Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on October 25, 2024
By Toby Strangewood, co-founder, Wake the Bear
In an era where technology has fundamentally changed how we communicate, purchase, and interact with brands, the traditional marketing dichotomy of Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) thinking is increasingly blurred, and arguably antiquated and irrelevant.
Is the eradication of these two marketing mindsets and practices long overdue and, if so, what do we replace them with?
From transactions to interactions
Historically, financial institutions have rigidly adhered to the B2B and B2C distinctions, tailoring their communication, product offerings and service delivery to these siloed audiences. B2B marketing in finance is focused on logic-driven propositions, emphasising cost savings, efficiency, and ROI to attract corporate clients, and often highly targeted to a specific job title or key decision maker. Meanwhile, B2C efforts are often swayed towards emotional engagement, brand loyalty, and personal benefits to lure individual consumers.
However, this demarcation overlooks a crucial commonality: at both ends of the spectrum, we are engaging with humans.
If a financial marketer is targeting an end consumer who is looking for a new financial services solution that provides a value proposition that meets their needs, keeps their money safe, grows their investment, makes their life easier, cheaper and also keeps their data safe, they’re having to pull both functional and emotional levers in their brand communications to win that customer over.
The same is true for a CMO, CTO or other key stakeholder within an organisation looking for an FS solution to meet their organisation’s needs. They are still…humans. Humans that think logically, illogically, functionally and emotionally, who worry about reputation or about getting something wrong, and have spheres of influence and different attitudes to innovation and risk.
Today, a corporate procurement officer and an everyday consumer share similar expectations: personalised experiences, seamless service, and genuine brand engagement. They research, interact, and even advocate based on these parameters, making it clear that the heart of effective marketing lies in recognising and responding to these universal human needs and behaviours.
A case for B2H (Brand-to-Human) for all marketing, including in financial services
Why not mix this up further to a full human-to-human distinction? I’d argue that, at the end of the day, one side of this communication is always a business with the objective to sell, whether that’s a sole trader or a global organisation. People who think that businesses can communicate with people ‘like a friend in a pub’ – which was once said to me by a global banking brand manager – are deluded about the perceived naivety of their consumers. Unless your friend in the pub, however funny or interesting they may be, is always trying to sell you something. A Brand-to-Human relationship acknowledges the reality of the dynamics in that conversation, and the brand is at least the best human face and personality that the business has. If created properly, a good brand can still make a human and emotional connection to the recipient, but always with the transparent truth that the individual or human speaking is representing the business they work for.
The argument for B2H in financial services is not merely philosophical but grounded in practical, observable shifts in consumer and client behaviour. Consider the proliferation of social media and content marketing as pivotal tools for engagement. These platforms do not distinguish between a corporate executive and a personal account holder; they offer the same content, the same interface, and the same opportunity for engagement. This universality underscores the essence of B2H: focusing on relatable, accessible, and valuable content that speaks to individuals irrespective of their role or capacity.
Moreover, as financial services become increasingly digitised, the emphasis shifts from the product to the experience. Fintech startups have been at the forefront for some time, leveraging technology not just to innovate product offerings but to redefine customer experience and expectations. Their success lies not in targeting B2B or B2C segments but in solving human problems with intuitive, user-centred solutions.
In conclusion, the lines that once divided B2B and B2C are fading, giving way to a more inclusive, human-centric approach. For financial services brands, the future lies in embracing this Brand-to-Human perspective, recognising that regardless of the transaction’s nature, the ultimate engagement is always human.
This shift doesn’t just promise more eff
Toby Strangewood, co-founder, Wake the Bear
ective marketing but heralds a more connected, empathetic, and responsive financial sector that’s geared towards meeting the evolving needs of our diverse, digital societies.
About the Author
Toby Strangewood, co-founder, Wake the Bear
Wake the Bear is a Marketing & Media Agency that’s a specialist in navigating ambitious brands through their growth challenges. They’ve helped clients such as Stripe, NatWest, Check My File, and Legal & General. Toby previously led media strategy for Barclays and Barclaycard whilst at a global media agency.
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