The 6th IDM B2B Marketing Conference
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The 6th IDM B2B Marketing Conference once again attracted top B2B marketing practitioners among its speaker faculty to present tried and tested ideas that demonstrate marketing sustainability. |
Conference summary
The 2009 conference highlighted several other important considerations for B2B marketing in a recession. In an era of radical and irreversible change, what our customers say about our products is more important than what we as marketers say, and peer recommendations carry more weight than expert reviews. Influencer Marketing was a recurrent theme of the 2009 IDM B2B Marketing Conference. It's as imperative in B2B as it is in B2C, and it's here to stay.
Nick Hayes, President and Founder, Influencer50 described how 80% of sales over $20K are impacted by five or more influencers. As marketers, we need to embrace and learn how to work with, our customers' "decision-making ecosystems".
Full conference programme
SESSION 1: Keynote presentation and interview:
The Ecosystem of Influencers
Nick Hayes, President and Founder, Influencer50 and co-author of Influencer Marketing
Business buying decisions have changed. Today, business purchasers look to an ecosystem of influencers - individuals they trust to provide knowledgeable advice, during the decision-making process. With up to 5 influencers having an impact on 80% of sales worth over $20K, the majority of sales people say that influencers play a significant role in shaping purchasing decisions. An influencer marketing approach aligns the efforts of marketing with the needs of the sales team by building a relationship with the top influencers, and utilising their knowledge and influence to create validated proof points that decision makers are looking for.
Nick's presentation covered:
- The changes that marketing departments need to make to implement an influencer marketing programme
- The common types of influencers (not just press and analysts)
- How to measure the results of an influencer-centric approach
SESSION 2:
Squeeze until the pips squeak; how to make marketing more effective in
challenging times
Ewa Johnson, Marketing Director, OKI Printing Solutions
The session explored awareness of how changes in the economy are affecting business buying trends and how this will affect your future sales cycle. Ewa also discussed the increasing importance of integration - how sales and marketing should work harmoniously to support each other in its efforts and understand the needs of the customer. Also highlighting thinking beyond cutting budgets and saving heads - how to survive and thrive in a slump by ensuring efficiency and effectiveness to suit the business objectives of an organisation.
SESSION 3:
The SME Market re-opens for business
John Owrid, Partner, Culture Map
The SME market has frustrated marketers for many years. Too big to ignore but too complex to unravel, it has become something of a holy grail.
CultureMap is an SME think tank which has pioneered a new way to map, understand and track SME audiences using intelligence about SME business culture to understand business behaviour. Business Culture Index (BCI), the fruit of a joint venture with global market research firm BMRB, aims to provide marketers with "night vision" into the SME market.
John Owrid’s presentation revealed new insights about the behaviours and attitudes of SME audiences that marketers can act on. John also be unveiled top-line findings and trends from the largest study of SMEs undertaken since the economic downturn started.
Key learning outcomes:
- Improving targeted marketing to SMEs
- Understanding what is happening to your customers in the current economic climate
- Understanding what drives small businesses
- How do small businesses determine their successes and how can you be involved?
- Practical knowledge to assist marketing decisions
SESSION 4 - The Debate
Do B2B Marketers need to invest in their brand rather than lead generation to survive these times of economic uncertainty?
Delegates heard the conference debate panel argue where marketing budgets should be focused and were able to add their voices to the discussion. Giving delegates greater confidence in the arguments for marketing spend, making them better able to counter calls for cost cutting with consideration of the impact on longer term competitive advantage. Delegates will also be in a better position to recommend different ways of using the available marketing resources to ensure the maximum return on marketing investment.
| Chair: | Joel Harrison, Editor, B2B Marketing Magazine |
| Brand: | Richard Bush, Base One and Jakko Alanko, Mccann Erickson Business Communications |
| Lead Generation: | Will Schnabel, Vice President and General Manager of International Markets, Silver pop, and Michael Karg, digitas |
Afternoon break-out session:
Turbulent times can also be exciting times, when opportunities are there for the taking by savvy marketers who are aware and ready to maximise every advantage. During this part of the conference, delegates were given the opportunity to attend two out of four tactical breakout sessions that each offered practical and useful take-away learnings.
