Thriving in the age of AI in B2B marketing: what are human marketers around the world doing?

In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), our unique human influence becomes our greatest asset in B2B marketing. Yet, letting our human touch thrive alongside these machines is not as easy as it seems. For instance, did you know that less than half of B2B marketing leaders are currently integrating AI applications alongside their human business marketing activities? Moreover, only 40% believe they possess a “somewhat good” understanding of leveraging generative AI tools for B2B marketing campaigns.¹

So, are the machines advancing faster than we can keep pace? It’s true, we can’t learn as fast, think as fast or write as fast as artificial intelligence. But it’s time to shift our perspective and realize that AI is our greatest ally, not our enemy – read on to discover how you cannot just survive – but thrive – in a post-AI apocalyptic world by doing what other humans are doing: leading with confidence, creativity and originality. 

AI in action

B2B marketers recognize the transformative potential of integrating artificial intelligence into business strategies, but who is actually using it? Tools like IBM Watson, a collection of AI platforms designed to comprehend large datasets to generate human-like responses, are increasingly being used across the marketing landscape. Take The North Face as an example, the company has used this tool to uncover customer personality traits, values and preferences for personalised advertising.² While other brands have leveraged this platform to help optimise multi-channel campaigns through AI capabilities like predictive lead scoring. 

Disney is a corporation heavily invested in weaving AI into its marketing strategy and is even using it to take its storytelling ability to new heights.³ The Disney Research Studios have developed an AI tool called StoryPrints which is designed to break down scenes, settings, characters and experience to visually map the emotional journey of characters.⁴ The company even leverages night-vision cameras and cutting-edge computer vision methods to analyse the facial expressions of the audience during a film screening. Why? To unlock a deeper understanding of how audiences react in real-time, allowing for moment-to-moment adjustments to improve the overall viewing experience. 

How are humans at BDB using AI?

Sparking creativity

From drafting gripping content to creating eye-catching designs, the BDB team regularly harness the power of AI to spark ideas and get the creative juices flowing. However, it’s important to note that all our ideas start and end with a human – and AI fits somewhere in between. We use tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Adobe Firefly to support our creative processes. How? By brainstorming ideas, proofreading copy or exploring alternative concepts – to name a few. We carefully choose what information, ideas and questions to feed these tools, recognizing that the output from AI is only as effective as the input it receives. The decision-making process, from data input to determining how and where to apply the information provided, remains firmly in our human hands. 

Enhancing efficiency

We have trialled lots of different AI platforms to aid our efficiency and productivity, but there is one tool that stands out on top – Otter.ai. This is a highly effective plug-in for meeting calls, specially designed to transcribe… making our human lives a lot easier. Why? Because it allows our team members to move away from the time-consuming administrative roles, such as note-taking and focus on higher value services, like consultancy. We have also woven SEO and data analytics AI tools into our digital processes. We use platforms like SEMrush to optimise content for search engines and Google Analytics to process and analyse large datasets – providing insights into user behaviours and trends. 

So B2B marketers, are you ready to embrace the future of AI? Download the knowledge – your guide to survive in a post-AI apocalyptic world.