Why conversational marketing and AI-powered chatbots are reshaping B2B demand generation across the APAC region.
AI is exploding, with major repercussions for APAC’s B2B marketers. According to one estimate, the market for chatbots could increase by almost $10bn between 2024 and 2029. Driven by enterprise AI investment and an e-commerce boom, APAC is set to contribute 37% of this growth, making it the standout region.
This is good news for tech-savvy teams looking to bridge resource gaps, while scaling and personalizing campaigns for a diverse audience. As insurgent AI vendors continue to shake the foundations of the web, chatbots could be a game changer for demand gen and lead nurture – accelerating the charge to more conversational marketing and sales engagements.
Messy and unpredictable
APAC marketers are feeling the pressure. Our research reveals that a majority (54%) report “some, limited, or no” progress on their goals – the most of any region. Economic uncertainty is the biggest challenge for almost half of APAC teams; again, more so than anywhere else on the planet. With potentially fewer resources to spare, many may struggle to scale personalized demand gen and lead nurture campaigns – something that’s already a challenge given the cultural and linguistic diversity of the region.
These headaches are compounded by a longer-term trend we’re seeing all over the world: the transformation of the B2B buyer journey. The certainties of old are a thing of the past, replaced by larger buying groups, longer sales cycles, and complex, collective decision-making processes. B2B buyer journeys are messy, unpredictable and largely self-directed: individuals may be 70% of the way there before even reaching out to their shortlisted vendors.
AI everywhere
At the same time, we’re heading through an intense period of AI-driven market disruption, which could fundamentally reshape the way buyers and marketers engage. OpenAI’s plans to release its first web browser, featuring integrated ChatGPT-style functionality, signal a technology that’s increasingly the first port of call for consumers and B2B buyers alike. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2026, a quarter (25%) of organic search traffic will have migrated to AI chatbots.
While this will place new demands on content marketing teams, it also represents an opportunity for firms keen to engage with leads via chatbots on their websites and landing pages.
As the technology matures, it becomes more capable of meaningful dialog which can help shepherd prospects through the early stages of the sales funnel.
Chatbots can answer queries day and night, to capture interest the second it materializes. And they can adapt responses based on data from previous interactions, web browser history, CRM tools and other sources to hyper-personalize these conversations. The technology could even ask targeted questions to automatically qualify and score leads, before serving them up relevant content, and directing them to the right sales rep.
Generative AI (GenAI) is also a whizz at language translation, which will help APAC marketers to engage seamlessly with diverse audiences across the region. If buyers want quick, easy and informative engagements on their own terms, chatbots deliver it all. They also lend themselves well to the mobile-centric lives most APAC buyers live, integrating neatly with popular messaging apps. And for stretched marketing teams, they offer an opportunity to scale personalized demand gen and lead nurture efforts without breaking the bank on new hires.
The DaaS sweet spot
For those prepared to grasp these opportunities there are potentially huge rewards in store. Our research found a 59 percentage-point gap for lead nurture excellence between high and low-performing marketing teams. Yet adoption is still in its infancy. Only a quarter (27%) of global teams are prioritizing AI-powered chatbots, far fewer than those experimenting with AI for content creation and email marketing optimization (both 36%).
It could be that some have been burned by unwise technology investments in the past. Some 61% of APAC respondents describe their tech stacks as “limited” or “disorganized” – more than in any other region. Most prefer delivered insights and services over additional tools. This is where outsourced offerings like Demand as a Service (DaaS) can offer real value. By managing the entire demand gen and brand awareness program, providers like Pipeline360 take the pressure off in-house marketing teams.
This frees them up to work more strategically, close the gap with high-performing peers, and find the best way to optimize their use of AI. If the future of B2B demand gen is conversational marketing, there’s no time to waste.
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Joseph McCarthy, Senior Account Director for APAC at Pipeline360
Joseph McCarthy is Senior Account Director for APAC at Pipeline360. He plays a pivotal role in delivering Demand-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions, including Branded Demand and leading content services, to B2B marketers. Prior to Pipeline360, he served as Sales Director for Enterprise Accounts at Madison Logic.
