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Many companies are stuck using outdated systems that just can’t keep up with today’s demands. In fact, U.S. businesses spend about 75% of their IT budget on keeping old systems running. In the energy sector, utilities also contend with growing demand and the urgent need for decarbonization. Meanwhile, B2B marketing teams face intense competition, resource limitations, and rising expectations for personalization.
At the heart of it, both the energy industry and B2B marketing are dealing with the same headache: too much data and too much complexity. Electric cars and renewable energy are putting pressure on old power grids. At the same time, new customer experiences and changing buying habits are making traditional strategies less effective.
AI has stepped in as the game-changer, helping energy companies run smarter—and marketers are starting to see the same benefits. But how does this impact marketers in the industry? Learn how artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics address these challenges.
Keeping Up with the Digital Shift
The energy industry is still catching up with digital transformation, and marketers have to move fast if they want to stay relevant. Organizations are heavily investing in digital transformation, and B2B marketers have no choice but to keep pace to remain competitive. Use the following data to improve your understanding of customer needs and boost your returns:
76% of organizations view digital transformation as a key priority.
95% of companies report that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation efforts.
78% of businesses have begun their digital transformation journey.
Just 33% of organizations achieve success in their digital transformation initiatives.
Knowing what your customers want and need lets you target your campaigns better, whether you’re sending emails, running ads, or creating content. With email marketing or social media advertising and content creation or not, let facts inform everything you decide.
How to adapt:
Invest in analytical tools: Use tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, and Semrush to really understand your customers and fine-tune campaigns. The data these professional tools generate significantly impacts marketing campaigns and conversion rates. The side effect of using them is improved customer satisfaction, which ultimately correlates to retention and loyalty.
Monitor performance indicators: Keep a close eye on KPIs and tweak campaigns fast when numbers dip. Utilize this data to adjust and refine your campaigns for improved results.
Utilize predictive analytics: Predictive analytics is a way to use old data to guess what customers might want in the future. It helps companies see patterns in how people behave. This way, businesses can figure out when customers might want to buy new things or upgrade their tools.
The Energy Cost of Smart Tech
Data centers may only use a small slice (1.5%) of the world’s power right now, but demand is set to skyrocket in the next few years. In the EU, AI-focused data centers make up about 3% of consumption. Data centers cluster together, straining local power grids and raising concerns about climate goals and energy affordability.
Running an AI prompt is way more energy-intensive than a Google search, and massive data centers burn through power like entire cities. A large data center can use as much energy in a year as 100,000 homes. This usage includes cooling and maintenance, often from renewable sources and natural gas, with an increasing amount from nuclear energy.
The EU is pushing hard for greener, more efficient data centers while still planning to triple capacity in the next few years. Upcoming initiatives, including the Cloud and AI Development Act, will triple data center capacity in 5 to 7 years while addressing energy impacts through various strategies by 2026.
AI is spreading fast, and while it’s energy-hungry, it’s also the key to modernizing everything from energy grids to marketing campaigns.
How to adjust:
Invest in AI technologies: Start using predictive analytics software or AI content generators to accelerate operations and make your campaigns more relevant to your audience.
Enhance your customer relationship management system: AI can support automatic lead mining. The acceleration helps your team focus on important prospects, and AI takes the repetitive work.
Consider automated advertising: Programmatic advertising is an AI-driven type of advertising that buys the digital ad space automatically and targets the appropriate audience at the appropriate time. The strategy is particularly effective when it is possible to reach critical decision-makers in the energy market.
Walking the Green Talk
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword anymore; customers and governments are demanding cleaner, greener solutions, and marketers need to keep up. The government and consumers want more environmentally friendly solutions in their lives and businesses, which creates challenges and opportunities for marketers.
Businesses now want partners who can help them go green and prove it, not just talk about it. As a B2B marketer, you must align your messaging with these goals, highlighting how your solutions contribute to a sustainable future. To stand out in a crowded market, always avoid general claims and provide specific, quantifiable results that show how your enterprise actively promotes environmental improvements.
How to adapt:
Highlight your environmental achievements: Your company should boldly highlight its activities in the area of sustainability. If your offer contributes to energy efficiency or environmental friendliness, you should underscore this in your advertisements with valid, scientifically proven information.
Establish collaborations: Collaborate with other sustainable brands or initiatives to improve your reputation and increase your market presence. Co-creating material with organizations that share your environmentally friendly philosophy can reinforce your message and help build trust among your target audience.
Advertise certifications and adherence: If your organization is ISO 14001 certified or meets other environmental regulations, make this a prominent aspect of your marketing. This attitude demonstrates to potential clients that you are genuinely committed to sustainability.
Marketing in a Connected World
The Internet of Things connects everything (machines, grids, devices), makes energy smarter, and gives marketers new ways to reach customers. The interlinked devices, due to better monitoring, allow more intelligent energy management and predictive maintenance. The industry is swiftly evolving toward a more interconnected and data-driven future, making IoT a crucial element for B2B marketing strategies.
With so much data flowing in from IoT devices, companies need help turning it into actionable insights. That’s where you, as a marketer, step in with an effective marketing strategy that can play a crucial role in addressing this need.
How to adapt:
Emphasize data solutions: If your offerings assist businesses in managing IoT data, ensure this is a key element of your marketing communication. Promote case studies and customer success narratives to showcase how your solutions enable clients to maximize their IoT investments.
Content marketing centered on the IoT: The area of thought leadership on the Internet of Things is growing. Create articles, whitepapers, and videos that explore how the IoT relates to energy efficiency. This strategy will establish your brand as a knowledgeable ally in an increasingly technology-driven industry.
Employ account-based marketing: With the IoT instigating industry transformation, account-based marketing can effectively target essential accounts. Customize your messaging to address your prospects’ specific IoT-related challenges, providing tailored solutions that correspond with their objectives.
Automate, Personalize, Win
Marketing teams are under pressure to do more with less, which is why tools like Generative AI are becoming a must-have. Recent data shows that the adoption of GenAI tools among B2B marketers has risen from 72% to 81% in a year. The number highlights the growing importance of GenAI in campaign strategy and execution.
GenAI allows marketing teams to automate tasks like email campaigns and transform webinars into social media content, freeing up time for creativity. It takes personalization to a new level, letting marketers engage even the smallest audience segments in meaningful ways. Additionally, it enables hyper-personalization by providing contextual interactions tailored to specific circumstances, allowing marketers to engage micro-segments effectively.
Use AI to Power Your Next Move
AI and analytics aren’t just buzzwords. They are reshaping industries, cutting waste, and helping marketing teams become growth drivers. In B2B marketing, they drive scale, personalization, and resource optimization, turning marketing into a growth engine.
The big lesson? Use data to make smarter moves, whether that’s predicting equipment failures or scoring your next lead. Target high-impact use cases such as predictive maintenance or lead scoring, and develop scalable platforms as needs change.
AI isn’t just a trend; it’s the key to thriving in a rapidly changing, high-stakes world. By embracing it now, organizations can turn complexity into opportunity and thrive in the competitive landscape of the future.
