tricky since they often only become visible after the purchase decision and continuously burden the budget. For medium-sized businesses with limited resources, they can make the difference between a successful project and a costly failure.

Data Maintenance and Quality Management

The effectiveness of a demand generation platform depends critically on the quality of the underlying data. Companies regularly underestimate the effort required for data cleansing, enrichment, and continuous maintenance.

According to an analysis by SiriusDecisions, successful B2B companies invest an average of 15-20% of their marketing operations budget in data quality management. This includes:

• Initial data cleansing before migration (typically €5,000-15,000)
• Data validation and enrichment services (€1,000-3,000 monthly)
• Technologies for data deduplication and normalization
• Personnel resources for continuous data maintenance (0.25-0.5 FTE)

The costs of poor data quality are even higher: According to the IBM Data Quality Impact Report 2025, poor data costs companies an average of 10-20% of revenue through missed opportunities, misdirected campaigns, and inefficient processes.

“A demand generation platform is only as good as the data that drives it. Even the most advanced AI can’t work miracles from poor data.” – Chief Marketing Technologist Blog, 2025

Costs for Interfaces and API Integrations

The modern martech landscape is an ecosystem of connected systems. According to the Forrester Marketing Technology Adoption Survey 2025, B2B companies use an average of 12-18 different marketing tools that must work together seamlessly.

The integration of these tools incurs ongoing costs:

• API usage fees: Many platforms charge based on call volume or data transfer
• Middleware and iPaaS solutions: Tools like Zapier, Workato, or Mulesoft (€4,000-12,000 annually)
• Custom integration development: For non-standardized connections (€10,000-25,000 per integration)
• Maintenance and updates: When APIs change (typically 15-20% of the initial development costs annually)

Legacy systems that don’t offer modern APIs present a particular challenge. Here, integration costs can easily reach three times those of standardized integrations.

The Brixon Group recommends analyzing integration requirements and costs in advance as part of their Revenue Growth Blueprint to avoid expensive surprises. In some cases, it may be more cost-effective to replace outdated systems than to develop complex integrations.

Compliance and Data Protection Requirements

With increasing regulatory complexity in data protection and electronic communication, compliance costs have become a significant factor. Since the latest tightening of the GDPR and the introduction of the Digital Services Act, the compliance effort for marketing activities has increased significantly.

Compliance-related costs include:

• Legal advice: For reviewing processes and documents (€5,000-15,000 initially, then ongoing)
• Technical compliance measures: Consent management, privacy features, etc.
• Documentation and verification obligations: Processing records, risk analyses
• Employee training: Regular data protection and compliance training
• Audits and certifications: Depending on industry and requirements

A survey by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (2024) shows that medium-sized businesses in the B2B sector spend an average of €15,000-30,000 annually on marketing-related compliance activities.

Particularly critical: Non-compliance can have significant financial consequences. Under GDPR, fines of up to 4% of global annual revenue can be imposed – a risk that must be considered in TCO assessments.

However, compliance costs should not only be seen as a burden. A privacy-by-design strategy, as recommended in the Brixon Revenue Growth Blueprint, can reduce costs in the long term while building trust with customers – an important competitive advantage in the B2B environment.

In summary, the hidden costs of a demand generation platform often exceed the direct license costs in many cases. A realistic TCO assessment must include these factors from the outset to avoid financial surprises and enable an informed investment decision.

The Decisive Factor: Personnel Costs and Expertise

Personnel costs represent the largest single item in the Total Cost of Ownership of a demand generation platform in most cases. According to a study by the Content Marketing Institute (2025), they account for 40-60% of the total costs – a fact that is often underrepresented in initial budget planning.

The personnel requirements are not static but change over the lifecycle of platform usage: from intensive initial resources for implementation to continuous support and strategic development.

