Subscribe in a readerSome Corporate Blogging Insight That Might Be Worth a Fortune
Richard Hatch | B2B Social Media | August 3rd, 2008If you want some great insight into corporate blogging, both B2B and B2C companies, check out the Fortune 500 Business Blogging Wiki, a directory of Fortune 500 companies with business blogs. The wiki, started as collaborative project between Wired Magazine’s Chris Anderson and Socialtext’s Ross Mayfield, is a wiki compilation that’s following active public blogs by company employees blogging about their companies and/or products.
With Mayfield, Easton Ellsworth of We Know Media and John Cass of PR Communications have joined the effort to expand the project. Included on the site are lists and links of blogging Fortune 500 companies, example blogs for each (many have multiple blogs), examples of other social media in use (Twitter, etc.), and reviews. As a side note, you can also write and submit your own reviews of Fortune 500 corporate blogs there. (more…)
Would Ebert and Roeper Give your Positioning a “Thumbs Up?”
Mike Marn | Positioning | July 29th, 2008
I saw a headline on CNN that made me laugh the other day. It said “Ebert and Roeper to leave ‘Ebert and Roeper.’” Boy, I’ll bet that show will never be the same!
Clearly, a B2B company isn’t a TV show. But this little news item might be a good excuse to do a little reviewing of your own. Exactly how deep does your company’s positioning really go? Is it a something everyone in the organization believes in and can recite on cue, or does it depend on the performance of the lead actors and a small supporting cast? It’s not uncommon for a B2B company to define itself by the personality and style of the executive(s) at the top. (more…)
Why are B2B Companies so Anti-Social When it Comes to Social Media?
Mike Marn | B2B Social Media | July 28th, 2008After all, it’s really just about relationships. The kind your salespeople brag about, and the kind you desperately hope to develop with customers so that price isn’t the only consideration. Heck, the kind that make barbecues more fun. Many companies preach the value of relationships constantly.
But disguise that relationship thing as “social media’ and they don’t even recognize it. Shun it. Or fear it. And as a result, they often do one of two things:
- Let their uneasiness keep them in their comfort zone, and out of the social media environment
- Barge onto the social media scene with a blatant selling agenda—exactly the kind of thing you wouldn’t dream of in those other settings.
Simple fact: social media fuel relationships. And relationships fuel sales. But you can’t jump from A to C. You need “B” in there along the way. And while you’re pursuing those virtual relationships, don’t focus on the sales value of each contact or on-line exchange, any more than you would stop and measure ROI after every stroke in a round of client golf.
Think of your social media efforts as sowing seeds. You never know which seeds will take root. But if you don’t sow any, you can count on a pretty sparse garden.
B2B folks, it’s time to get off the fence, and into the conversation.
Green Marketing. How Associative Positioning Breaks All Ties.
Buzz Baker | Positioning | July 16th, 2008Everyone has likely heard a few jokes starting with “A duck walks into a bar…”, and immediately become interested because of the unexpected imagery. Today, however, I walked into the office bathroom and was confronted with real imagery that also piqued interest. On top of the commode was a role of toilet paper fully packaged in white tissue with the word “green” depicted and underlined in green all over the package, and “office depot” in red, also underlined, but smaller and more subdued. Had it been Christmas time I might not have noticed. Everything is green and red then. But just after the 4th of July such packaging was unexpected. And inspired more contemplation than your average roll of toilet paper, which is rarely high on anyone’s “Wow! Look at that!” list. If ever. (more…)
Profiling by B2B Job Function? At Your Own Risk.
Buzz Baker | B2B Selling | July 14th, 2008
Every July 4th my wife and I partake of the annual picnic at a lakeshore cottage association on Michigan’s West Coast. Same date, same time, same tent rising from the sandy beach beneath the dunes like something out of Ali Baba, same kinds of shared food (I didn’t know you could make potato salad eight different ways!) and mostly the same people. Including some sames who attended their first picnic there during the Coolidge administration. But every now and then a family extends a bit, and there are new members to meet and greet. We always try to take the first step. Because same is so…same…you know.
Last year a new family joined us and I had the opportunity to meet the father of three rowdy assembly line sons ages 5, 6, and not quite 8. A big guy he was, and soon we were talking sports. He’d played college ball himself, was a rabid fan of four pro teams, and coached his kids in a different sport each season. He had an aggressive, hand-enveloping handshake, laughed easily, shared a few anecdotes, and after our chat was complete he moved on to introduce himself to others as if he were the official greeter and everyone else had just arrived. I had to smile at his “knows no strangers” approach that was so refreshingly “un-same”. Later I remembered that I hadn’t asked what business he was in…although I really didn’t have to. I’ve met a lot of sales reps and managers in my time, and had no doubt I’d just met another. Quite likely a really good one, I thought. (more…)
B2B Email Marketers: New Opt-Out Regulations Effective July 7, 2008
Galen De Young | B2B Marketing | June 30th, 2008New rules issued by the Federal Trade Commission in May 2008 require the opt-out process to be simple and easy. The rules say that the opt-out process can’t require any fees or the input of a password, login, or other information that would somehow hinder unsubscribing. The opt-out process must require no more than the recipient’s email address. (You can’t run people through multiple steps to verify their identity.) In addition, the opt-out procedures must either be a single email reply or a visit to a single web page (i.e., you can’t require people to run through promotional pages or hinder them in any way on their way to unsubscribing.)
