While flipping through the latest edition of Ad Age over the weekend, an article called “Why business-to-business advertising is increasingly also aimed at consumers,” instantly caught my eye.
The story, written by Editor-in-Chief Rance Crain, calls attention to what seems to be a growing trend: Increasingly, B2B brands are advertising to general consumers with messages that emphasize their connections to consumer products. The reason for this, Crain says, is that B2B companies believe general consumer support can positively impact the purchasing decisions of B2B executives. Crain also says that B2B companies are using their consumer ads as a way to better connect with the real people behind B2B buying decisions.
However, the article is quick to point out that B2B marketing hasn’t “morphed into consumer marketing.” BtoB Magazine publisher Bob Felsenthal, who Crain quotes in the article, says, “At the end of the day, B2B is still a very different messaging, sales cycle, language and feel than business-to-consumer marketing. Even if it has emotional pull and humor, it needs to be business-relevant as well. And often, it needs real vertical industry understanding, context and messaging.”
As B2B marketers, we couldn’t agree more. Especially in complex industries, vertical-specific messaging is essential. Still, we can’t help but wonder if this blurring of the lines between B2B and consumer marketing goes beyond consumer-targeted ads for B2B companies. Today, business customers are connected to work wherever they go, and they have the ability to make business purchases from their smart phones while on the golf course, as well as from their desks. When making a business purchase, they are faced with more options than ever before, and thus, it’s becoming harder for B2B brands to stand out. These are the same challenges that today’s consumer marketers are facing, and in many cases, we believe they require similar solutions. Is there any reason we can’t continue to blur the lines between B2C and B2B marketing while still maintaining business and vertical relevancy? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Image via Bizz Click.
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