Why all the talk about knowing your customers?

I’m perplexed by the tsunami of posts on the importance of knowing your customers. That’s Marketing 101. It’s not rocket science.

So, why so many posts?

My theory: in recent years, marketers have heavily relied on auto-personalized, automation, and MarTech to scale.

In the process, they’ve neglected the people who matter (aka customers). They’ve ignored the fundamentals like positioning, messaging, copywriting, planning, and relationship building.

Maybe marketers are under too much pressure, time-strapped, or madly chasing MQLs. Whatever the reason, many marketers are thinking about customers but need to walk the walk (connect and build relationships) rather than simply talk the talk.

Do you know your customers? If so, what’s your approach?