Is Individualized, Account-Based Marketing Here to Stay or Just a Passing Trend?

Account-based marketing is a simple concept – when companies decide to leverage the strategy, they treat individual prospects and customers as their own markets, providing individualized content, campaigns and more.

In the midst of uncertainty surrounding the spread of COVID-19, this way of thinking could help B2B companies ensure their prospects and current customers feel attended to despite restrictions placed on travel, cancelled trade shows and more.
But is account-based marketing the hot new trend, or is it here to stay?

On this episode of the Maverick of Marketing radio show, host Shannon Maverick and guest Marcus LaRobardiere, Director of Marketing at NewStore, Inc., which delivers Omnichannel-as-a-Service capabilities to retailers, explore that question.
When B2B brands consider a total or partial shift to account-based marketing, LaRobardiere said there are plenty of factors to take into account.

In particular, though, he labeled account-based marketing as a terrific way for B2B companies to accomplish the primary goals they’re already aiming for.

“One of the reasons why it works and is effective for B2B organizations is that it’s a customer-centric approach to marketing and sales,” LaRobardiere said. “So, for any B2B organization, you’re looking at (defining your) ideal customer base, really getting to know them, then understanding what your ambitions as a company (are).”

This customer-centric approach, LaRobardiere said, has become a cornerstone of B2B marketing that’s drawn a clear line between companies that get it and those being left behind.

“If you’re doing anything other than that, you really need to reconsider,” he said.
Maverick and LaRobardiere defined clear drivers of this shift, including:

• The advent of inbound marketing tools like HubSpot
• The rise of conversational marketing
• The application of B2C concepts to B2B marketing in the wake of these changes

Moving forward, Maverick and LaRobardiere agreed that there are proactive measures to be taken as the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt, such as focusing on alignment with sales teams, examining how to transform traditional offerings for a more remote world, even if only temporary, and more.

Listen to the full episode of Maverick of Marketing on Apple and Spotify. Interested in following more Mavericks of Marketing? LaRobardiere introduces two Mavericks: Phill Granof of NewStore and Michael Waldron of Uberflip.