Necessary Specialists for Effective Platform Usage

A demand generation platform requires different competencies for effective use. The Digital Marketing Skills Survey (Econsultancy, 2025) identifies the following key roles:

For a medium-sized company, it is rarely possible or sensible to fill all these positions with new hires. Typically, a hybrid model is pursued where:

• Existing employees take on partial tasks and receive further training
• Key positions are filled with new hires (typically 1-2 specialists)
• External service providers take on specific tasks

The actual personnel requirements depend heavily on the complexity of the platform and the scope of planned activities. According to Forrester Research, medium-sized B2B companies need an average of 1.5 to 3.5 full-time equivalents to effectively operate a demand generation platform.

Training and Development Efforts

The technology landscape in marketing is evolving rapidly. The training and development effort is an often underestimated cost factor that continuously incurs. The Marketing Technology Skills Gap Survey (2025) shows that companies should spend 5-10% of their platform budget on further training.

Typical training costs include:

• Initial training: €1,000-3,000 per employee
• Certifications: €500-2,500 per employee per year
• Ongoing education: €1,500-3,000 per employee per year
• Conferences and events: €2,000-5,000 per employee per year
• Time investment: 5-10% of working time for professional development (indirect cost factor)

Particularly challenging: The rapid evolution of technologies, especially in the areas of AI and automation, requires continuous learning. Companies that cut corners here risk that their platform will not be used optimally or that important features will remain unused.

“The biggest waste in MarTech is not unused software, but the unused potential due to lack of expertise.” – Digital Transformation Review 2025, Capgemini

In-house vs. Agency Support: A Cost Calculation

Many companies face the decision of whether to operate the demand generation platform internally or incorporate external expertise. This decision has significant cost implications.

The in-house solution offers maximum control and long-term knowledge building but requires substantial investments in personnel and expertise. The External Workforce Survey (Deloitte, 2024) shows that complete in-house support for medium-sized companies can incur personnel costs of €150,000-300,000 annually.

Agency support, on the other hand, offers immediate access to expertise and scalability. Typical costs for support by a specialized agency range between €5,000 and €15,000 monthly, depending on the scope of services.

A practical comparison for a medium-sized B2B company:

The Brixon Group recommends in their Revenue Growth Blueprint a hybrid approach for most medium-sized B2B companies, where:

• Strategic control and content planning are managed internally
• Technical platform support and specific expertise are purchased externally
• Gradual internal competence development takes place to take on more tasks in-house over time

This approach enables a quick start with immediately available expertise while simultaneously building knowledge for the long term. The cost structure evolves from higher variable costs to a more balanced model.

Regardless of the chosen model, the personnel factor remains the largest single component in the TCO calculation. Careful planning of this aspect is crucial for the success of a demand generation initiative.

Content as a Continuous Investment Factor

A demand generation platform without high-quality content is like a high-performance vehicle without fuel. According to a recent study by LinkedIn B2B Institute (2025), content-related expenses are the largest continuous investment factor in demand generation activities for 72% of successful B2B companies.

This continuous investment is often underestimated because content costs are not perceived as a direct part of platform costs. However, they represent a significant portion of the TCO and must be included in the overall assessment.

Production Costs of Various Content Types

Content production for a modern demand generation strategy encompasses a variety of formats that are used throughout the entire customer lifecycle. A detailed analysis by HubSpot (2025) on B2B content costs shows the following average values:

A typical medium-sized B2B company needs at minimum for an effective demand generation strategy:

• 2-4 high-quality blog posts monthly
• 1 comprehensive premium content per quarter (whitepaper, study, guide)
• 2-3 case studies per quarter
• Continuous email and social media communication
• 2-4 webinars or videos per year

Based on these requirements, the annual content production costs for a medium-sized B2B company range between €50,000 and €120,000 – a significant investment that must be considered in TCO calculations.

Quality Requirements in the B2B Sector

B2B content is subject to particularly high quality requirements. Unlike in the B2C sector, where emotional appeal is often sufficient, B2B decision-makers expect well-founded, valuable content with direct utility.

