When John C. Maxwell said, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” I'm convinced he was talking about B2B software.
When Adobe Summit wrapped up yesterday, over ten thousand people walked away knowing two things: James Quincey didn’t wear a suit to his first meeting as the CEO of Coca-Cola (more on that later), and the age of AI is changing the marketing industry as we speak.
Adobe Summit is the premier and largest event Adobe puts on every year. The programming is designed for marketers, creatives, Adobe customers, and business leaders. The event is often seen as an opportunity where global leaders set the standard for the future of digital marketing. And this year, the star of the show was generative AI.
From the keynote that set the literal stage for real-time applications of Adobe’s products within their own teams to floor expos highlighting a series of stunning customer use cases with Coca-Cola, the content did not disappoint.
The innovations, presentations, labs, sessions, and everything Adobe brought to the summit were drenched in the same theme: personalization at scale is possible.
But how does a B2B company deliver such a tall order? By creating a signature blend of creativity, marketing, and AI to bring your personalization into the future.
Below are my takeaways from the summit that amplify not only my current research but also strategies that will continue to define the changes that AI has in store for marketers from this point forward.
To approach personalization in a way that feels natural without overcompensating, start by identifying where it genuinely aligns with your brand. This is critical to orchestrating an authentic personalized journey.
Where are your strengths? Where does it make sense to apply the formula of creativity, marketing, and AI to engage and delight? Solidifying your message and purpose will be key.
In an example from James Quincey’s experience at Coke, he mentioned how during COVID, they sunsetted about 200 of their 400 brands that were no longer serving their customers. They cut the noise in order to connect better. Mr. Quincey left us with the powerful message that we “need to let the people choose their favorite rather than telling them what their favorite is.” Staying true to your value prop, like wearing jeans to your first meeting as CEO, enables authenticity from the very beginning.
The enhancements AI has made to digital marketing are too many to count, but the ones scaling the efficiency of our teams are the ones making the most impact. With that efficiency comes a clearer direction on where and when to personalize, and at a pace we could never have achieved before AI. AI isn't just about automation; it's about transforming workflows to enhance customer experience.
Adobe's AI platform is a prime example, combining data models, agents (shoutout to Brand Concierge, can’t wait for this launch), and interfaces to support real-time orchestration and cross-functional content creation and sharing.
And the results speak for themselves. According to G2 data, customers are seeing higher ROI for AI content creation and personalization tools. This could suggest that we are seeing real-time impact on how the customer is changing with the evolution of AI.
Source: G2
It’s no secret that personalization and agility are hard to manage. A good place to start is by having a hard look at how your content is fueling growth. That extra step is one of the best ways to stand out through intentional customer-focused personalization.
But personalization isn’t just about creating the right message — it’s about ensuring that message stays consistent. One particular innovation that addressed personalization at scale and brand integrity was Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing. With end-to-end visibility across all campaign activities, from brief to publishing and analytics, a tool like this can help global brands keep their message consistent while elevating the customer experience.
Without creating a seamless end-to-end experience internally or externally, the pace at which you scale will not be able to keep up with your customer's expectations.
Regardless of where you are in your personalization journey, it’s important to remember that these changes don’t happen overnight. Later this spring, I’ll be releasing my biggest piece of content yet (make sure you’re following me on LinkedIn to get an early preview) that is laden with insights and strategies to help tackle personalization at scale while keeping your customer in mind.
Until then, ask yourself: where is the intersection of creativity, marketing, and AI for my team? And if you’re not sure, now would be a good time to start looking for it.
Hoping for other articles that feature G2 experts sharing their most recent tech industry learnings? You’re in luck! Check out this one with G2’s VP of Research Insights, Tim Sanders.
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