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Focus on measurable results:
Tech companies, especially those oriented towards B2B, tend to have a more results-driven approach with concrete metrics, such as return on investment (ROI) and lead generation. Broad, comprehensive, and strategic (wrongly called "traditional") advertising, such as offline advertising, may be perceived as less quantifiable and harder to measure in terms of direct impact on sales and business growth. It's vital to consider that the customer journey, whether B2B or B2C, has many more measurable aspects with broader, qualitative, and holistic tools than just the final action of digital marketing, which can be measured.
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Preference for digital marketing:
Tech companies often focus more on digital marketing strategies, such as online advertising, content marketing for traction instead of branding, SEO, and social media. These digital marketing tactics offer the ability to reach specific audiences, gather data, and track results accurately. As a result, "traditional" advertising may seem less relevant or less effective in comparison, but it is already starting to be revealed drastically.
A stroke of genius by Tom Fish Burne that explains it all.
A very important case of B2B tech companies that have achieved this great balance is Veritran, where one of the keys to their tremendous growth is the application of the concept: Physical Digitality or FISIDITALITY or crossing On-Off to enhance their results in every way. We also suggest reading this crucial article from Mercado Libre about this concept.
B2B and the tech world are starting to engage in more offline advertising, experiences, and brand building:
To achieve this, both the culture heads and the new cross-marketing departments, where both on and off teams and external agencies coexist, are developing competencies to address some weaknesses, such as:
Lack of knowledge, patience, and experience in integrated (traditional) advertising.
B2B tech companies are often more familiar with digital marketing strategies and tactics, and they may lack experience in offline advertising. This can lead to a lack of understanding of how to develop effective campaigns, select the right channels, and accurately measure results.
Excessive focus on technical features: B2B tech companies tend to focus on the technical features and functionalities of their products or services, which can make it difficult to build a strong brand and differentiate themselves in the market. Offline advertising and brand experiences often require a more emotional narrative focused on customer benefits.
And what is the big mistake of advertising agencies, experience agencies, "traditional" marketing in all this:
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The main issue lies in the day-to-day approach, where most of the problems are centered, and both sides are not aware of it. Service agencies incorporate a development into their work processes that will be showcased at a later time, as best as possible, and created somewhat internally, despite having listened well to the client and their problem in the beginning. The tech world or startups, on the other hand, work daily in two daily stops with the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), where through a great co-creative and problem-solving process, as we mentioned, daily and twice a day.
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This point creates a significant gap in working styles. It's not a problem of "intangibles or focus," but rather that they operate in two completely different systems, and therefore, the results, evaluations, and feedback are entirely different.
It's also true that it's crucial to expand the ways of measurement because the measurement of value is often much more than a "syndicated" metric to date. What is lacking is the ways and timing to assign value to things that may be just as relevant or as important as the final click.
The opportunities in these two worlds lie in finding a balance and combining the best of both approaches:
Integration of marketing strategies: B2B tech companies can leverage the advantages of traditional advertising, such as brand visibility, press reputation, product integration in specific content, and building trust by combining it with digital marketing strategies. By developing an integrated and omnichannel marketing strategy, they can maximize the impact of their message across different customer touchpoints.
Innovative brand experiences: B2B tech companies can seek opportunities to develop unique and memorable brand experiences both in the digital and offline world. This can include events, collaborations with influencers or thought leaders, and the creation of valuable content that highlights the company's vision and values.
Whether they are startups or global tech giants (although the latter already know this and invest much more money in the offline world and experiences than in their own online media budgets), B2B tech companies can benefit from finding a balance between the measurable and results-oriented approach of digital marketing and the brand building and visibility opportunities offered by traditional advertising. By developing integrated strategies and innovative brand experiences, they can maximize the impact of their message and differentiate themselves in the market.
We recommend reading these two articles about media investment so that you can see everything they don't tell you about this key strategy:
Don't miss our next article on the path of internationalization from Miami.