This article was co-authored with Michael Maziarka, VP Analyst in the Gartner Marketing Practice, specializing in customer experience, customer success management and customer marketing programs.
For years, B2B marketers have depended on surveys, focus groups and website feedback forms to understand their audiences.
And according to our findings at Gartner, 61% of organizations still do. But in today’s digital-first world — where customers engage with your brand across social media, email, chat, reviews and more — that approach just doesn’t cut it anymore.
The blind spots you can’t afford
Surveys only capture what you ask and only from those willing to answer. If you rely on traditional listening methods, you will never hear from the silent majority. You could be missing out on your customers’ real, unfiltered voice.
Key signals — like emerging trends, shifting sentiment and competitor threats — are often buried in the countless conversations happening every day. With your customer data scattered across CRM systems, social tools and automation platforms, it isn’t easy to connect the dots and act on what matters.
The result?
- Campaigns that miss the mark.
- Messaging that feels out of touch.
- Opportunities lost to more agile competitors.
In a competitive environment, personalization and relevance are critical to standing out to B2B buying teams. However, relying solely on traditional listening mechanisms can leave your brand lagging behind business buyer expectations and market shifts.
Dig deeper: AI’s personalization magic starts with the data you can’t see
GenAI: A game-changer for indirect feedback
Enter genAI. Unlike traditional survey methods, genAI can analyze vast volumes of unstructured conversational data — across email, chat, phone, social and more — to surface actionable insights in real time.
This indirect feedback is not explicitly solicited. It emerges organically from customers’ interactions with your brand and with third parties.
This means:
- Real-time trendspotting: GenAI detects emerging topics and themes across a broader range of target channels, helping you stay ahead of the curve — whether it’s a viral meme, a competitor’s new feature or a sudden shift in customer sentiment.
- Deeper B2B audience understanding: By analyzing not just what customers say, but how they say it, genAI uncovers nuanced emotions, intent and even effort — revealing what motivates, frustrates or delights them.
- Smarter segmentation: Instead of relying on static personas, use genAI to identify dynamic, behavior-based segments based on real conversations and needs.
Just imagine:
- Launching a new product and instantly learning how business buyers react — not just behavioral engagement data (click-throughs), but in their own words across the channels they use.
- Spotting a brewing PR issue before it explodes, thanks to early signals picked up in customer support chats or social threads.
Dig deeper: How to build fast, effective feedback loops in an AI-driven world
Turn conversations into campaign wins
The marketing value of genAI goes far beyond monitoring. By connecting indirect feedback from key customer touchpoints, you can:
- Optimize messaging in real time: Adjust campaign copy, creative and offers based on live feedback, not just post-mortem reports.
- Uncover hidden opportunities: Spot upsell and cross-sell moments that traditional analytics miss, by recognizing when customers express interest and intent.
- Enhance personalization: Deliver hyper-relevant content and experiences by understanding each audience segment’s specific language, needs and wants.
- Protect brand reputation: Quickly identify and address negative sentiment or misinformation before it spreads, safeguarding brand equity.
To put this into practice, start by mapping genAI use cases to high-impact business outcomes, such as:
- Campaign ROI.
- Customer retention.
- Growth or brand health.
Pilot projects can focus on a single channel or journey stage, demonstrating how genAI-powered insights lead to measurable improvements.
Crucially, you must break down data silos. Integrating conversational data from sales, service and social channels in a data lake creates a unified customer view in your system of choice. This ensures every campaign and outreach is highly relevant and compelling, informed by the full spectrum of customer voices.
The future of marketing belongs to the listeners
The days of relying solely on surveys and surface-level analytics are over. GenAI is the marketer’s new secret weapon — turning every conversation into a source of strategic advantage and unlocking the hidden challenges and opportunities in your customer base.
Dig deeper: Customer immersion reveals what dashboards never will
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