Stream 1 - Leveraging online video to drive business
Stuart Maister, MD, BroadView
Video is suddenly everywhere on the web. The BBC is pushing it well into the mainstream. Universal Search means it’s becoming part of an SEO strategy, fighting text for eyeballs. But is it a luxury right now or a crucial part of any digital B2B marketing strategy in 2009? And how can it work hard to deliver real outcomes?
Using real world examples, this highly interactive workshop looked at:
- What works? What doesn’t?
- Where video fits into your strategy
- How you can use online video to cut costs, leverage the time of your key people and cut-through to busy decision makers
- Case study examples of results achieved
- Practical ideas for the application of online video for your business
Stream 2 -
Google University specifically designed for B2B Marketers
Richard Robinson, Industry Head for B2B, Google
Richard explored some crucial B2B marketing research discoveries that showed how customers are driving change. His practical approach looked at the following key areas:
- How customers are driving change in B2B marketing research findings and future trends
- Best practice in digital for the B2B market
- A look ahead
Stream 3 - Metrics you should have at your fingertips to understand your marketing effectiveness and defend your marketing budget
Deborah Robertson F IDM, Marketing & Sales Director, UK Online & Easynet connect
Marketers struggle to measure the elusive things they need to measure and often end up measuring the wrong things. Deborah looked at best practice ideas on measuring marketing effectiveness and gave examples of things that are difficult to measure (but important) - for example, sponsorship. The session examined the whole lead generation pipeline - what are the key metrics and how to measure them, while Deborah also discussed tone of language – how to describe desirable metrics and bring them to life.
Key learning outcomes:
- How and what to measure to retain and justify your budget
- How to position your achievements/progress to the board
- How to put a value on customer satisfaction
Stream 4 - Why B2B Marketers should engage with social media and how to do it!
Will McInnes, Managing Director, NixonMcInness
Buzzwords like Web 2.0 and social media are all very well but what do they really mean for the future of B2B marketing? The answer is 'Everything'! As clients become more educated, more savvy and carry out more and more exhaustive research on the Internet, how your brand is regarded, and what your customers, employees and competitors say about your B2B company online can make or break the share price, the sales pipeline and the company's fortunes. In this snappy, practical session, Will gave lots of practical examples on how B2B firms are breaking the mould and creating tangible, measurable results through digital social media.
Key learning outcomes:
- Key concepts applicable to B2B social media marketing
- Practical ways to pilot and begin social media efforts
- Clear overview of major risks and opportunities
- Rules of engagement: how to be a nice online citizen
- Credible case studies to persuade and inform colleagues and key stakeholders
SESSION 5:
James Farrar, Head of Marketing and eBusiness, Bank of Scotland Corporate and
Rolf Hickman, Managing Director, ph Group
Database analysis, segmentation and propensity modelling are elements which underpin the team’s activity, and ensure the focus is retained on results and business written without data, without insight and without making information available to the front line, the cost of success increases exponentially. The conference provided an insight into the success it can bring.
How a simple 4-letter change can transform the way you market your business
Rory Sutherland M IDM, President Elect, IPA and Vice Chairman,
Ogilvy UK
For years, Kotler's 4Ps were drilled into any marketer. Now a new idea from Ogilvy in London and New York suggests it's time for a rethink. And that, with just a few small typographical changes, B2B marketers can enjoy a new and more significant role in their business, and no longer think themselves as performing a less glamorous function than their B2C counterparts - in fact, quite the opposite.
Key Learning Outcomes:
- How you can discover and map out the full customer journey on your brand
- Why you should develop your knowledge of new media channels and try new things
- What it would mean to appreciate the value of things, not just the cost
- Where you can find the passion and emotion for your brand
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