The new rules also have implication for B2B marketing professionals who serve companies with multiple divisions. (more…)
Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
Buzz Baker | Positioning | June 26th, 2008When we last visited the Prussian military strategist, General Carl von Clausewitz, we noted that his tactical direction for armies attempting to cross wide rivers was not always appropriate for marketers attempting to aggressively reposition themselves.
But the good general also has other advice for aggressive marketers that may well be worth heeding. And while his language is not the language of today’s military or marketer, the message is clear:
“In general it is more advantageous to continue our blows in one and the same direction, because there is loss of time in striking in different directions; and at a point where the moral power is already shaken by considerable losses there is more reason to expect fresh successes, therefore in that way no part of the preponderance already gained is left idle.”
When Repositioning Your Brand, You May Want to Disregard Von Clausewitz
Buzz Baker | Positioning | June 23rd, 2008
The Prussian military strategist, General Carl Von Clausewitz, once said: “No army wanting to cross a wide river would cross only half of it first.”
His point was simple. Once the decision was made to cross the river, the objective was to get to the other side. No ifs, ands or buts…and certainly no dawdling or halting along the way. Stragglers to be shot. Perhaps on most occasions that would be the viable military strategy, but when it comes to repositioning a brand, it could just as likely be a formula for failure. The key determinant in that formula resides in the word “wide”. Here’s why: (more…)
Can Social Networking Sites Deliver for B2B marketers? Absolutely, Positively!
Mike Marn | B2B Social Media | June 11th, 2008
A recent AdWeek article quotes FedEx executive Steve Pacheco as saying “It’s the next logical step for FedEx.”
He’s not talking about entering a new international market, or altering their business model, or a new Domino delivery option, like “30 minutes or it’s free!”
Nope. Pacheco is the Director of Advertising for FedEx, and what he was referring to is virtual delivery, via a new Facebook application. Now members of that social network can send one another FedEx “packages” that can include photos, links, little digital goodies, etc. The recipient clicks on the FedEx package to “open” it.
Traditionalists might smirk at such serous talk about a merely virtual presence that isn’t directly monetized. They shouldn’t. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | May 30, 2008
JoLonda | B2B Blog Postings | May 30th, 2008Below are some of the better B2B marketing blog posts from around the web in recent weeks.
Your B2B Customer Might be a Whole Different Animal
Mike Marn | B2B Research | May 30th, 2008
We all probably know a wine snob or two. (Perhaps you are one.) But we’ve all observed the aura of sophistication and faux pageantry that seems to accompany the selection of the proper wine.
(You know, the selection usually made by the suave movie hero just before leaps to a chandelier and swings across the room to disarm an evil spy who is about to bump off the guest of honor.)
Chances are, he chose his wine by carefully perusing the wine list, examining an elegant bottle, checking its vintage and place of origin, and swishing a small sample around his educated palate.
As it turns out, quite a few folks out there in the real world use a significantly simpler method of choosing a wine. They look for the gorilla on the label. Or the frog. Perhaps even the dinosaur. (more…)
Don’t Let your Business Get Caught in the Middle
Mike Marn | Positioning | May 28th, 2008A recent post by my colleague, Dick Hatch (about the slogan “Our people make the difference“) got me thinking. There are a number of common ad themes whose trite familiarity makes them invisible at best, laughable at worst. I’d like to nominate another candidate.
I’ve seen dozens, maybe hundreds, of banks, CPAs, furniture stores, builders, car dealers, and many other businesses claim in one way or another that they are:
“Big enough to serve you, small enough to care.” (more…)
Doing well in a downturn? It’s a (Fe)breeze!
Mike Marn | B2B Selling | May 21st, 2008
You’ve seen articles in plenty of places (including this blog) on how to survive the economic downturn. And the advice is interesting, with the messages that different sages are delivering. It seems you should:
Curtail spending…or spend boldly to gain share.
Focus on your core business…or diversify more.
Prospect heavily; potential clients are desperate … or prospect less; concentrate on keeping current customers happy.
See? The answer is simple.
