In an era where personalized content and brand differentiation are critical, corporate gifting remains a potent tool within the B2B marketing arsenal. As gifting evolves from alma mater-branded swag and company t-shirts, practitioners are navigating the complex landscape of corporate gifting to elevate brand perception and foster enduring client relationships.

This report will examine the fusion of experiential marketing and corporate gifting, showcasing innovative approaches that transcend traditional gift-giving and create memorable brand experiences for recipients by infusing technology with gifting. Specific topics of discussion will include:

• The integration of AI, machine learning and data analytics into the corporate gifting paradigm, with a focus on predictive modeling and personalized recommendation engines;
• The growing interest in gifting experiences that create lasting memories and foster stronger relationships, such as virtual cooking classes, personalized wine tastings or tickets to exclusive events related to the recipient’s hobbies;
• How practitioners are leveraging data and analytics to understand gifting preferences, track campaign performance and measure ROI to personalize gift choices and optimize spending; and
• Why practitioners are moving beyond just physical gifts and embracing a multi-faceted approach that mixes electronic delivery with tactical items.

Given the abundance of data available to B2B practitioners, it’s no surprise that organizations need to have data down to a, well, science. As marketers are set to capture more data from prospects and customers than ever before, they can no longer manually sift through spreadsheets to find a relevant datapoint.

With McKinsey research revealing that 85% of B2B marketing executives believe data science will be very or critically important to their success in the next few years, this special report will leverage expert insights to uncover what’s currently working in the world of data science. Specific topics of discussion include:

• The evolution of data science and how ownership is shifting across organizations;
• The steps companies are taking to ensure their data collection strategies comply with privacy regulations and concerns;
• How segmentation is helping practitioners better identify and engage target audiences;
• The role of predictive analytics and other technologies in propelling data science; and
• Real-world case studies that emphasize key points throughout.

The great irony of personalization is that once a tactic becomes widespread, the novelty of the experience — and by extension, its impact on potential buyers — wears off. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that first name email personalization was all the rage, but that won’t wow buyers today.

According to Demand Gen Report’s “2023 Content Preferences Survey Report,” 42% of buyers said they were more likely to engage with a sales rep if the content is personalized or tailored to their specific needs. But the survey findings reveal a sizable gap between buyer preferences and the content experiences that marketing teams are currently delivering. This report will explore what’s working in personalization today, including best practices and expert insights into crafting customized, engaging content for each stage of the buyer’s journey. Topics covered include:

• The value of creating binge-able content hubs with dynamic recommendations;
• How account-based marketing (ABM) can not only improve content strategies, but also better equip sales teams for personalized outreach; and
• The role of AI in executing personalization at scale.

Email is a steadfast staple of B2B marketing — it retains 92% of customers (compared to 80% for social media and 70% for search engine marketing) and serves as the most successful lead gen channel. In short, email marketing is a necessity for modern businesses, but it’s growing more complex by the day as audiences demand more personalized, eye-catching content.

However, marketers are plagued by low open and click-through rates, a high level of unsubscribers and spam allegations. By balancing media, text and timing, modern practitioners are well equipped to craft email campaigns that simultaneously inform and persuade prospects to act. This special report blends expert commentary with real-world case studies to uncover:

• The role of automated tools and technologies that help organizations send out trigger-based emails based on certain actions;
• How to break up traditionally text-heavy emails;
• The use of email across all stages of the buyer’s journey, from the first personalized letter to late-stage 1:1 deliveries;
• The growing use of interactive content, such as quizzes, surveys and polls, to better engage subscribers and learn more about their interests; and
• How to ensure that emails are fully optimized for all mediums, whether it’s a desktop computer or mobile device.

B2B buyers are five times more likely to engage with content than traditional sales outreach, but an oversaturated landscape makes creating engaging and unique content easier said than done. Luckily, the latest advancements in AI — specifically, generative AI — are helping marketers streamline content creation and curate highly relevant assets quicker.

This special report will explore the content preferences of modern buyers with expert insights to uncover how successful practitioners are approaching content marketing. Specific topics of discussion include:

• How practitioners are using data to segment their audiences and deliver highly targeted content;
• The latest research into B2B buyer habits and the content types they prefer;
• The increasing popularity of video — whether it’s CTV, webinars or YouTube videos — to engage and educate buyers while building brand awareness;
• The power of leveraging thought leadership content, case studies and peer reviews to build credibility; and
• How organizations are embracing the “edit, then take credit” mentality when leveraging content technology such as generative AI to streamline the content creation process

Despite all the turbulence taking place in the B2B industry, the one constant is practitioners’ desire to buy new products, technologies and solutions. As buyers navigate through a stormy economy, it appears they’re at a crossroads: 31% of marketers indicated that they had to delay potential purchases due to budget freezes, while 29% said they actually escalated some purchases due to changing business needs, according to new research.

Amidst tight economic times and heightened rivalries, marketing teams must be savvier than ever when engaging buyers, who are laser-focused on adopting solutions that generate tangible results. Tapping into insights from Demand Gen Report’s recently released “2023 B2B Buyer’s Survey,” this special report will outline:

• How organizations can increase their digital presence to help prospects and customers seamlessly navigate through online channels;
• How to use data and analytics to understand buyers’ needs and preferences, and then deliver personalized content and offers;
• The power of providing omnichannel engagement for buyers, so they can interact with companies on their own terms, whether it’s online, offline or on social media; and
• Real-world examples of how successful companies are working to engage buyers.

The best way to connect with buyers and prospects is to meet them where they are: And in 2023, that means online. In a world that’s growing more digitized by the day — Gartner
research found that 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur in digital channels by 2025 —practitioners need to evolve their online marketing strategies to keep up with buyers’ needs,
preferences and expectations.

This special report will delve into the digital experiences preferred by B2B buyers, shedding light on the role of AI and the power of content. Backed by expert insights, specific topics of
discussion will include:

• The tools and technologies businesses need to curate highly personalized experiences for prospects;
• The increasing importance social media and other customer-facing collateral are playing in shaping digital experiences;
• The best strategies for training chatbots to provide real-time, human-like customer support for customers;
• The growing role of AI and machine learning to automate tasks and create engaging content; and
• The increased importance on data-driven insights to better understand buyers and their needs.

B2B marketers are searching for ways to improve the buyer experience and better connect with key decision makers, and a well-executed content strategy is proving most effective in converting content consumption into leads and purchases. In fact, recent research from the Content Marketing Institute found that 71% of content marketers believe content marketing has become more important for their business.

As companies work to hone their focus on creating engaging content and become more strategic about how they’re delivering it, this special report will discuss the current trends shaping the content engagement and distribution landscape. Specific topics of discussion include:

• The top channels and formats B2B practitioners are leveraging to share and promote content, as well as the tactics that are most successful for promoting engagement on each channel;
• Insights into buyers’ changing content preferences, such as desires for smaller, more bite-sized content, interactivity and influencer/user-generated content;
• How organizations are taking a more conversational, humanized approach to content creation, with a specific focus on the role automation and artificial intelligence — such as ChatGPT — play; and
• The various tools and technologies powering content distribution and tracking engagement.