The Edelman B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study (2025) shows that:

• 83% of B2B decision-makers consider the quality of thought leadership as a decisive factor in supplier selection
• 70% are willing to work with a provider that consistently delivers high-quality content, even if it is more expensive
• 65% directly associate poor content with inferior products/services

These high requirements mean that there is little room for compromise on quality in B2B content. Data-rich, well-researched content requires significant investment in expertise and production quality.

“In B2B marketing, content is not just a marketing tool, but a product in itself – one that represents the company’s competence and value creation capability.” – B2B Content Marketing Report 2025, Content Marketing Institute

Quality requirements vary depending on the phase of the customer journey:

• Awareness Phase: Broadly accessible but still technically sound content
• Consideration Phase: Detailed, solution-oriented content with concrete added value
• Decision Phase: Highly specialized, individually relevant information

Each of these phases requires specific content investments that must be included in the TCO assessment.

Efficiency Improvement Through Content Repurposing

A strategy to optimize content investments is systematic content repurposing – the multiple use of content in different formats and channels. The Brixon Revenue Growth Blueprint recommends this approach as a central measure for TCO optimization.

According to data from the Content Marketing Institute (2025), companies that pursue a systematic content repurposing strategy can reduce their content production costs by 30-40% while increasing their reach by 60-80%.

Effective repurposing strategies include:

• Modularization: Creation of content building blocks that can be flexibly combined
• Format transformation: Converting one format into several others (e.g., whitepaper → webinar → blog series → infographic)
• Channel-specific adaptation: Optimization of content for different distribution channels
• Evergreen focus: Prioritization of timeless content with long usage duration
• Content updating: Regular refreshing instead of complete recreation

With strategic planning, a single premium content piece (like a whitepaper) can be transformed into 20-30 different content assets, significantly reducing the cost per lead.

Example of an efficient content production chain:

1. Creation of a comprehensive whitepaper on a core topic (initial investment)
2. Derivation of a webinar presentation from the whitepaper
3. Breaking down into 4-6 thematically focused blog posts
4. Extraction of key statistics for infographics
5. Transformation of key messages into social media content
6. Use of expert statements for email campaigns

With this approach, the investment in a single premium content (e.g., €5,000) can generate a content value of €15,000-20,000 – a significant efficiency gain.

Despite all optimization possibilities, content remains a significant and continuous cost factor in the TCO of a demand generation platform. The Brixon Group recommends allocating at least 30-40% of the total budget to content production and distribution to achieve sustainable results.

From Costs to Value Creation: ROI Considerations

A purely cost-focused approach falls short when evaluating a demand generation platform. What ultimately matters is the Return on Investment (ROI) – the value creation that offsets the investments. A study by Forrester Research (2025) shows that successful B2B companies don’t choose the cheapest solutions, but those with the best long-term ROI.

The value of demand generation platforms manifests on different levels: from direct, measurable revenue increases to long-term strategic advantages.

Typical KPIs for Successful Demand Generation

Measuring the success of demand generation requires a differentiated set of metrics that reflect various aspects of the marketing-sales funnel. The SiriusDecisions Demand Waterfall has established itself as a framework and includes the following key metrics:

• Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL): Leads that have met defined engagement criteria
• Sales Accepted Leads (SAL): Leads that have been accepted by sales
• Sales Qualified Leads (SQL): Leads that have been classified by sales as qualified opportunities
• Conversion Rates: Transition rates between these stages (e.g., MQL-to-SQL rate)
• Lead Velocity Rate: Growth rate of qualified leads over time
• Cost per Lead (CPL): Average costs per generated lead
• Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Costs for acquiring a new customer
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Long-term value of an acquired customer

According to current benchmark data from DemandGen Report (2025), successful B2B companies in the mid-market achieve the following improvements with effective demand generation platforms:

These improvements must be compared to the total costs (TCO) to determine the actual ROI.

