H2H (Human2Human): Navigating Human-Centric Marketing in the 2024 Technological Landscape

H2H (Human2Human): Navigating Human-Centric Marketing in the 2024 Technological Landscape

Based on the available insights from a recent survey from Accenture, CMOs are planning to significantly increase their investment in artificial intelligence and data analytics in 2024. This trend, especially in generative AI, could have notable implications across various industries. The survey reveals that 80% of CMOs plan to escalate their AI and data spending over the next year, a significant uptick from 57% in 2023. Furthermore, 47% aim to allocate funds for AI in marketing, while 64% of respondents plan to invest in generative AI for customer service applications like chatbots. After reading this, and as we focus on the technology, we should not loose site of the human relationship with the brand.?? ???

In the 2024 marketing landscape, Human to Human (H2H) marketing needs to seamlessly be intertwined itself with technologically driven strategies, ensuring that MarTech not only serves as a pivotal tool for the enterprise, but also as a conduit for genuine human connections.? Back in 2017, I wrote for Forbes about the blurred lines within B2B and B2C, bringing forth the methodology around H2H. ?

The evolution of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions into sophisticated, AI-powered systems is not merely a mechanism for managing customer interactions and predicting behaviors. It’s a pathway to understanding the human aspects of consumer interactions, ensuring that technology serves to enhance, not replace, the human elements of connection and understanding.

The development of data strategies, while heavily leaning on real-time data analytics and utilizing big data and machine learning, is focused on creating experiences that resonate on a human level, ensuring that technological advancements serve to facilitate, not overshadow, genuine human interactions. The integration of marketing channels into the CRM, embracing an omnichannel marketing approach, is aimed at ensuring a seamless and empathetic customer experience across all touchpoints.

The refined concept of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) and Sales-Qualified Leads (SQL) through predictive analytics is not just about targeting but understanding and empathizing with customer journeys, ensuring that marketing efforts are not only precise but also resonate on a deeply human level.

In 2024, the MarTech stack, while being a sophisticated amalgam of advanced technologies, is crafted to ensure that marketing technology is not just an indispensable driver but a facilitator of authentic, human-centric marketing endeavors, steering through the digital transformation with a heart that understands and values every human connection.

Zig Ziglar said it best, “If people like you, they'll listen to you, but if they trust you, they'll do business with you.”

Humanizing Brands in a Digital World

The essence of B2B and B2C has seamlessly transitioned into H2H (Human to Human) marketing, especially in the current trends observed in 2024. Humanizing a brand and the people behind it is as vital as leveraging marketing technology.

A timeless Japanese proverb states, “The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.” Every interaction that a prospect, customer, or stakeholder has with a brand either reinforces their trust or dissatisfaction.

2024 Trends and Observations:

• Personalization at Scale: The rise of AI and machine learning enables brands to personalize customer experiences at scale, ensuring that marketing messages are tailored to individual needs and preferences.
• Sustainability and Ethical Marketing: Consumers are increasingly leaning towards brands that prioritize sustainability and ethical practices, making it crucial for brands to incorporate and communicate these values.
• Virtual and Augmented Reality: The integration of VR and AR into marketing strategies provides immersive and engaging customer experiences, bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds.
• Voice Search Optimization: With the proliferation of voice-activated devices, optimizing for voice search has become imperative to ensure that brands remain visible in this growing search space.

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Simon Sinek, a renowned leadership expert, emphasizes, "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.” This perspective underscores the importance of aligning marketing strategies with authentic and ethical considerations, ensuring that the 'Why' behind actions resonates with consumers and reflects genuine brand values.

Recommendations for Humanizing Your Brand in 2024:

• Employee Advocacy: Encourage employees to become brand promoters, sharing brand messages and content on their social media platforms to enhance authenticity and reach.
• Customer-Centric Content: Develop content that addresses the specific needs, challenges, and aspirations of your target audience, ensuring it resonates on a personal level.
• Community Building: Engage with your audience through social media, forums, and other online platforms to build a community around your brand.
• Interactive Content: Leverage interactive content such as polls, quizzes, and interactive videos to engage your audience and provide value.
• Transparency: Be transparent about your business practices, values, and supply chains to build trust with your audience.
• Purpose-Driven Marketing: Align your brand with causes and values that matter to your audience to build deeper connections.
• Customer Advocacy Programs: Develop programs that encourage and reward customers for advocating for your brand.
• Personalized Customer Experiences: Leverage data and technology to provide personalized experiences across all customer touchpoints.
• Agile Marketing: Adopt an agile marketing approach that allows you to quickly adapt to changing customer needs and market conditions.?

Embracing the H2H methodology and humanizing your brand within marketing automation is akin to orchestrating a symphony. It’s a harmonious blend of automation and human touch, providing the right value, at the right time, to the right person. Being human should ensure that brands connect deeply with their audiences in meaningful ways.

How else can we “humanize” the brand in 2024 and beyond? Share your thoughts in a comment below.

#marketing #b2b #b2c #h2h #martech #revenuemarketing #customercentricity #2024trends

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