Why B2B Marketers are Prioritising Data for Effective AI-Powered Personalisation
APAC marketing leaders are doubling down on their data capabilities as the foundation for more effective and scalable B2B personalisation, according to new research from Adobe and London Research.
The Case for B2B Personalisation - Asia-Pacific highlights the critical role of data in driving successful marketing and sales programs, with those identified as ‘leaders’ found to be significantly more advanced than their peers across a range of data competencies.
These capabilities include ‘actionability’ – translating data insights into better experiences, account journey insights and propensity scoring to predict customer actions. Leaders are also more likely to be closely focusing on their first-party data, with investment in marketing and customer data platforms that ‘play well’ together to facilitate a 360-degree customer view across all touch points.
The use of first-party data has become particularly important given the trend of consumers – and individuals browsing the web for work purposes in a B2B context – increasingly opting for privacy options and rejecting cookies. Separate Adobe research has found that brands worldwide have become less reliant on third-party cookies, with 49% saying their marketing strategy still depends on this data, compared to 75% in 2022.
Garbage in, garbage out
The research emphasises the importance of a solid data foundation for those looking to
benefit from AI-driven marketing technology, in line with the ‘Garbage in, garbage out’ adage. AI-powered personalisation depends not only on clean customer data, but also data from across the organisation in a form that the machine or AI can interpret and then action.
Fragmented data and insights are regarded by APAC marketers surveyed as the most significant obstacle to more seamless and personalised customer experiences, described as a ‘major’ barrier to success by 37% of B2B companies.
Across the board, companies are increasingly using AI for a range of marketing and sales-related activities, including content creation, conversational chatbots and customer journey optimisation.
The research, based on a survey of more than 300 organisations predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, India and Singapore, also finds that APAC companies are almost five times more likely than laggards to say they have operationalised AI into their day-to-day marketing activities, and seven times more likely to describe the use of AI in their marketing activities as ‘business as usual’ (BAU).
The importance of technology
The report also highlights that legacy software platforms are among the most significant barriers to better customer experiences, a challenge which exacerbates the problems businesses can face with data relating to different touch points stuck in different silos.
APAC companies leading the way in B2B marketing are more committed to investment in marketing technology, with leaders twice as likely as laggards to be significantly increasing their investment in this area over the next 12 months.
Key takeaways from the report:
- A unified customer data foundation is crucial for effective B2B engagement and AI-driven personalisation.
- Integration between different software platforms is essential for a comprehensive view of the customer.
- First-party data is becoming increasingly important due to internet users increasingly rejecting third-party cookies.
- A single source of truth is necessary for revenue team convergence and attribution.
- A solid data foundation is essential for effective AI deployment.
- Legacy software platforms and fragmented data can hinder personalisation efforts.
- Organisations should invest in marketing technology to improve personalisation capabilities.
The report's recommendations include:
- A 360-degree view of the customer is fundamental for B2B companies striving to use AI to automate next-best communications and sales activities in real time. This customer profile can then be activated at all stages of the customer journey, whether for personalised messaging to prospects, or for more effective cross-selling and upselling of existing customers.
- Deployment of AI and GenAI is now accelerating everything from content creation and tagging, to conversational chatbots and real-time digital sales. Generative AI is also now playing a foundational role in helping B2B organisations deliver personalised digital experiences at scale. Large language models are being deployed to speed up how customer journeys are individuated, built, launched and measured. If you’re not among those leaders, your first step should be to assess how your organisation is using AI, and what might be holding you back.
Download The Case for B2B Personalisation – Asia-Pacific report to learn more.