But permit me to throw one more thought on the pile. The fact is, some brands and companies do well during tough times. And B2B marketers might learn a few things if they looked more closely at the sometimes less-than-obvious reasons why. (more…)
I Hated Everyone’s Customer Service Department—Until Yesterday
Richard Hatch | B2B Marketing | May 13th, 2008
As a rule, I hate calling customer service. Almost anybody’s customer service department. Until yesterday. Yesterday I called a customer service representative at Grand Rapids Chair Company. No, I didn’t need chairs. Actually, I didn’t even need customer service. I needed to get in touch with my daughter, a customer service representative there. Of course I didn’t mind leaving a message, and I’ll bet their customers are probably fine when they occasionally get voice mail too. Okay, and all biases aside, her voice mail said something like, “ Thanks for calling Grand Rapids Chair. Leave me a message and the name of your favorite 80s rock band, and I’ll get back to you shortly.”
Later, I asked her about her message. She told me it’s something they always do. They change up their voice mail messages every few weeks, but every customer service rep has something creative and fun included in their recorded voice mail messages. Seems to fit really nice with the overall perceptions I have of their company and brand. Essentially, they design and manufacture chairs, bar stools, tables, etc. for the hospitality industry—restaurants, bars, hotels, etc. Trendy designs. Urban designs. Upscale designs. Custom designs. Lots of cool stuff.
For me, the unexpected message really resonated and fit the brand personality. (more…)
Impressions don’t help unless you make one.
Mike Marn | B2B Marketing | May 12th, 2008
No, I don’t need my glasses. Just bring me more arrows!
Lately, I’ve noticed more than one article claiming to provide tips for companies who are trying to fight through a tough economy and reduced marketing budgets. Some of those hints are helpful; most are pretty obvious. But one—from an article I found on a very reputable business web site—is downright destructive in its naïve simplicity. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | April 28, 2008
Heather Francis | B2B Blog Postings | April 29th, 2008Below are some of the better B2B marketing blog posts from around the web in recent days.
In times of economic downturn, the business world tightens its belt. Here are some practical thoughts on how to regroup without choking off opportunity. Comments? (more…)
The Needs and Wants of B2B Customers
Richard Hatch | B2B Marketing | April 29th, 2008B2B buyers are emotionless, robotic stiffs that compute rational purchasing decisions based on quantifiable metrics and measurable returns on investment like increased profitability, cost reductions, and enhanced productivity. I couldn’t agree more-except for the emotionless, robotic stiffs part. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | April 23, 2008
JoLonda | B2B Blog Postings | April 23rd, 2008Below are some of the better B2B marketing blog posts from around the web in recent days. (more…)
Building More Than Market Share During an Economic Downturn
Buzz Baker | B2B Marketing | April 23rd, 2008
Napoleon once said, “Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake.” Many marketers have been told that to retract and retrench during economic downturns is a mistake that will not only affect their own opportunities, but also significantly increase opportunities for enlightened marketers to seize (even at the risk of “interrupting” the blissfully proceeding enemy). However, that seizing doesn’t come without cost, and sometimes a reminder of the bounty to be gained (beyond just short term sales) is needed to provide the proper stimulus to move forward aggressively.
Studies (among them the CARR Report) have shown that (1) a minimum threshold of awareness must be reached before a brand will begin to see the upgrade conversion to preference, (2) once higher levels of awareness are reached, the conversion to preference occurs more rapidly, and (3) awareness (and subsequently preference) will decay over time if awareness-building activities decline. In a TNS Intersearch study, it was also determined that “discontinuing advertising not only reduces a brand’s presence before the consumer, but actively helps the competition, which then gains a greater share of voice without increasing advertising expenditures.” Or the more aggressive marketer can even elect to increase expenditures and gain an even greater share-of-voice (including a greater distance between their share and those of competitors) by striking when the iron is hot—and the misguided, reluctant competitors are not. (more…)
Steer Clear of Price-Only Positioning
Richard Hatch | Positioning | April 17th, 2008
In another life, I worked in automotive marketing. A domestic brand. Every time the market tanked, the client, along with their domestic rivals, would predictably do the inevitable. Slap on rebates, trump one another’s incentives, slash prices, sweeten the deal, give away the store, compromise the brand and train customers already accustomed to never paying the asking price to never pay anything close-ever again. (I know. There’s a history of other complex dynamics at work here as well.) Nevertheless, any bump in the road and they squandered what brand integrity they had left to chase market share at almost any cost-and we all know what the painful outcome has been.
But you’d never do that, right? Let’s get real. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | April 16, 2008
JoLonda | B2B Blog Postings | April 17th, 2008Below are some of the better B2B marketing blog posts from around the web in recent days. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | April 14, 2008
JoLonda | B2B Blog Postings | April 14th, 2008Below are some of the better B2B marketing blog posts from around the web in recent days. (more…)
B2B Illustrated: Friday Funnies | April 11, 2008
admin | Friday Funnies | April 11th, 2008
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | April 11, 2008
admin | B2B Blog Postings | April 11th, 2008Below are some of the better blog posts from around the web in recent days for B2B marketers. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | April 10, 2008
admin | B2B Blog Postings | April 10th, 2008Below are some of the better blog posts from around the web in recent days for B2B marketers. (more…)