Time Horizon Until Break-Even

Realistic expectations regarding the ROI timeframe are crucial for successful implementation. The Gartner Marketing Technology Survey 2025 shows that unrealistic expectations about the amortization period are one of the most common reasons for the failure of MarTech implementations.

For a typical demand generation platform in the B2B mid-market, the following timeline emerges:

• Phase 1 (0-6 months): Implementation and initial costs, negative ROI
• Phase 2 (7-12 months): First successes, increasing lead generation, ROI approaching zero line
• Phase 3 (13-18 months): Break-even point typically reached
• Phase 4 (19-36 months): Positive ROI development, process optimization
• Phase 5 (from 36+ months): Maximum efficiency, significantly positive ROI

SiriusDecisions data shows that the average break-even point for B2B demand generation platforms in the mid-market is at 16-20 months. Companies that expect faster amortization risk disappointment and premature termination of the initiative.

“The best B2B marketing technology investments pay off not in quarters, but in years. Those who expect short-term returns are optimizing for the wrong metrics.” – Chief Marketing Officer Survey 2025, Deloitte

Various factors influence the timing of the break-even:

• Complexity of the sales cycle: Longer B2B cycles delay value realization
• Quality of initial data: Better data foundation accelerates ROI
• Implementation approach: Phased implementation shortens the path to first successes
• Content strategy: Availability of high-quality content accelerates value creation
• Integration into sales processes: Seamless collaboration between marketing and sales improves ROI

Long-term Value Contributions Beyond Direct Lead Generation

The full ROI of a demand generation platform goes far beyond immediate lead generation. The McKinsey Digital Marketing Maturity Study (2025) identifies several long-term value contributions that are often underestimated in traditional ROI calculations:

1. Building marketing intellectual property: The systematic recording of customer data, preferences, and behavioral patterns creates valuable corporate knowledge that generates value far beyond individual campaigns.
2. Scalability of growth: An established demand gen platform enables the scaling of marketing activities without proportional growth in personnel costs.
3. Reduction of time-to-market: Efficient campaign processes accelerate the market introduction of new products and services.
4. More resilient customer relationships: Systematic lead nurturing and customer journey management lead to more stable, long-term customer relationships.
5. Analytical competitive advantages: The data foundation of a demand gen platform enables deeper market and customer insights.

These long-term value contributions can be financially quantified through:

• Increased Customer Lifetime Value: +15-25% through better relationship management
• Reduction of Customer Churn Rate: -10-20% through proactive customer support
• Higher up- and cross-selling successes: +20-35% through better understanding of customer needs
• Margin increase: +5-10% through more precise customer targeting and value presentation

The Brixon Group recommends in their Revenue Growth Blueprint to explicitly include these long-term value contributions in the ROI calculation and to take a multi-year perspective (typically 3-5 years) to capture the full economic impact.

In summary, a demand generation platform can achieve a significantly positive ROI with proper implementation and strategic use – typically 3-5x the investment over a three-year period. The challenge lies in bridging the initial investment phase and consistently focusing on long-term value creation rather than short-term success metrics.

Pragmatic Implementation Strategies for Medium-Sized Businesses

Medium-sized B2B companies face special challenges when implementing demand generation platforms: Limited resources meet complex technologies and transformative requirements. A study by the University of St. Gallen (2025) on digital marketing in the mid-market shows that successful companies master this balancing act through pragmatic, step-by-step implementation strategies.

Modular Rather Than Monolithic Implementation

The “big bang” approach – the simultaneous introduction of all components of a demand generation platform – overwhelms most medium-sized organizations and often leads to frustration and suboptimal results. A Gartner analysis (2025) shows that 67% of successful MarTech implementations in the mid-market follow a modular approach.

