LinkedIn Research: 88% of Australian B2B Marketers Prioritise Younger Decision-Makers as Gen Z and Millennials Near Half of Leadership Roles

New research commissioned by LinkedIn has found that nearly nine in ten Australian B2B marketers say their company's future growth hinges on reaching younger buyers, as data from the platform itself confirms that Millennials and Gen Z have already taken on close to half of all Australian leadership positions.

The study, conducted by Censuswide among 6,196 marketers across twelve markets — including 566 in Australia — found that 88% of Australian B2B marketers believe their organisation's growth depends on engaging Gen Z and Millennial decision-makers. LinkedIn's own platform data adds weight to that concern: the share of Australian leadership roles held by Millennials and Gen Z rose from 35% in 2016 to 48% in 2026.

The generational shift is most pronounced at the largest organisations. According to the research, Millennials and Gen Z now hold 50.2% of leadership roles in Australia's biggest enterprises, up 14.2 percentage points since 2016. The trend is also broader than the technology sector: younger leaders hold 48.7% of leadership roles in Australian non-tech industries, ahead of the tech sector at 44.2%.

Expert voices outperform traditional campaigns

The research identifies expert-voice content — produced by employees, creators, or industry experts — as a key lever for reaching this evolving buyer group. Some 43% of Australian marketers say content from expert voices is the most effective way to engage younger decision-makers. Among B2B marketers who already work with such voices, 74% say that content is more effective than traditional campaign types at turning awareness into consideration, and 33% say campaigns using expert voices have their greatest impact at the consideration stage, compared with 17% who see the biggest impact on awareness.

For Gen Z audiences specifically, B2B marketers say short-form and immersive videos are the most engaging format (49%), followed by content from trusted voices (44%).

Andrea Rule, Director of LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, said the findings reflect a broader shift in how trust is built with younger buyers. "Gen Z are paying attention, but they've also raised the bar for what earns their trust," she said. "Today's buyers look to their community of peers and experts to help them make decisions, and that's why focusing on just visibility without credibility in your marketing strategies falls short." Rule added that "LinkedIn Thought Leader Ad adoption growing nearly 40% year over year and the format delivering up to two times higher click-through rates than comparable single-image ads."

Lindsay Bennett, Communications and Content Lead at Ideally, said the shift places greater importance on the people surrounding a brand. "We're moving into an era where the people around a brand can be just as influential as the brand itself," Bennett said. "Younger buyers are looking for expertise, perspective and proof, which means executives, employees, customers and creators are becoming an increasingly important part of the marketing mix."

Credibility over visibility as AI shapes discovery

The research also captures mounting concern about how AI is changing the way buyers find and evaluate brands. Nearly three-quarters (75%) of marketers surveyed agree that brand credibility is becoming more important than brand visibility, while 76% say brands must show up in trusted professional networks to earn it.

Community validation appears especially important for Gen Z: 84% of marketers globally believe Gen Z buyers are more likely to consider a brand validated by someone in their professional community, rising to 88% in Australia.

Investment plans reflect these priorities. Over the next 12 months, 46% of CMOs expect their organisations to increase investment in AI search optimisation, while 45% expect greater investment in content from expert voices to build brand credibility and influence AI-driven discovery.

Methodology

The survey was carried out by Censuswide between 21 July and 6 August 2026 among 6,196 marketers at junior manager level and above who are involved in B2B marketing across the UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Australia, USA, Netherlands, India, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, and Brazil. The Australian sample comprised 566 respondents. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society and the British Polling Council, and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge.