B2B marketing: maximising credibility

Published 2003

The differences between consumer brand and B2B marketing tools are not always immediately apparent, however they are considerable, and unless those with marketing responsibilities make their superiors aware of them, results can be disappointing. Credibility for your company may be lacking if you’re not making the most of the communication tools available.

Let’s look first at the nature of the B2B customer. In the main, organisations purchasing business solutions or products are making a substantial cost investment. Solutions don’t come cheaply (even if you are positioning them as such). We’re not talking $5 hairspray here. We’re talking about serious financial outlays for a service, a major piece of office equipment or possibly an IT solution.

Purchasers also expect what they buy to last. You don’t hear the acronym ROI applied to a branded consumer purchase. And it’s not just the product that has to last. There should also be a lasting relationship developed between supplier and purchaser.

Whilst it can be claimed that a relationship exists between a consumer and products purchased, this relationship is primarily founded on perceived brand values. With B2B, the relationship is far more personified. The relationship is with the people who maintain the product, continuously deliver the service or help drive the solution.

It’s not surprising therefore that the tools used for good marketing communication in B2B environments also differ from those used in consumer marketing. And, in general, they can be more numerous.

The following is a rundown on some of the main marketing communication tools that apply to B2B environments. It is important to remember that these are not simply ad-hoc tools that you can use when opportunities simply arise. Rather, they are standard tools that should be part of a comprehensive and cohesive marketing plan. They should be planned to complement each other, delivering a predetermined set of messages and corporate values to your various audiences.

Exhibitions

The exhibition circuit has been under considerable pressure in recent year, with companies often complaining that they find it difficult to measure the effectiveness of the investment. Some have chosen to run their own internal exhibitions instead of concentrating on industry exhibitions. The recent (well-entrenched) Rockwell Automation’s ‘Complete Automation on the Move’ is a good example of an internal exhibition.

Speaking Engagements

If you wish to be perceived as an authority or attain a leadership position, then these are great opportunities to do just that. Again, the opportunity exists to ‘plug into’ industry forums as well as creating your own forums for existing and potential customers.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships can be sales-aligned or more an investment in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Sponsorships share one important thing with exhibitions… and that is that you have to work beyond the initial payment. By this we mean that your sponsorship payment needs to be augmented with a sufficient budget to promote the sponsorship to your market.

Industry Media Coverage

This should always be a combination of advertising schedule and public relations budget. The actual balance between the two depends on a number of factors including strength of competitors, industry segment and the nature of the media serving your market. With the media, look closely to see if a relationship exists between advertising and editorial coverage. While most trade media have good editorial independence, some simply do not. One way to tell is to see if a full page advertisement has a full page article for the same firm on the opposite page.

Editorial Coverage

Too many companies think this only means press releases. In fact, editorial coverage can be achieved in a number of ways including:

• Product releases
• Case study articles
• Technical papers
• Interviews
• Opinion pieces, and
• White papers.

These are by no means all the tools available, but they are certainly among the most important when looking at B2B marketing communication. And remember, they should be employed as part of a total communication program and not chosen in an ad hoc manner throughout the year.