As the curtains fell on the Paris Olympics, leaving us both inspired by the athletes’ triumphs and reflective on their heartbreaks, a striking parallel surfaced between the grandeur of the past two weeks and the world of B2B marketing.
Here are some lessons businesses can learn from the captivating narrative of the Paris Olympics.
You Need to Take a Stand
One opening ceremony. Two contrasting viewpoints.
Outlandish triumph: “Highlights from the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics”
Soul-crushing disappointment: “Paris Olympics opening ceremony was an insult to millions”
The opening ceremony blew me away.
Instead of keeping everything inside the stadium, Paris itself and the River Seine became the stage.
Performances popped up along the river, on rooftops, along bridges, and across sidewalks.
The creative team took the approach of what we wanted to see—Paris—and gave it to us in all its glory.
Yet not everyone was impressed.
Ask yourself …
Are you giving your customers what you think they want or what they actually want?
Do we actually know what they want?
Whatever we choose to do comes with criticism.
If you take a stand, can you face criticism from your customers or management?
Know How to Prompt using AI
Google and Microsoft promote the heck out of their AI bots, Gemini and Copilot, respectively.
Google’s Gemini Ad faced significant backlash for depicting a father using AI to write a fan letter to an Olympian on behalf of his daughter.
The ad is basically saying:
“Hey, don’t bother expressing your own admiration. Just let your father or AI do it for you!” ???? What’s the point of a fan letter if it doesn’t come from your heart?
What if Google’s ad was about how B2B marketers use AI to do their job better, while still keeping their human touch? Maybe that would fare better?!
Here’s one example of asking AI to improve your current cold call script:
“My company’s marketing/sales teams employ cold calls as one part of our marketing strategy to enable sales. Our organization offers [describe products/services] targeted at [describe target customer demographics].
This is the type of message template we currently follow: [insert message template or message example]. Revise this script to better connect with each of the following personas: [list target personas].
The tone should be [describe tone]. The message should be no longer than [give word or sentence count].”
Once the AI bot responds with a revised script, you can then ask it to make additional revisions or make changes yourself.
Speaking of working with AI…
On September 17, I’m dropping two easy-to-read books: The Modern AI Marketer in GPT Era and The Modern AI Marketer: Guide to Gen AI Prompts.
These books cover pretty much what marketers need to know about AI and offer 75+ prompts that you can use in various marketing disciplines.
If you want to be on the launch list, simply hit reply and let me know!
Ask yourself …
How can you use AI to be effective at your job without having AI do your job completely for you?
Marketing Is a Long Game
Watching Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky deliver superhuman performances was epic.
I also saw the U.S. women’s rugby team snag a bronze medal—a massive achievement, considering rugby isn’t big in the U.S. and that we’ve never finished better than 5th.
As I watched, I kept thinking about the hard work, lonely hours, self-doubts, and relentless drive it took to get there. We all go through similar emotions when we implement marketing campaigns.
Like Olympians in-training, B2B marketing is also a long game.
Ask yourself …
Are you doing your best work, fearlessly tracking your efforts, and continuously pushing forward?
If you’re ready to level up
Why not take on the 90-Day Sales Enablement Challenge for B2B Marketers?
Or learn how to optimize your AI marketing program?
Channel the dedication and commitment of these remarkable athletes into your B2B endeavors.
Key Takeaways
To develop a marketing strategy based on the insights from the Paris Olympics, give thoughts on…
1. Give Customers What They Want: Just like the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony, where the creative team showcased Paris in all its glory, businesses should understand and provide what their customers truly want, not just what they think they want.
2. Take a Stand: Taking a stand, as seen in the contrasting views of the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony, may draw criticism. Businesses need to be prepared to face criticism from customers or management when standing up for their beliefs.
3. Utilize AI Thoughtfully: Learn from Google and Microsoft’s AI promotion strategies. Consider how AI can enhance marketing efforts while maintaining a human touch. For example, using AI to improve cold call scripts can be a way to leverage technology effectively.
Remember: Reach out anytime if I can provide any help.
What can Pam Didner do for you?
Being in the corporate world for 20+ years and having held various positions from accounting and supply chain management, and marketing to sales enablement, she knows how corporations work. She can make you and your team a rock star by identifying areas to shine and do better. She does that through private coaching, keynote speaking, workshop training, and hands-on consulting. Contact her or find her on LinkedIn and Twitter. A quick note: Check out her new 90-Day Revenue Reboot, if you are struggling with marketing.
