How do you place your customer at the centre of things and embrace customer centricity in B2B? What is the true value of marketing? How can this be measured? How can you transform the organisation? These subjects will be discussed during the B2B Marketing Forum on March 17th. The main theme is “Leading the change; from self to customer obsession”. We spoke to one of the founders of the Forum, Ingrid Archer, from the B2B marketing agency SPOTONVISION.
Why is ‘Leading the change; from self to customer obsession’ the main theme of the B2B Marketing Forum?
“There is a great transformation going on in B2B marketing. For a long time, we have been talking about content marketing and marketing automation. But now, advanced technologies have made so much more possible. That’s a good thing, but it can also make things complicated for companies. Not everybody understands what is going on and how to apply new technologies,” Ingrid explains.
Which challenges do companies face?
“Marketers are confronted with new technologies and are forced to generate leads in a smarter manner. They need good insights into what the buyer wants; they need to create relevant content and must monitor performance effectively. After all, they have to prove the value of their marketing. For instance, B2C companies like Bol.com apply technologies by offering personalized information to the customer. B2B customers can learn from this approach. Personalization in marketing requires a new approach that is grounded in customer centricity. By using relevant data, marketing teams can show their management how activities contribute to the company’s revenue. Marketing is no longer just a cost driver, but a contributor to the business.”
More and more managers advocate intensive cooperation between marketing and sales. Do you agree on that?
“This is true. And I would like to add Communications to that as well. Communications, marketing, and sales need to work together so that there is no double work done, as often is the case currently. It would be much more effective and profitable if they collaborated in an integrated manner.”
What else will happen during the B2B Marketing Forum?
“Topics include: customer obsession, the added value of marketing, measuring value, and transformation. We will also present the results of the SPOTONVISION survey on marketing performance management. For this survey, we interviewed 26 marketing directors. Additionally, we have conducted another survey in collaboration with TNS NIPO, focusing on how customers experience a B2B purchase and how marketing interacts with this. Various speakers will discuss the customer journey, including marketers from DHL, ING, and NUON. I will speak about placing the B2B customer at the centre of things based on our recent survey.”
B2C marketing is good at putting the customer in the centre of thing. So why isn’t B2B yet?
“B2C marketing is less complex than B2B, especially when you look at the buying cycle. In B2C, if a product isn’t selling, companies can simply remove it from the market. However, in B2B, companies can still succeed without fully embracing customer centricity. The customer may put up with this due to the complexity of the products and services involved. Start-ups, on the other hand, maintain a customer-focused approach, allowing them to catch up with larger companies. Forrester research shows that companies prioritizing customer experience have a higher market value compared to those focusing solely on revenue.”
Do you want to learn more about customer obsession and customer centricity?
Join us on March 17th at the B2B Marketing Forum, where Ingrid Archer and other leading experts will share more insights into how B2B companies can truly center their marketing strategies around the customer.
This blog was previously published by Marketing Tribune.