In November, we had the pleasure of spending a few days in Boston at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum. We came, we shmoozed, we talked about AI…like, a lot.
But in all seriousness, it gave us plenty to think about. And from the many sessions we attended throughout our two days, a few things rose to the top. So, if B2B marketing is your jam, read on.
#1 – AI is absolutely, positively everywhere
We went in thinking there was likely to be a lot of energy and discussion around AI. But we were shocked by just how much it permeated not only the content of the speakers’ presentations but also the discussion outside of sessions.
“What are you using?”
“How are you using it?”
“How often are you using it?”
“How much time has it saved you?”
“What’s the most valuable use case you’ve discovered?”
And the biggest of all, “Does it really work for branding?!?!?”
All good questions. But through it all, a major tension emerged—specifically regarding AI-generated content.
Some are convinced AI is wonderful at modifying and enhancing existing content, but very poor at generating original content. Others claim it’s a great springboard for original content but requires significant human touch on the back end to get to the quality we expect. Finally, a group of folks (mostly AI marketing consultants) believe they can use AI to effectively create awesome original content that passes both human and machine quality standards. Essentially, you’d never know it was AI.
From our experience, all three can be right and all three can be wrong. The most critical component that all seem to agree on is the importance of inputs. Just letting AI pull from the web itself, unchecked, to create anything new…you can bet what you’ll get out will be incorrect.
#2 – Where are the experts?
We promise this whole article won’t be about AI, but given the conference was 90% about AI, two of our takeaways will be. So, what else made us pause?
Through two days of talking about AI, there became a readily apparent delta between agencies or consultants and our clients in terms of use, fluency and POV on AI. Generally, most agencies and consultants have delved into AI just enough to talk the talk—wanting, perhaps needing, to look smart and cutting edge. On the other hand, most corporate marketing people are just dipping their toes in the water when it comes to using AI in marketing processes. They’re curious, but not quite ready to fully dive in.
The problem is that so many of those who are talking the talk are not actually experts. In fact, we’re not sure there are more than a handful of true AI marketing experts right now, given how nascent it is and how recently AI has been introduced as a tool in our workflows.
As an agency, we’re hell-bent on understanding the applications of AI in our work and perfecting them, but we’ll admit they’re still experimental. The takeaway here is to certainly be excited about AI and its uses, but also beware—it’s hard to be an expert in something that’s only been in use for about 24 months.
#3 – Customer insights…the great, wonderful, lost art
The one stat that really jumped out to us was that B2B marketers’ biggest concern over the next three years is identifying and targeting the right audience. 43% of B2B marketers said this is difficult for them. So, what’s missing that’s creating this challenge? The answer: current, relevant customer insight.
We’re vocal advocates of true human insight in any branding or marketing project. It’s 100% necessary and, honestly, we won’t do the work without it. The outputs won’t be of the quality we demand from ourselves and our clients.
But why do so many B2B marketers proceed without it? From our perspective, it seems that the marketing buzzword of the day has taken the place of customer insight and replaced data with process. First it was CRM…then it was ABM…now it’s GTM. Rather than truly understanding the “who,” we’re now squarely focused on the “how” and often happy to get there without really knowing those we need to reach.
But skipping to the GTM means omitting a critical input. And solving this isn’t as simple as just doing some customer research. Rather, you need to focus on crafting your ideal customer profile: the personas you’re selling to and their journeys, so you can reach and engage them every step of the way.
A closing thought on AI
Just kidding, two is enough for now. We had a lot to digest in the wake of the conference and are already hard at work implementing these learnings for our clients—and ourselves. Thanks MarketingProfs for an enriching experience—and see you next year!
