B2B and B2C Models May Be No Different

Business customers are no different than retail consumers. They, too, expect superior customer service, and the line between the two will likely be disappearing. A recent survey by Salesforce revealed that personalized engagement is expected by 72% of business buyers, while 88% of the business leaders polled already anticipate offering products online within the next five years. This means B2B firms will likely be employing similar B2C models.

Although the lines between the two may be blurring, there will still be a couple of differences. B2B’s sales cycle is generally longer than B2C. The added twist with B2B is that it will require not just an understanding of buyers but also the companies they represent.

A.I.

Brands will continue to rely on artificial intelligence, but there will likely be a shift in focus in three areas. The first is on productivity, where more brands are expected to rely on A.I. to collect marketing data for analytics. The second is to gain real-time insights into ROI to prioritize action. The third is to assist marketers in personalizing their customer communications across every touchpoint.

Customer Data Platforms

Customer data platforms or CDPs will be the brand’s central clearing house for all customer data. Not only will this allow for automated segmentation of data, but it will also make it easier for brands to comply with privacy regulations like the California Consumer Privacy Act and European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.