Digitization and technological developments are accelerating the dynamics in marketing. In international marketing, too, the starting point is becoming increasingly complex, expectations of user experience are higher, and data protection regulations are stricter. Which new paths and trends are emerging internationally and bringing change?
The opportunities, but also the stumbling blocks in international marketing were the topic of our last blog article, in which we talked to marketers from all over the world from the international E3 network about the specifics of individual markets. After the national trends, today's topic is the new ways marketing is moving internationally to position itself differently. What relevant changes are currently influencing marketing and what consequences can be derived from this for companies? Our experiences as an international agency show exciting developments in the exchange with marketing colleagues from the E3 network.
One of the central points here is personalization. B2B customers increasingly expect personalized experiences tailored to their specific needs and requirements. Creating first-class customer experiences and covering individual expectations - those who fail to assert themselves here will have little chance of success. Account-based marketing (ABM) also focuses on targeting individual customers or customer accounts with tailored messages and campaigns. Gloria Anongor, Country Manager at Benchmark Marketing in Ghana, adds, "We see a lot of potential, especially for niche and personalized products. "
Generating personalization requires data that can be collected on a large scale in the course of digital transformation. "In marketing, we are increasingly relying on digital technologies, tools and algorithms to optimize companies' B2B marketing and sales strategies. In the process, the use of artificial intelligence is also growing rapidly, analyzing data, creating personalized experiences and automating marketing campaigns, " explains Tamara Grunzweil, CEO of SPS MARKETING.
"Only accurate data analysis enables pinpoint customer targeting. "
We know that this technological know-how is currently still missing in many marketing departments - and so does Deloitte. In its current report "Global Marketing Trends 2023", it concludes that 38 percent of the chief marketing officers surveyed plan to catch up with these technological skills before the end of the current year. Moreover, in addition to product- or company-related data, geographic, sociopolitical and even climate data are to be used for data analysis. The report surveyed a total of 1,000 international marketing decision makers about their focus on business transformation to create growth. According to Deloitte, companies plan to invest more in their marketing efforts in the coming months: "Marketing plays a critical role in driving growth and driving innovation and agility in the current period of economic uncertainty.
Personalization is a growing trend in marketing, but it is also being challenged by stricter international data protection regulations. A recent example of this is the controversy surrounding the chatbot ChatGPT, which was blocked by the Italian data protection authority. Consulting Teamlead Craig Johnston from Huble in Cape Town comments on the discontinuation of 3rd party cookies with a requirement: “It is necessary to have a global overview of what an internet without cookies will look like and what possibilities there are to understand user behavior without tracking individuals.” Anyone who wants to get fit for efficient campaign setup in the post-cookie era should not miss our free webinar.
In order to address and retain a clearly defined target group, relevant and high-quality content is increasingly used. They inform, convince, advise - and ensure attention and reach. Einat Talal-Cohen, Digital Marketing Manager at OZ Global B2B in Manof/Israel, also sees that content is changing: Content is strongly geared towards the pains and gains of the personas, i. e. to what excites customers, as well as to the experiences in the negative customer experiences. In addition, companies rely on storytelling to present their brand and their products or services in an appealing way. Information packed in a well thought-out story, convincing with emotions, is exciting and gripping.
Videos are an effective way to convey complex information and visualize messages. They are becoming increasingly important as an instrument, whether as product videos or image films, also in B2B marketing. Best suited for websites, social media & Co. , they are quicker and easier to consume than text. More and more B2B customers are using mobile devices to access information and conduct business. That is why mobile optimization of websites and marketing campaigns is also a must for businesses to ensure they are mobile compatible.
Sustainability as a central topic in our society is becoming more and more important in marketing, not only in the B2C area. Environment, social behavior, corporate governance nowadays nobody can ignore sustainability as a topic. B2B companies also rely on transparent supply chains, sustainable materials and environmentally friendly products and select their suppliers accordingly. An area that offers a lot of potential for strong communication campaigns.
In the near future, we believe that skills are particularly needed to create impressively creative and personalized customer experiences, and the ability to use the new technologies that make this possible. But despite all the sophisticated tools, proximity to the customer remains indispensable - understanding the target group and long-term relationships are the stable basis of sustainable marketing.
