In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Robert Heldt, CEO of AIM Worldwide, a B2B marketing and PR agency specializing in helping Western companies navigate the Japanese and South Korean markets. With 17 years of experience in Japan and a new office opening in South Korea in early 2025, Robert brings invaluable insights into two of Asia's most sophisticated yet distinctly different economies. Together, they tackle a critical question: Why do so many Western B2B companies fail when they treat Japan, Korea, and the broader Asian market as one homogeneous opportunity—and what does it really take to succeed?

➡️ Robert reveals the stark differences between Japan's relationship-first, risk-averse business culture and South Korea's fast-paced, digitally-driven marketplace. He explains how trust operates fundamentally differently in these markets, why your global marketing strategy won't land without deep localization, and the cultural missteps that can kill momentum before you even get started. From understanding the role of hierarchy and consensus-building in Japan to navigating South Korea's "Ppalli-Ppalli" (fast-fast) mentality while still respecting traditional business structures, Robert unpacks what Western companies must know before entering these $6 trillion markets. He also dives into channel strategy—why LinkedIn advertising fails in Japan while trade events thrive, why Naver and Kakao dominate in Korea, and how content expectations differ dramatically between formal, data-heavy materials in Japan versus visual, dynamic content in South Korea. They explore the agency landscape, regulatory compliance, PR dynamics including Japan's exclusive Press Club system, and the essential first steps for market entry.

Follow Robert Heldt,

https://linkedin.com/in/robert-heldt/

https://aimb2b.jp

If you're considering expansion into Japan or South Korea, or simply want to understand how cultural nuance shapes B2B marketing success in sophisticated Asian markets, this conversation is essential listening. It's practical, detailed, and filled with actionable insights that can save you time, budget, and costly mistakes.

00:00 - Introduction and episode overview

02:15 - Robert's background: from hospitality to B2B marketing in Japan

05:30 - Understanding the $6 trillion opportunity in Japan and South Korea

08:45 - Why treating Asia as one market is a costly mistake

12:20 - Cultural foundations: Confucian roots, hierarchy, and trust dynamics

15:40 - Buyer behavior differences between Japan and Korea

18:30 - Channel strategy: Why LinkedIn fails in Japan but trade events thrive

22:15 - Digital landscape: Yahoo Japan, Naver, Kakao, and YouTube

26:00 - Content expectations: Formal vs. visual, data vs. speed

29:20 - The consumerization of B2B content in Korea vs. traditional formats in Japan

31:30 - PR and earned media: Navigating Japan's Press Club system

35:10 - Regulation and compliance: Data privacy and advertising standards

37:45 - The agency landscape: Dentsu, Hakuhodo, and finding the right partners

40:20 - Essential steps for market entry and go-to-market strategy

42:30 - Future trends and closing thoughts

🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/

💬 What do you think matters more—speed to market or cultural respect? Let us know in the comments below.

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In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Paul Collier, CMO at Funnel Fuel and a serial B2B marketing leader who's worked with Fortune 50 tech companies. They unpack the FT's landmark "Bridging the Trust Gap" report, which reveals that companies measuring trust are three times more likely to report stronger profits—yet only 22% actually do. Can B2B advertisers afford to ignore trust when planning their media strategies?

➡️ Paul brings hard-won client-side experience to the conversation, sharing his own wake-up call when his digital advertising spend flatlined without explanation. Together, they explore the five pillars of B2B trust (reliability, human competence, data security, ethics, and integrity), why trust gaps exist across industries, and how AI is rapidly reshaping the advertising landscape. They also tackle platform opacity, the balance between trusted media and social channels, and practical steps marketers can take to demand transparency from their advertising partners.

00:00 - Introduction: The FT Trust Gap Report

02:15 - Paul Collier's Background & Journey to Funnel Fuel

05:30 - First Impressions of the Trust Gap Report

08:45 - The Five Pillars of B2B Trust

12:20 - Trust Gaps Across Industries: Why B2B Marketers Should Care

15:40 - Paul's Wake-Up Call: The Christmas Spreadsheet Story

19:25 - Trust Differences Across Media Channels

23:10 - Measurement Gaps in B2B Marketing

26:35 - AI, Transparency & the Future of Advertising

31:20 - What Questions Should Marketers Ask Their Partners?

34:50 - Why Paul is Optimistic About B2B Advertising's Future

37:15 - Closing Thoughts & Key Takeaways

Follow Paul Collier

https://linkedin.com/in/paulcollier/

https://funnelfuel.io

If you care about making B2B marketing more meaningful, useful, and memorable, this conversation is for you. It's honest, reflective, and packed with takeaways that can help elevate your approach to thought leadership—whether you're a content creator, strategist, or brand leader.

🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/

💬 What do you think comes first—measuring trust or building it organically? Let us know in the comments below.

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Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/

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In this episode of Trust and Influence in B2B Marketing, Joel Harrison sits down with Daniel Mohacek, Founder and CEO at Truth Engine, a company building technology to detect fake reviews at scale. Daniel has spent 25 years in digital marketing, including time at Yahoo in its early days and involvement with SwiftKey, the predictive text keyboard acquired by Microsoft. But it was an unexpected discovery a few years ago that set him down a completely different path—while trying to turn around a struggling B2B website business, he uncovered a coordinated attack of fake negative reviews that traditional marketing playbooks simply don't address. What happens when your company's reputation is being systematically destroyed by fake reviews, and the advice you receive about fighting back raises serious ethical and legal questions?

➡️ Daniel reveals the sobering truth about review manipulation across platforms we all rely on—from Trustpilot and G2 to Google and Glassdoor. The scale of the problem is far greater than most marketers realize, with fake reviews now representing over 50% of all reviews analyzed across hundreds of millions of data points. He explains the rise of "negbombing" (coordinated fake negative reviews), why businesses have felt compelled to fight fire with fire, and how new UK legislation coming into force in Q1 2026 creates real legal and financial risks—including fines of up to 10% of global turnover. Daniel also unpacks how AI search tools and large language models are changing the game, why they rely heavily on reviews, and what this means for businesses with manipulated review profiles. From the impact on brand reputation to the shift in consumer behavior, this conversation challenges everything we thought we knew about online reviews and trust signals in B2B marketing.

If you care about building authentic trust, protecting your brand reputation, and understanding the new legal landscape around reviews, this conversation is essential listening. It's eye-opening, practical, and packed with actionable insights for marketers, brand leaders, and anyone responsible for managing their company's online presence.

Follow Daniel Mohacek

https://linkedin.com/in/danielmohacek/

https://truthengine.com

🌐 Visit Joel Harrison's website to explore exclusive reports, upcoming events, and join the B2B marketing community ➡️ https://www.joelharrisonb2b.com/

💬 What do you think—are fake reviews a bigger problem than most B2B marketers realize? Let us know in the comments below.

🔔 Subscribe to the channel for weekly insights, interviews, and on-the-ground perspectives from the world of B2B marketing. https://youtube.com/@JoelHarrison-B2B?sub_confirmation=1

📲 Follow Joel Harrison and Trust & Influence in B2B across the web:

LinkedIn ▶ https://linkedin.com/in/joelharrison/

Podcast ▶ https://trust-influence-in-b2b.captivate.fm/

Instagram ▶ https://instagram.com/joelharrisonb2b/

#JoelHarrisonB2B, #B2BMarketing, #ThoughtLeadership, #ContentStrategy, #MarketingTrends, #B2BContent, #BrandVsDemand, #Storytelling, #MarketingPodcast, #B2BInsights, #JoelHarrison, #B2BVideos, #B2BStrategy, #FakeReviews, #ReviewAuthentication, #TrustInMarketing, #DMCCAct, #ReputationManagement, #CustomerAdvocacy, #B2BTrust, #MarketingCompliance