Every generation has its lingo. If you have kids or have just seen the content pervading most social networks, you’ve recently been inundated with terms like “skibidi,” “rizz,” “Ohio,” and “mid.” I like to think I can keep up – but “no cap,” it’s hard to make sense of it all.
B2B has entered its cringe era
One term my twelve-year-old son likes to throw at me is “cringe,” typically describing when I try to eagerly speak his language like a tourist fresh off their first few Duolingo lessons. As you might intuit, cringe derives from cringeworthy, describing when something feels off in a way that makes people inherently feel uncomfortable.
B2B is currently in a state of cringe for many. We’re in a new era, where creative disruption, data-driven personalization, and fresh, diverse and unexpected voices are redefining what it means to connect with businesses. It might feel a bit uncomfortable for a while, but ultimately, it’s for the much better that this new generation of B2B hits different.
A big glow up is on its way
The rules have changed and a new playbook is being written – and rewritten – at breakneck pace.
Myopic, lower-funnel/performance-driven metrics that once defined success are giving way to new measures of brand value that reflect reputation, memorability, customer experience, ethical impact, emotional resonance, and true business value.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now at the heart of accelerating and enhancing human creativity and marketing process automation, churning out content and marketing messages that are personalized, dynamic, and scalable to an extent that was unimaginable even a few years ago.
This new era of B2B isn’t just about technology and metrics; it’s about representation. For too long, the presence and voices of marginalized communities have been missing from the B2B narrative. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are no longer nice-to-haves: they’re imperatives when speaking to businesses and forming authentic connections with the humans at the heart of them.
Most of all, this new B2B landscape is (rightfully!) reprioritizing creativity and long-term brand building over short-term, decimal-driven thinking.
Getting away from what will ultimately be cringe in the future of B2B demands embracing change, negotiating ambiguity and thriving in the gray. As we say at Park & Battery, it’s all about the “and” not “or.” It’s bold. It’s inclusive. It’s truly for the best. And it’s just getting started.
