In the marketing world, the business-to-business branding side of the equation has a reputation for being bland. Consumer branding is where all the flair is with customers wanting the ultimate experience from companies they trust. However, this perception is starting to change as B2B marketers are starting to have more fun with their campaigns.
The Evolution of Business and Marketing
Most brands stuck with the facts a decade or so ago. Today, that “play it safe” approach does not cut it anymore in marketing. Millennials dominate the workforce today, and that conservative approach feels out of touch especially with a generation that grew up online and built their companies online. Marketers are now starting to evolve as those same companies evolve.
Millennial business owners who search for what they need online want to see engaging mobile websites and apps filled with creative content. The way Millennials are shaping the business world requires B2B marketers to make sure their message is fun, appealing and at the same time solves an industry problem. B2B marketers must let their target audience see, smell, touch, taste or experience what they are offering. The millennial generation will not have it any other way.
If marketers cannot provide the experiences listed above in person, business owners today want marketers to deliver that same experience online, with the exception of feel and taste as of now. In-depth customer reviews provide some of those experiences, and a few years ago it was a nice little addition to have customer reviews in marketing campaigns. Today, customer reviews are a necessity, a game changer.
Making claims and delivering messages are not enough in today’s B2B marketing environment. Many business owners spend hours online each day sifting through some type of content. The bland and boring “play it safe” model and sticking to the facts is a sure fire way to bury an entire marketing campaign. Marketers today must provide their audience with an experience, not just facts.
It is no secret that the business world is changing, and rapidly. Buying experiences now shape the way customers make their decisions to purchase B2B tools. It starts by providing instant access to the product and making a real connection with a business owner. The B2B landscape today is a new era of sales and marketing that does not accept boring.