Channel99 is redefining B2B marketing measurement with its ground-breaking integration with LinkedIn’s Company Intelligence API. At the helm is Chris Golec, a seasoned entrepreneur who previously founded Demandbase and pioneered the ABM category. With Channel99, launched in 2022, Golec is addressing the long-standing challenge of the “dark funnel” by using AI and view-through attribution to uncover hidden engagement and link it directly to pipeline and revenue. In this TechBullion interview, Golec discusses how the integration transforms attribution, marketing ROI, and decision-making for B2B enterprises.
Please tell us your name, a little more about yourself and the major problems you are solving with Channel99.
Chris Golec launched Channel99 in 2022 to transform the way companies measure, invest and optimize B2B marketing and digital programs using AI and ML. Prior to Channel99, Chris founded and ran Demandbase for 15 years, pioneering the ABM technology category through innovation and passion for customer success. Today, the world’s largest and fastest growing enterprises across the financial services, hi-tech, manufacturing, healthcare and telecom industries have adopted Demandbase’s B2B marketing platform and Account Based Marketing (ABM) technology to dramatically improve the way they acquire and grow customers. Chris also co-founded a supply chain software company, Supplybase, in the late 90’s and sold it to i2 Technologies, now Blue Yonder, in 2000.
Chris, Channel99’s integration with LinkedIn’s Company Intelligence API is being described as transformative. What motivated this collaboration, and what do you see as the biggest shift it brings to B2B marketers?
80% of website activity in B2B is not traceable via a click. Previously, this traffic would simply be labeled “Direct” and ignored in campaign ROI models. With the new integration, customers are seeing 2-4X higher engagement from their organic and paid social programs on LinkedIn are now able to tie it to pipeline and revenue impact.
The term “dark funnel” is often used but rarely solved. Why has this challenge persisted for so long, and what makes Channel99’s approach finally capable of shining a light on it?
Most digital attribution is accomplished by tracking a “click” by placing a UTM parameter in the URL. When someone reads a social post and then goes directly to the author’s website, there is no click to track. This “dark funnel” represents a very high level of engagement and intent. By measuring the engagement at the company or account level in a privacy-forward model, LinkedIn and Channel99 are able to correlate company-level engagement from LinkedIn’s properties to the account-level visits on the customer’s website via Channel99’s technology. This engagement then gets tied to the pipeline and revenue.
Historically, B2B attribution has centred on click-through data. With view-through attribution now measurable, how does this reframe the way marketing ROI should be calculated and reported?
Every customer is different, but we see 2-4x more engagement via “view-through” vs. clicks. Capturing these signals and properly allocating the additional engagement to the campaign improves campaign ROI or pipeline impact by the same level. This offers better decision-making and budget planning.
Early customer results suggest marketers are shifting spend towards LinkedIn. Do you believe this integration will cause a reallocation of budgets across the board, and what does that mean for channels that cannot yet prove view-through impact?
Yes, we do see spend shifting depending on which channels are most financially efficient for the customer’s target market. However, there is no single answer in terms of what works best. Beyond LinkedIn, Channel99 has introduced view-through technology that can be used across Google, Microsoft and other display advertising technologies, including the ABM providers.
Channel99 is described as an AI-powered decision engine. Can you share a practical example of how AI is being used not just to track data, but to guide smarter, faster marketing decisions?
AI-powered decisions are not just related to where to invest. If I have a target audience or account list, Channel99 can force rank the best channels or vendors based on their ability to reach, engage and impact pipeline. From here, the AI might suggest where to make adjustments to the campaigns or audience to improve results.
You pioneered ABM with Demandbase and are now tackling attribution with Channel99. What lessons from your earlier ventures proved most valuable in shaping this company’s vision?
We started with attribution because it was never properly solved by the legacy players. And if you do not solve attribution, the AI will give you the wrong answers, which would mean continued inefficiency and missed pipeline goals.
Your latest press release highlights how customers can activate the integration in minutes. Why was simplicity and speed-to-value such a design priority for you, and how does it change adoption dynamics in enterprise environments?
All of our integrations can be enabled in minutes through single-sign-on, or SSO. Simple and secure is the expectation for customers to embrace new technologies.
If view-through attribution becomes the norm, how do you think it will change the way CMOs are evaluated, and the level of accountability marketing will face in driving pipeline?
View-through attribution provides a more complete picture of what is working and what is not. When it comes to organic social programs, CMOs in particular invest a lot of time authoring posts and thought leadership content. With this new integration, they will now see the impact their efforts have on driving the business forward. It’s all about pipeline, not just “likes” and “comments”.
Beyond this LinkedIn milestone, what is next for Channel99 in terms of partnerships or innovations that will push the boundaries of attribution and marketing efficiency even further?
We are working on a handful of partnerships that will help our customers create and accelerate pipeline, while investing their budget more efficiently. Channel99 will then shift from “must-have attribution and measurement” to a mission-critical “must-have pipeline acceleration” solution.
