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Making Sense of B2B2C Marketing’s Growing Role Across Connected Commerce

Business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) marketing may look like a word salad at first glance.

But that word salad could be key to unlocking healthy growth for companies of all shapes and sizes, and it’s making waves for brands that want to reach the end customer without cutting out the middleman.

The concept is simple: businesses that sell to other businesses team up to get their products or services in front of customers. By leveraging partnerships, companies can multiply their touchpoints and boost customer engagement without a heavy lift on other marketing initiatives.

The result? A more streamlined way to connect with the end user while keeping all players in the supply chain happy.

By partnering with the right companies, businesses not only gain access to new customer bases but also create value at each stage of the process — whether through enhanced customer experiences, tailored services or data-driven marketing insights.

But while B2B2C may sound like a win-win, it’s not without its challenges. For companies, managing these partnerships effectively can be tricky. They have to align their brand values, customer data policies and marketing efforts in a way that ensures the end consumer gets a seamless experience — no matter how many businesses are in the mix.

How Growth Leaders Approach Marketing

B2B2C represents collaborative approach where both businesses work in tandem to target the same customer base. Traditional B2B companies, for example, that may have focused solely on selling to other businesses can now access the lucrative B2C market by partnering with companies that already have established consumer relationships. This expansion provides a clear path to scale without the significant investment required to build a consumer-facing presence from scratch.

For example, an eCommerce platform might partner with a manufacturer to sell products directly to consumers. In this setup, the manufacturer focuses on production, while the eCommerce platform handles the customer relationship, marketing and distribution. Both businesses benefit from increased reach and sales, and the consumer enjoys the convenience of a seamless transaction.

In addition to unlocking new growth opportunities, B2B2C marketing helps businesses build a competitive moat by creating a value-driven ecosystem. In this interconnected environment, businesses can pool resources, share data and work together to deliver superior products and services. The result is a comprehensive offering that is difficult for competitors to replicate.

As the findings detailed in the report “How Simple, Routine GenAI Use Can Remake Enterprise Marketing,” an installment of the PYMNTS Intelligence 2024 CAIO Report series, revealed, 8 in 10 businesses see generative artificial intelligence (AI) as very or extremely important to the customer experience — and the better data AI is leveraging, the better the results of unlocking that data ends up being.

This ecosystem approach works especially well in industries that rely on strong partnerships to function efficiently. For example, financial services firms that partner with tech companies to offer integrated payment solutions are building an ecosystem that enables them to compete on more than just price. They’re able to deliver convenience, speed and a frictionless customer experience, all while leveraging the strengths of their partners. The more businesses invest in these partnerships, the stronger their ecosystem becomes, making it increasingly difficult for competitors to lure customers away.

Overcoming the Challenges of B2B2C Campaigns

While the B2B2C model offers significant benefits, it’s not without its challenges. For one, managing partnerships effectively requires a high level of coordination and alignment between the businesses involved. Companies must ensure that they’re aligned on key factors such as brand messaging, customer experience, and data privacy. A misalignment in these areas can lead to confusion, diluted brand identity or even loss of trust among consumers.

But ultimately, as industries continue to digitize and customer expectations rise, the B2B2C marketing model will become even more critical. Businesses that embrace this approach will be better positioned to scale, adapt and thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

For example, the PYMNTS Intelligence report, “The Online Features Driving Consumers to Shop With Brands, Retailers or Marketplaces,” a collaboration with Adobe, analyzes the evolving dynamic of both digital ecosystems and changing customer behaviors.

The bottom line? B2B2C marketing isn’t just a trend — it’s a powerful strategy that has the potential to reshape industries, fuel growth, and build lasting competitive moats. Companies that master this model will be well-positioned to lead in the future of business.

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