B2B MARKETING - STRATEGY

Is B2B marketing imploding?

Marketing has always had a tendency to make grand claims but has sometimes been hard-pressed to prove them. The problem now is exacerbated by the fact that there are so many dimensions, channels, tools and media deployed in the marketing process that VERY few (if any) are able to stay on top of them all.

Agreed, most channels and media provide ways to measure their “effectiveness”, with tools and automation offering further analytics and process enhancements. But, by the time a brand has understood, tested and integrated the latest tool or media, someone has announced its demise or launched a replacement. This can lead to disillusionment at every level.

Content marketing is a great example. Many B2B brands have still to get their heads around the concept, let alone produce anything meaningful. And yet, we are already discussing the threat that the sheer volume of content could actually precipitate the failure of content marketing.

Could this exponential growth in marketing’s scope and scale be the architect of its own downfall? Could all of the promises and proof-points we are currently bombarded with result in sales and marketing having to forge an entirely new direction?

What do you think?