The core principles of a modular implementation are:

• Functional prioritization: Focus on a clearly defined functional area per phase
• Validated value creation: Measurable successes before the next expansion stage
• Competence-securing approach: Building expertise and acceptance with each phase
• Parallel process development: Adaptation of organizational processes with technological expansion

A typical modular implementation plan includes the following phases:

1. Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Basic campaign tools and lead capture
2. Phase 2 (Months 4-6): Lead nurturing and email automation
3. Phase 3 (Months 7-9): CRM integration and lead scoring
4. Phase 4 (Months 10-12): Multi-channel campaigns and attribution
5. Phase 5 (Months 13-18): Advanced analytics and AI-supported optimization

This approach not only reduces the risks of implementation but also allows for a better distribution of investments over a longer period – an important aspect for medium-sized businesses with limited marketing budgets.

Prioritization Based on Quick Wins and Strategic Value

Careful prioritization of implementation steps is crucial for success. In their Digital Marketing Excellence Study (2025), the Boston Consulting Group recommends an assessment approach that combines two dimensions:

• Time-to-Value: How quickly does the function generate measurable results?
• Strategic Impact: How strongly does the function support long-term company goals?

The prioritization matrix leads to four categories of functions:

Typical “Quick Wins” for medium-sized B2B companies are:

• Automated lead capture and qualification
• Basic email campaigns with segmentation
• Landing page optimization for conversion improvement
• Content download tracking and follow-up

“Strategic Priorities” typically include:

• CRM integration with bidirectional data exchange
• Lead scoring models based on firmographics and behavior
• Account-based marketing functions for key accounts
• Multi-touch attribution for ROI measurement

This prioritization helps secure early successes while pursuing long-term strategic goals – a balancing act that is particularly important for medium-sized businesses.

The Revenue Growth Blueprint as an Orientation Framework

The Brixon Group has developed the Revenue Growth Blueprint, a structured approach specifically tailored to the needs of medium-sized B2B companies. This blueprint connects the technological aspects of demand generation with strategic business goals and organizational requirements.

The core elements of the Revenue Growth Blueprint include:

1. Strategic foundation: Alignment of business goals and marketing activities
2. Customer-centric journey definition: Mapping of the ideal customer experience
3. Technology roadmap: Phased implementation of necessary tools
4. Content strategy: Planned development of valuable content assets
5. Competence development: Systematic building of internal capabilities
6. Performance measurement: KPI framework for continuous optimization

In the context of TCO optimization, the aspect of phase-adapted resource allocation is particularly relevant. The Blueprint recommends:

• Phase 1 (Foundation): 60% external support, 40% internal resources
• Phase 2 (Acceleration): 40% external support, 60% internal resources
• Phase 3 (Optimization): 20% external support, 80% internal resources

This model enables a quick start through external expertise while gradually building internal competencies – an approach that optimizes TCO and ensures sustainable know-how development.

“The key to success in digital B2B marketing lies not in the technology itself, but in how it is implemented and integrated into the organization. A pragmatic, step-by-step approach almost always beats the ambitious complete transformation.” – Revenue Growth Blueprint, Brixon Group

In summary, pragmatic implementation strategies make the difference between success and failure in demand generation initiatives in the mid-market. The modular approach, combined with careful prioritization and a structured framework like the Revenue Growth Blueprint, enables a TCO-optimized implementation that supports both short-term successes and long-term strategic goals.

Alternative Models: Hybrid and Tailored Approaches

The discussion about demand generation platforms is often based on the assumption that a monolithic all-in-one solution is the only way forward. The reality in the B2B mid-market, however, is different: According to a study by Ascend2 (2025), over 60% of successful medium-sized B2B companies use alternative approaches that are better tailored to their specific requirements and resources.

These alternative models can offer significant TCO advantages, especially for companies that don’t have the resources or the need for a comprehensive enterprise solution.

Combining Existing Tools Instead of an All-in-One Platform

A strategic alternative to an integrated demand generation platform is the targeted use of specialized tools that are connected via APIs and integration platforms. This “best-of-breed” approach is preferred by 47% of medium-sized B2B companies according to a survey by Gartner (2025).

The typical components of such an approach include:

• CRM system as a central customer database (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, Pipedrive)
• Email marketing tool for campaigns and nurturing (e.g., Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign)
• Landing page builder for conversion optimization (e.g., Unbounce, Instapage)
• Social media management for channel control (e.g., Buffer, Hootsuite)
• Analytics solution for performance measurement (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel)
• Integration platform to connect these tools (e.g., Zapier, Make, Mulesoft)

The TCO implications of this approach are multifaceted:

A practical example: A B2B company with 30 employees could use a combination of HubSpot CRM (free), ActiveCampaign (€200/month), Unbounce (€150/month), and Zapier (€50/month) – with total costs of about €400 monthly, compared to €1,500-2,500 for a comparable all-in-one solution.

The challenge lies in the integration and data flow between these tools. However, modern integration platforms have significantly reduced this hurdle, making solid integrations possible even without extensive IT resources.

Agency-as-a-Platform: The Outsourced Solution

An increasingly popular approach is the “Agency-as-a-Platform” model, where specialized agencies not only offer consulting and implementation but also provide the technological infrastructure. According to the B2B Marketing Agency Report (2025), 38% of medium-sized B2B companies already use this approach for at least parts of their demand generation activities.

The basic principle: Instead of investing in technology and expertise themselves, the company uses the platform and know-how of the agency and pays for defined results or services. The Brixon Group, for example, offers such Agency-as-a-Platform solutions as part of their Revenue Growth Blueprint.

The TCO advantages of this model are substantial:

• No initial investment in technology and implementation
• No need for specialized in-house expertise for platform management
• Immediate access to proven processes and best practices
• Scalable cost structure based on actual needs
• Risk reduction through results-oriented compensation models

Typical costs for an Agency-as-a-Platform model range between €3,000 and €10,000 monthly for a medium-sized B2B company – depending on the scope of services and campaign volume. These costs may appear higher than pure software licenses at first glance but include:

• Technology costs (the agency provides the platform)
• Expertise (no need for specialized in-house resources)
• Content production (often part of the service package)
• Ongoing optimization and strategy

For many medium-sized companies, this model offers an attractive TCO advantage as the total costs (technology + personnel + expertise) can be significantly lower than those of a comparable in-house solution – with reduced risk and faster value generation.

Best-of-Breed vs. Integrated Suite: Cost Implications

The decision between a best-of-breed approach and an integrated suite has far-reaching cost implications that go beyond pure license costs. A Forrester analysis (2025) on the TCO of various MarTech approaches shows the following long-term cost differences:

An often overlooked aspect is flexibility when requirements change. The best-of-breed approach allows individual components to be replaced without replacing the entire system – a significant TCO advantage with evolving business requirements.

“The choice between best-of-breed and integrated suite is not an either-or decision, but a question of fit. For medium-sized B2B companies, a hybrid approach is often optimal: a lean core platform, supplemented by specialized tools in strategically important areas.” – B2B MarTech Stack Report 2025, Brixon Group

The optimal solution for most medium-sized B2B companies often lies in the middle: A lean core platform for central functions (typically CRM and basic marketing automation), supplemented by best-of-breed tools in areas with specific requirements or particular competitive potential.

Crucial for TCO optimization is an honest needs analysis: Which functions are actually needed? What complexity can the organization handle? What growth paths are likely? A common market mistake is overinvestment in functionality that is never used – Gartner estimates that typically only 60% of the functions of an enterprise marketing suite are actually utilized.

Alternative models offer medium-sized B2B companies the opportunity to implement a tailored demand generation solution that better fits their specific requirements, resources, and growth goals – while realizing an optimized TCO structure that is economically viable in the long term.

Frequently Asked Questions