• by Ivan Tafur , April 30, 2019

In marketing, you’ll often hear people talk about B2B -- business to business -- or B2C -- business to consumer. But rarely will you hear marketers talk about connecting with humans.

Yet that’s what we all are. At the core of every marketing, advertising or communications campaign is the same, basic human desire: to connect. And while it can be easy to forget Bs are more often than not also Cs, the reality is, we tend to find what’s good for the C is also good for the B.

Historically, more traditional B2B marketing vehicles like trade publications, search efforts, and content marketing plans have focused on connecting companies to one another. Connecting with peers, colleagues or even competitors, B2B marketing often focuses on the rational attributes that make a company great. And while maintaining emphasis on tracking, measuring and discerning value across all of these channels is important, there’s definitely a missed opportunity if you’re not also taking advantage of the double coverage in consumer messaging.

Our Bs are people, too. They watch, read, and listen to the same content as their customers. They’re looking for the same inspiration as our Cs, and they also want to see and hear the newest and latest information members of both of their personal and professional lives will discuss. This inherent interconnectivity creates a great opportunity for dual messaging and to build connections.

Creating dual messaging, that appeals to both B2B and B2C audiences, is one of the great untapped opportunities for brands to take their marketing to the next level. Creating a story that translates across channels, audiences and transcends timing creates vast brand awareness that helps businesses maintain forward progress. And this approach isn’t just a logical next step. It’s measurable on the back end of your marketing efforts, too.

Through in-house and third party modeling, we can see how both consumer and B2B messaging impact one other. Though B2B messaging often drives less impact with consumers, when we measure consumer messaging placed in front of B2B targets, we see significant gains. Understanding the impact and translating those learnings into actionable insights can help inform the balance of consumer versus B2B messaging which, if handled correctly, can save dollars or extend reach elsewhere.

All of this is to say highly coveted Bs are just like you and me. They are looking to be entertained, inspired, and educated. Getting to know them better, and how they interact outside of the business world, is an untapped opportunity that can lead to deeper connections and greater longtime partnerships.