If you’re in the consumer goods business, you’ve probably noticed transformation is here to stay. The old playbook for consumer goods just isn’t relevant in 2019. A study from Salesforce, Consumer Goods and the Battle for B2B and B2C Relationships, suggests brands should evolve both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) operations for the future.
We’ve put together a few takeaways from our study to describe the modern balancing act of B2B and B2C strategies:
- B2C offers a path to success: The consumer goods (CG) market has seen plenty of recent direct-to-consumer (D2C) success stories: Casper, Harry’s, and Glossier, to name a few. That’s according to Sunil Rao, global head for consumer goods go-to-market at Salesforce. CG leaders agree their industry has been transformed. Sunil explains, “CG leaders say these technologies are the most likely to be transforming their industry: ecommerce, online marketplaces, the internet of things, and voice assistants.”
- CG leaders need more data-driven insights: But just because they’ve discovered D2C doesn’t mean CG leaders have their problems magically solved. Sunil explains, “55% of CG leaders perceive barriers in turning customer data into insights.” So will companies be able to make the changes they need to turn into personalization powerhouses? Fortunately, the future looks positive.
- Investing in the future: Sunil says, “These are the areas where CG leaders plan to increase investments the most over the next three years: first-party consumer data, digital customer service support, second-party consumer data, and unified commerce.” The roadmap for success is clear: evolve B2B-only operations to include B2C. Our guide below shows how.
For more insights on excelling in consumer goods in 2019 and beyond, download the Consumer Goods and the Battle for B2B and B2C Relationships report.
