For over three years, I was knee-deep in marketing and sales at Anibrain Digital Technology Private Limited, a trailblazer in VFX, Animation and AR/VR apps and videos, before I joined the TechDogs team.
As I helped potential clients gear up for their AR/VR experiences, I witnessed firsthand the incredible power of transporting users to virtual worlds.
By guiding them through interactive adventures, we could stir up emotions, forge strong connections with brands, and leave a lasting mark on our audience.
I quickly learned that no marketing strategy can hold a candle to the impact of these immersive product experiences.
In that spirit, I want to talk about how this cloud-based event management platform created whole another level of immersive experience for its potential clients.
Then, I've got to talk about one of my favourite things: shaking up the market with killer content.
And then will jump on to how AI is helping B2B companies build fast, meaningful connections with their ideal prospects.
So, let’s jump right in.
Welcome to edition #2 of the Vik’s MIX, get ready to dive into...
Creating an authentic, visceral preview of a cloud-based platform
Disrupting the market with content marketing
Becoming a "universe of one" for your customers
Secret to B2B Event Sales? Give People a Taste!
Ever thought of how a techy B2B platform can create a visceral mind-blowing experience for its prospective client and turn it into a multi-million-dollar business strategy?
Let's talk about this straight-up genius move that Cvent pulled to promote their big annual conference.
Because let's be real - in the B2B events game, simply blasting folks with typical ads and emails often isn't enough to get people truly hyped, you know?
Well, Cvent looked at that challenge and said "Hold my beer, we're going to blow everyone's minds here."
Instead of the usual flat promotion tactics, they invested in creating this epic real-world "Xperience" center in Las Vegas.
A full 28,000 square feet dedicated to one thing - giving people a NO-HOLDS-BARRED preview of what attending their conference would actually feel like!
They went all out, recreating the vibes on a grand scale. Massive screens, legit stage setups, the whole nine yards. Visitors could literally walk through and get a taste of the tech demos, the speaker sessions, the networking lounges - everything!
So rather than just telling event planners "Hey, come to our conference, it'll be great!" Cvent let them live a bite-sized version of that experience first-hand. An authentic, visceral preview of the real thing in a way no ad or email could ever match. And here's the kicker - this experiential marketing play wasn't just a flashy gimmick. Nope, reports said the Xperience center directly drove over $3 million in new sales pipeline for Cvent from all the attendees who got that tantalizing sample and understood the value.
It reminds me of when you're at the grocery store and they've got those friendly sample people giving out little bags of chips or whatever. You maybe weren't even hungry, but as soon as you taste that free sample, your mind's like "Oh damn, I need to pick up a whole bag of those!"
That's essentially what Cvent achieved, but for their entire premium event experience! By investing in this immersive preview, they awakened a real desire in a way conventional promotion simply cannot. An inspired marketing masterstroke, if you ask me.
Source: Cvent
For any other B2B brands trying to sell more conceptual offerings, pay attention to power moves like this.
Creating opportunities for audiences to tangibly experience your value is invaluable for driving enthusiasm and demand. Cvent's blazing a trail here that more companies should absolutely follow!
Disrupting the market with content marketing
So let me tell you about this brilliant marketing move by HubSpot that seriously shook up the entire B2B game. We're talking a total 180 from the traditional sales-y tactics everyone else was doing at the time.
See, the typical B2B playbook back then was all about beating prospects over the head with product brochures, cold calls, you know the drill. Just endless self-promotional mumbo jumbo that customers were frankly sick of. HubSpot looked at that and said "Yeah, no thanks."
Instead, they took a totally different approach that seemed almost counterintuitive at first. Rather than constantly pitching their software, HubSpot just started creating ridiculously useful content aimed at actually helping their target audience. We're talking in-depth guides, free online courses, webinars from their top experts - you name it.
And this content wasn't about pushing their products at all. It was legit educational material covering pain points and topics their customers cared about - stuff like SEO, email marketing, and sales strategy. Just a wealth of knowledge positioning HubSpot as the ultimate trusted advisor in their space.
So think about that for a second. While competitors were blasting people with annoying sales spam, HubSpot was over here acting like a helpful mentor attracting warm leads organically. It was brilliant!
And the results, oh man, the results were nuts. This "inbound" philosophy where they basically earned attention through helpfulness rather than interruptions? It propelled HubSpot from a scrappy startup to a $25 billion juggernaut!
