Over the years I’ve been asking myself how bespoke does content need to be? Do we need to create truly personalised 1:1 content? In searching for the answer to this I have tried a number of approaches and here is what I have learnt: One size does not fit all BUT 1:1 is not necessarily the answer.  

Of course, you need to be relevant, and if you have gained the right level of insight, and if you can afford it, then true 1:1 or 100% bespoke is best. 

But what about a first meeting; are you really going to know enough to get it right? Of course, third meeting onwards you need to be reflecting what you are learning, but in a first meeting is totally bespoke content the answer? It is more costly and higher risk (you need to get it right) and I would argue not necessary. What I found is that in the early stages customers obviously want content to be relevant to their needs but they also want to hear your Point of View and what their peer group are doing. 

The more important point is that all content (1:1 or otherwise) needs a purpose. It needs to come back to the consistent idea we all align behind which can then be adapted by account / audience or industry. I don’t think about what to say anymore, I think about how can I help - and I mean genuinely help - our customers get to the business outcome they desire. If the business outcome is doing something innovative then it is about taking their ideas (which are often plentiful) and working with our customers to get those ideas executed in a market to serve a real need. 

If you don’t have purpose the risk is you are just creating noise, whether it is account specific noise or just marketing noise, it is still noise.