In marketing and business in general, all of us tend to take note of the popular trends that everyone is talking about. For instance. now everyone is behind the AI buzz. Talking about the application of AI in marketing is not unique anymore.
But often, many trends that are causing significant shifts in the way we do marketing go unnoticed. There are many reasons for this such as:
- Influencers haven’t still caught on to these trends
- These don’t feature in popular marketing blogs, magazines, podcasts, newsletters, or even events.
- Their impact is not yet mainstream and only an elite set of marketers and brands have jumped onto these trends’ bandwagon so far.
In this article, we look at such a trend – combining the best of physical and digital in marketing.
This meta trend can be seen as a part of the global trend of using both digital and physical elements in combination to produce the best results for the business. As we dive deep into this in the context of marketing, we will look at an example in another domain where this has gained immense popularity. We will also learn a few marketing tactics that are already leveraging this concept to help companies stand out among the digital noise.
The phygital revolution in retail
Retail is a domain where the physical and digital worlds have been seamlessly integrated. A great example of this is the Amazon Go shopping experience. Amazon Go stores use a combination of smart trolleys, autonomous checkout systems, and software to automate shopping while still ensuring a great customer experience. Shoppers can pick the items of their choice from a physical store and walk out without having to wait in a queue for billing or checkout.
This combination of physical and digital technologies is called phygital. The phygital revolution in retail has caught on with many product innovators entering the market with autonomous shopping solutions. This trend is global and is expected see wider adoption in the next 5 to 10 years.
Phygital in B2B marketing – combining the physical and digital worlds
The meta trend of using digital techniques in combination with physical elements has been a ‘silent’ trendsetter in marketing. While blogging and social media took a major chunk of marketing online, print advertising and offline promotions took a backfoot. B2B businesses in particular were no more interested in using offline channels except for events and conferences.
In addition, online marketing made it possible to measure everything, which led to the phenomenon of B2B marketers determining ROI for every dollar spent. The inability to track outcomes directly pushed marketers away from offline marketing tactics.
This is where the innovation of phygital marketing comes in. It leverages the positives of both the worlds to produce the best possible outcomes. To understand the concept better, let us look at a few marketing tactics that embody this in detail:
- Direct mail
- Advertising using digital signages
- Text to speech conversion
- Automated video generation
1. Direct mail
Direct mail is one of the oldest marketing methods that dates back centuries. But email took its place from the early 90s. Its impact has been so profound that we find an email more trustworthy than a physical letter. But what if you could combine the personal touch of physical mail with the convenience of managing it online?
That’s what sending and e-gifting platforms like Sendoso and The Mailworks allow you to do. You can use these digital platforms to send personalized notes and branded swag at scale to your customers and prospects. Watch the video below to learn how this works.
With everyone focusing on conventional marketing tactics, this is a great way to stand out from the competition.
2. Advertising using digital signages
Probably more than 90% of a B2B business’s ads budget is spent on platforms like LinkedIn and Google ads. But did you know that many large B2B brands are using digital signages to promote their solutions?
Unlike static billboards, you have better control over what you show using digital signages with the ability to change the advertisement anytime you want. B2B companies usually prefer locations like airports and corporate event venues where their target audience are more likely to hang out. Some smart signage companies also provide metrics like the number of people who have seen the ad to add some quantification to the impact of the ad.
A digital signage
This trend is more prevalent among large brands since these ads tend to be expensive in addition to having limitations when it comes to measuring the impact. It’s mostly seen as a brand building exercise and might not be suitable for small and mid-size businesses.
3. Text to speech conversion
I have spoken about text to speech conversion many times before in my articles. But why is it an example of phygital marketing?
The most popular method of text to speech conversion involves using an AI avatar to convert text into natural sounding voice overs. But what if you could generate your own voice to be used in videos or podcasts without having to record it every single time?
Tools like Revoicer helps you do exactly that. By uploading just a few seconds of your voice, the AI engine behind the scenes can clone your voice to generate audio with any kind of tone or emotion. This technique is a great example of how you can make the most of limited resources while still maintaining an original touch to everything you do in marketing.
4. Automated video generation
As in the case of text to speech conversion, when you build your own custom avatar using AI tools, automated video generation becomes an example of phygital marketing. Synthesia is an example of a tool that can help you do this. Check out the below video to learn how this works.
More and more tools that incorporate the ability to build your own AI avatars are coming to the market. They make it possible to scale video production by maintaining you or your business’s key leaders as the face instead of using an off the shelf AI avatar.
Related: Automated Video Generation – The Future Of Video Marketing
Skalegrow – B2B content marketing agency
With marketing getting tougher and tougher, every wrong foot you make might hamper your growth. What you need is the right guidance and a helping hand. This is where Skalegrow can make a sea of difference.
Skalegrow helps IT, tech, SaaS, robotics, industrial automation, and embedded systems companies leverage new-age marketing tactics to grow their business. Check out the below intro video to learn more about what Skalegrow brings to the table:
To grow your B2B business using innovative marketing techniques, write to us at info@skalegrow.com or contact us here.
About the author
Naseef KPO is the Founder and CEO of Skalegrow. He comes with rich experience across multiple areas of B2B marketing including content marketing, demand generation, SEO, account-based marketing, marketing analytics, revenue attribution, marketing technology, etc. He writes thought-provoking and relevant articles on The Skalegrow Blog and his weekly LinkedIn newsletter Elevate Your Marketing.
Prior to starting Skalegrow, Naseef led large marketing teams in multi-million dollar B2B organizations where he made significant contributions to the topline growth of the business. He has also appeared on numerous podcasts where he shared his thoughts on trending marketing topics such as the application of AI in marketing, startup marketing, ABM, and B2B content marketing, just to name a few. Being the founder of Skalegrow, he is currently focusing on helping its clients stay ahead of their competition by using innovative yet practical marketing tactics.
You can connect with Naseef KPO on LinkedIn.
