Introduction to B2Me Marketing
A few weeks ago, the author fell down a rabbit hole of cottagecore TikTok and Japanese jazz-funk from the ’70s. They didn’t search for it, but somehow, their For You Page and Spotify knew. This is the power of B2Me, from broad strokes to a segment of one. B2Me is changing everything, and as marketers, we’re moving from static personas to living identity graphs.
The Problem with Demographics
Demographics were always broken, and AI just made it obvious. For decades, marketers clung to personas, which are convenient but ultimately flawed. These personas, like “Marketing Mike,” who supposedly loves artisanal everything, skateboarded to work, and breakfasted on avocado toast, don’t accurately represent real people. The real Mike might be out buying a motorcycle, years past his skateboarding phase, and loves gas station hotdogs. Demographics tell us nothing about what someone wants, what they’re struggling with, or what would make them say yes.
What is B2Me Marketing?
B2Me marketing connects with individuals based on observed behavior, not assumed demographics. It’s about understanding people in real-time, often before they do. When was the last time an algorithm recommended something you didn’t know you wanted, but it was exactly what you wanted? That’s the emotional layer AI is tapping into. It’s going beyond tracking behavior to interpreting intent, such as frustration, curiosity, and readiness.
Examples of B2Me Marketing
Coca-Cola tested B2Me marketing in Saudi Arabia by analyzing millions of social posts across platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn, identifying people expressing cravings for fast food. It then delivered 828,000 personalized coupon ads for discounted Coke products – 20,000 of which were clicked on – all without human intervention. This is an example of behavioral precision at unprecedented scale.
Why Most B2Me Efforts Fail
Most B2Me efforts fail because they’re not really B2Me. They’re just demographic micro-segmentation with fancier plumbing. True B2Me watches behavior, asks what people are doing, what they’re feeling, and what they’re trying to solve. It zeroes in on the behavioral patterns that predict buying intent. B2Me thrives on living identity graphs that continuously evolve based on what individuals consume, click, purchase, and how they navigate content.
Implementing B2Me Marketing
To implement B2Me marketing, businesses can follow these steps:
Target Behavior, Not Job Titles
Instead of targeting “CISOs at Fortune 500 companies,” target individuals researching security compliance solutions. Job titles aren’t always accurate predictors of buying behavior.
Time Messages to Emotional States
AI can detect human intent and emotional states, such as frustration, curiosity, and buying readiness. It can sense things like rapid scrolling, quick exits, deep engagement, and repeated visits.
Predict Needs Before Searches
Zoom capitalized on early remote work signals, such as increased interest in collaboration tools, distributed team hiring, and work-from-home content consumption, to scale rapidly during the pandemic.
Getting Started with B2Me Marketing
To get started with B2Me marketing, businesses can:
Map Real Customer Behavior
Audit current targeting and document what actual best customers do before they buy. What content resonates with them? What questions emerge during sales conversations? What research triggers precede their engagement?
Build Behavioral Audiences
Build behavioral audiences using the tools already available in search and social platforms. These platforms are already prioritizing behavioral signals over static demographics.
The Importance of Brand in B2Me Marketing
AI can distill patterns, but it can’t feel. It segments behavior, but it doesn’t grasp human motivation. Brand is essential in B2Me marketing, as it serves as a definitive advantage in AI-mediated decisions. When someone asks an AI assistant for recommendations, which brands show up? And more importantly, how are they described? Brand is the shortcut in AI-mediated decisions.
Conclusion
B2Me marketing is about fundamentally better understanding customers. AI can help us see patterns, but only we can make meaning. Only we can build trust. B2Me is empathy at scale, helping us see people, not personas. It empowers us to show up in the moments that matter, even the ones we’ll never see. By implementing B2Me marketing strategies, businesses can create compounding advantages, such as faster intent recognition, superior message-market fit, and measurably higher conversion rates.