Generate launches Ones to Watch for ANZ B2B marketers

Generate has launched Ones to Watch, a recognition programme for B2B marketers in Australia and New Zealand. It will highlight in-house talent across 19 categories.

Rather than naming a single winner in each category, the initiative will use shortlists. Generate says the format is intended to reflect how B2B marketing work is typically carried out across teams and specialist roles.

Generate is a community for in-house B2B marketers in Australia and New Zealand. It says it has more than 1,500 members, with membership limited to in-house B2B marketers and excluding agency employees and salespeople.

Focus on in-house

The programme targets a part of the market that often receives less public recognition than agencies or large consumer brands. Ones to Watch is designed for marketers whose work may not fit mainstream awards programmes centred on bigger budgets or higher-profile campaigns.

The categories span a broad range of disciplines and seniority levels: B2B Marketing Team, Best Campaign, Brand Marketer, Comms and PR, Content Marketer, Coolest AI Project, Digital Marketer, Email Marketer, Event Marketer, Fractional or Freelancer, Growth Marketer, Junior or Intern, Marketing Leader, Marketing Ops, Paid Specialist, Product Marketer, SEO including AEO, Social Media Marketer and Solo Marketer.

Entry is open to in-house B2B marketers working in Australia and New Zealand, whether or not they are Generate members. The Fractional or Freelancer category is the exception, with eligibility extended to freelance and fractional marketers serving B2B clients in the region.

Judging process

According to Generate, judging criteria will vary by category but will generally require work samples as well as endorsements or recommendations. A judging committee will decide the shortlisted names.

Finalists will be announced in November, and digital profiles will be published for each marketer selected for the list.

The programme was unveiled at Generate Summit, the community's annual conference in Sydney, where more than 300 people attended its third edition. Speakers came from companies and organisations including Figma, Twilio, Salesforce, Notion, Sydney Swans and The Daily Aus.

Founded in 2022, Generate has built its offering around an ongoing Slack community, quarterly meet-ups in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, and additional meet-ups in Adelaide, Perth and Auckland.

Kayla Medica, Head of Programming at Generate, outlined the rationale behind the new programme.

"Awards and lists are often dominated by big, exciting brands, with big budgets and resources, but that doesn't mean incredible marketing isn't happening elsewhere. Having seen some of the wins Generate members have shared in the community over the past couple of years, we really felt like there was a lot of work going unrecognised.

"We designed this program around the community, seeing where there was a lot of under-served achievements, hearing which challenges were actually the most satisfying to overcome even if they're not that flashy, and what points of career our members are at."

The launch adds a formal recognition layer to a community that has so far focused on networking, peer support and professional development for in-house B2B marketers across the region.

That positioning reflects a broader divide in the marketing sector, where industry attention often falls on agency work, consumer advertising and large-scale brand campaigns. By centring specialist functions such as marketing operations, email, SEO and product marketing, the new list points to the increasing fragmentation and professionalisation of B2B marketing teams.

It also broadens recognition beyond leadership roles. Categories for junior or intern and solo marketer place early-career professionals and one-person marketing teams alongside more established leadership and team awards.

Axel Sukianto, Founder of Generate, linked the programme to the community's wider approach to growth.

"Every part of the community has started organically from a real gap existing. We're excited to be expanding how B2B marketers in ANZ can connect socially and advance their careers at the same time."