Alberto Regis*
The Global Consumer Intelligence Review
Volume 1, Issue 1
Published: 21 April 2026
B2B purchase decisions have undergone a structural transformation. Where convincing a single procurement manager once sufficed, today every buying decision involves an average of six to ten stakeholders, each with distinct objectives, concerns, and success metrics (Gartner, 2019–2024). This complexity has rendered standardised sales strategies obsolete and opened a decisive competitive space for those who know how to orchestrate personalised conversations with complex decision-making ecosystems.
This paper argues that Account-Based Marketing (ABM) — when integrated with a strategic intelligence logic and targeted thought leadership — represents the most effective response to this complexity. ABM is not a lead generation tactic but a paradigm shift: from mass marketing to the surgical conquest of high-value accounts, one account and one stakeholder at a time.
We propose the Applied Strategic Intelligence (ASI) framework, which describes how the collection, interpretation, and activation of contextual data on target accounts — combined with thought leadership content calibrated to their strategic imperatives — generates sustainable competitive advantage in high-complexity B2B environments. The paper includes a case study from the cybersecurity/banking sector and specific implications for Italian industrial SMEs.
Account-Based Marketing, Strategic Intelligence, Multiple Stakeholders, Thought Leadership, B2B Demand Generation, Personafication System, Italian Manufacturing, Ethical Marketing
Alberto Regis*, Founder & ABM Advisor | Biella, Account-Based Marketing, Lecturer in Industrial Marketing, Fondazione ITS Meccatronica e Avionica, Turin, Italy.
Regis, A. (2026). Account-Based Marketing in The Era of Strategic Intelligence: How to Win High-Value Clients, Today. The Global Consumer Intelligence Review, 1(1), 01-10.