Their content machine consistently churned out amazing top-of-funnel resources like:
In-depth guides and eBooks on topics like SEO, email marketing, sales enablement and more
A massively popular marketing & sales blog with advice-driven posts
Highly-regarded annual reports like their "State of Inbound" trend analysis
On-demand webinars and online courses taught by HubSpot experts
From there, HubSpot could nurture those already-engaged prospects through the funnel with more targeted content and thought leadership. By the time their sales team got involved, they were talking to people who already saw them as the experts. What an easy sell, right?
Honestly, it upended the entire B2B marketing playbook in a huge way. Basically every company worth their salt started trying to mimic that content-driven, inbound approach after seeing HubSpot's success. It became the new standard for actually breaking through to modern buyers.
Source: Threado
So the big lesson here? For B2B marketers, the priority should be investing in a killer content engine that attracts your audience by being insanely helpful first. Don't break their door down, earn their invitation by positioning yourself as the ultimate educator and problem-solver they already trust.
At the end of the day, people want to buy from brands that enrich their lives, not just hustle them. HubSpot nailed that in spectacular fashion and it paid off massively. An absolute marketing masterclass if you ask me!
Becoming a "universe of one" for your customers
You know those big brains over at Gartner always dropping some serious wisdom bombs when it comes to B2B marketing, right? Well, one of their insights that really struck a chord with me touches on this idea of being a "universe of one" for your customers.
Basically, the concept boils down to treating each individual buyer as if you're operating in a universe where they're the single patron that matters. Like cliche as it sounds, making them feel like the centre of your whole world.
Now, I know what you're thinking - "Yeah right, that's easy for an expensive analyst firm to say but impossible to actually execute at scale!" But hear me out, because some pioneering B2B brands are low-key secretly nailing this in really innovative ways.
Take a company like Drift, a Salesloft company, who built their entire conversational marketing platform around this universe of one philosophy.
Source: Drift
See, rather than forcing every site visitor through those generic lead capturing forms, Drift uses chatbots and live chat to have real one-on-one conversations right then and there.
From the moment someone lands on Drift's website, they're able to start an immediate one-on-one dialogue through the chatbot. And we're not talking stilted robo-speak here - Drift's AI is sophisticated enough to have natural, context-rich convos flowing like you're chatting with a real person.
The bot asks pertinent questions to understand your role, company, and unique needs. Then based on your responses, it dynamically adapts the conversation flow and content served to create a hyper-personalized experience catering to your specific interests and scenario in that moment.
But here's where Drift really levels up the "universe of one" vibe: Their world-class "nomers" (aka human sales staff) can actually get looped into your chat seamlessly if/when the conversation hits a point where more consultative assistance is required.
Using all the contextual data gathered through the initial chatbot interaction, a nomer who is the ideal subject matter expert for your particular use case and backend will hop into your private chat to pick up the conversation with full understanding of what you need. No awkward hand-offs or starting from scratch - just a perfectly synchronized concierge-style experience.
From there, the nomer guides you through deeper product demos or proposal consultations fully customized to your tastes. You quite literally have Drift's entire focus and top professionals dedicated to your own personal journey as if you're the only customer that matters.
It's such a brilliant example of using intelligent AI conversational workflows to deepen the human-to-human connection in intimate ways when needed. You never feel like an anonymous lead getting sprayed with generic drivel.
In the B2B world of often disjointed buying cycles, restoring seamless 1-to-1 intimacy throughout each touchpoint - even via automation and scale - is absolute marketing gold.
Drift's pioneering "choose your own adventure" approach should inspire us all to get radically customer-obsessed in creative new ways from day one.
Before I say goodbye, I just got to say a massive THANK YOU for all the love you showed for edition #1 of Vik’s MIX.
I've been brewing up this idea of starting my newsletter for a while now, and your response has totally validated that decision.
So, I'm going to continue researching, writing and uncovering strategies and tactics that'll help you level up your game.
And if you're digging edition #2 as much as I hope you are, don't be shy - hit that thumbs up button, drop some comments, and spread the word to your pals and colleagues.
Oh, and make sure to hit that subscribe button for Vik’s Mix so you never miss out on the good stuff.
If we haven’t met, my name is Vikramsinh Ghatge.
I help B2B companies use the most effective marketing strategies to grow and expand without spending an arm and a leg.
I’ve spent over a decade setting up marketing systems—from content creation to building lead pipelines and driving demand generation. Now, I’m excited to integrate AI to enhance our collaboration, aiming to share richer insights and foster creative synergy.
Need help with your marketing or branding? Reach out to me for advice, partnerships, interviews or podcasts.
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