‘We believe in letting our customers do the talking’: Hexagon’s Madlen Nicolaus on B2B marketing that’s ‘anything but dull’

Companies that sell business-to-business (B2B) can often find it challenging to market what they offer in a way that excites and engages.

However, over the past few years, many marketers have pushed back against the stereotype of prosaic B2B branding. We spoke to Madlen Nicolaus, chief marketing officer at global tech firm Hexagon, about how a company specialising in measurement and geospatial tools and software brings customer stories to life in a way that’s ‘anything but dull’.

She also spoke about how Hexagon’s clients are approaching AI, how the business is finding ways to stand out despite leaner budgets, and her advice to marketers starting out in B2B.

Econsultancy: We hear a lot of columnists challenging the notion that B2B branding needs to be slightly dull and reliable. How does this conversation manifest itself at Hexagon?

Madlen Nicolaus: It starts with knowing your audience. What resonates with the C-suite doesn’t necessarily work for the technical end users of our products; Hexagon supports everything from precision manufacturing to global engineering feats and getting that balance right is crucial.

We aim for messaging that’s neither too technical nor too diluted. Our newly-approved narrative on measurement technologies hits this sweet spot by using a simple measuring tape as a familiar starting point – something that everyone understands instantly.

We also believe in letting our customers do the talking. Whether it’s Red Bull Racing, Ma’aden, or CERN, real-world case studies from well-known brands and projects give our solutions a human voice, showcasing their impact in a way that engages both executives and hands-on technical experts.

As I often say, we can’t just throw money at challenges – we have to throw wit at them. It’s this blend of creativity, technical credibility, and audience awareness that keeps our B2B branding anything but dull.

As I often say, we can’t just throw money at challenges – we have to throw wit at them.

What’s your sense of how clients view the emergence of AI?

What we’re seeing is that customers aren’t treating AI as a standalone tool. They’re more focused on how it fits into their existing ecosystems and what their benefits and outcomes are. It’s not so much about the technology itself, but about what it helps them achieve – making smarter decisions and increasing productivity.

AI really starts to deliver when it’s embedded into something practical, like a digital twin. In sectors such as manufacturing and urban planning, AI-powered digital twins are helping teams process complex data and model real-world scenarios with greater accuracy.

A standout example is the city of Klagenfurt in Austria, which used AI-enabled digital twin insights to assess rooftop solar potential. This led to a doubling of installations in just two years, which is 33% faster than cities without an AI-enabled urban digital twin. It’s a clear example of how AI can drive tangible, real-world impact when applied with purpose.

That kind of thinking is becoming more common. Most customers aren’t chasing flashy new tools but are focused on helping their teams work smarter. Increasingly, AI is being seen not just as a way to automate, but as a tool that supports faster, more informed decision-making. That’s where its true value lies.

We’re also seeing this mindset take hold among marketing teams, including my own. There’s a growing appetite for using AI to run more efficient, data-driven, and creative campaigns. Whether it’s predicting campaign outcomes or tailoring customer journeys in real time, marketers are starting to see how AI can help improve efficiency when grounded in solid data and closely aligned with strategic goals and execution.

The media landscape is changing – organic search traffic is tougher to come by, and ad prices are rising – how has your planning changed over the past year?

 Building an effective corporate marketing function requires a highly strategic approach to resource allocation. Rather than investing heavily in large-scale ad campaigns, we’ve embraced content-driven marketing and thought leadership to make an impact.

Take our Digital Twin report, for example. This was more than just another whitepaper; it provided exclusive insights, industry trends, and actionable takeaways that engaged our audience and strengthened our position as a thought leader. This content is still being repurposed across various channels, from keynote speeches and new visualisations to blog posts for marketing teams across Hexagon – all to sustain momentum and drive awareness.

By prioritising creativity over sheer spending power, we’ve found new ways to stand out, even with leaner budgets.

Rather than investing heavily in large-scale ad campaigns, we’ve embraced content-driven marketing and thought leadership to make an impact.

How does marketing get involved with customer success in your business?

At the corporate level, I’m somewhat removed from the day-to-day operations of our customer success teams. However, our role is to demonstrate the impact of our technology across the 27-plus industries we serve.

We do this by working closely with regional and divisional teams to develop success stories, thought leadership pieces, and event presentations that are leveraged across the group. These materials highlight customer achievements and reinforce the value of our solutions in solving real-world challenges.

Currently, we’re working on a customer story about our technology partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and a mega infrastructure project by Skanska – the longest and deepest underwater road tunnel ever built. This approach not only highlights the tangible impact of our solutions but also encourages cross-industry learning, ensuring every customer success story gets the visibility it deserves.

Describe your average day. What’s great – and what’s tough?

I often joke that I’m a high-wire performer – only my act involves three young kids, endless meetings, and a laser focus on detail (that’s the German in me!). If I’m home, my day starts with wrangling the kids into the car for the school run. If I’m abroad, I’m probably doing yoga to help clear my mind and start the day energised.

Once the workday starts, I immediately jump into alignment calls with my international teams in China and India, or into one-to-ones with my teams across Europe. We discuss everything from go-to-market strategies for cutting-edge product launches to budget or brand reviews, ensuring every project stays on track.

By mid-morning, I’m bouncing between global time zones – sometimes talking strategy with colleagues across our divisions or other times aligning on our top priority projects with my corporate marketing team members in Atlanta. No two days are alike – one moment, I’m brainstorming marketing ideas with our agencies; the next, I’m leading a deep dive into AI adoption or presenting to our corporate leadership team.

It’s a back-to-back sprint that sometimes stretches for 12 hours, but I always carve out time for dinner with my kids. That brief pause is my non-negotiable family time (and if I’m away, I always try to FaceTime).

The best part of my day is seeing real impact: watching our ideas come to life, hearing customer success stories, or witnessing our initiatives evolve from concept to activation. The not-so-great part? Being away from my kids more than I’d like. But that’s the nature of this high-wire act.

What advice would you give to a marketer starting in B2B today?

It depends on their career ambitions. Not everyone has the same priorities, which means their approach to work will also be different.

For those who are career-driven, my advice is simple:  go beyond the job description. Growth isn’t about just checking boxes – it’s about recognising unspoken needs and tackling challenges others overlook.

Every time I’ve stepped into a new role, I’ve identified gaps beyond the official scope of the role and taken the initiative to tackle them regardless. That awareness and curiosity helped me learn new skills, redefine my role, and add value in unexpected ways.

So, my advice? Don’t just do what’s expected – pay attention to what isn’t stated. The real opportunities lie in what no one’s asking for yet. This mindset will keep you learning, growing, and truly making an impact.