Make the complicated, digestible, relatable, more understood. That is the goal in B2B marketing. But, it’s not an easy task. And few companies do it well. To me, the best marketing is evocative, humanizing a product or service portfolio that can be technical, confusing and sometimes boring. That’s why I’ve dedicated this post to a company that has hit the nail on the head when it comes to being relatable and simplifying the complex: Johnson Controls (JCI). The 130-year-old HVAC company has a new motto: “Welcome to a world where everything runs more smoothly, smartly, simply & safely.” The company has dialed down equipment rhetoric to focus on the problems it solves for companies across the globe.
JCI illustrates the impact its product portfolio has through its “A Day in the Life at Johnson Controls” video series, and the company’s home page video that shows its technology in real life application. Pulling stories from its employees and projects gives the company’s work greater significance.
JCI is proving that, even in the HVAC industry, there’s a place for social media. CEO Alex Molinaroli is leading by example as an active Twitter member and a LinkedIn Influencer. His goal is to empower his employees to become storytellers and brand advocates, sharing their stories socially. When it comes to social content, JCI provides customized content that is valuable, relevant and genuinely useful to satisfy different objectives and target audiences on different platforms. They don’t try to be everything to all people in one place, a common mistake in digital marketing.
The moral of the story? It’s hard to market commodity while making your company human, interesting and relatable. In a digital world, however, opportunities abound. Interact with employees and customers, telling your story from a perspective that not only stimulates engagement with your brand, but makes people want to buy your product.
