Agencies That Mean Business:
Choosing the agency with the right focus for business-to-business companies
From ADV Magazine and ADVMag.com
By Joe Schubert

When choosing the right advertising agency for your business-to-business (B2B) company, it’s clearly a matter of focus. But, therein lies the problem: An agency’s focus is not always clear.

Depending on what account an agency is pitching, it may change its focus…and its story. For example, when meeting with a division of a car company, an agency might put on its consumer hat. Two days later, when talking to a software firm, the same agency might claim to specialize in B2B marketing communications. The trick is to do your homework before deciding which agency is right for you and your needs. Here are some points to consider:

Viva La Difference!
B2B and consumer marketing communications are two very different animals – with their own distinguishable spots and colors. Each type has different objectives, unique marketing problems, and vastly different audiences.

Consider these differences between B2B and consumer marketing. B2B buyers go through a long, complex sales cycle, involving multiple decision-makers. As a result, B2B marketers must communicate targeted messages to everyone – from the engineer doing the product specifications, to the CEO approving the final purchase decision. In contrast, consumer purchases are typically immediate, impulse buys and involve only one person.

B2B marketers must also reach smaller, specialized markets as opposed to consumer marketers whose job it is to appeal to an entire demographic. And the market values and attitudes? Again, they’re as different as dogs and dragonflies. B2B buyers have vastly different buying motivations, concerns, and needs than consumers. In fact, a purchase made by a B2B buyer can make or break a career. All in all, each kind of buyer demands a distinct approach.

Here are some other points to evaluate when comparing B2B and consumer agencies.

Creativity. Eclectic Calvin Klein ads. Outrageous Budweiser ads. Flashy Pepsi ads. These are the kinds of ads that have set creativity standards – and they are 100% consumer. As a result, many marketers believe they will receive better creative from consumer agencies. However, on a scale of 1 to 10, they rank glitz 10, content 0. Where’s the beef?

To see what’s best for you, consider what you want to accomplish. Will an emotional approach appeal to your buyers, or should the approach be purely technical? Do you want talking frogs or unique product benefits in action? Budweiser ads get a perfect 10 for glitz, but a 0 for content .

Creative B2B agencies specialize in delivering messages that impact both sides of the brain. Because B2B marketers have to appeal to a narrow audience of business buyers, their agencies are often required to produce creative that’s equally as dynamic and powerful as consumer agency creative, but more focused.

Cost. It’s a four-letter word for B2B marketers. However, consumer marketers usually have advertising budgets that are 10 times the size of their B2B counterparts. Compare a full-page, one-time ad placement cost in Good Housekeeping ($153,020) versus the equivalent in Chemical & Engineering News ($10,210). Some full-page B2B placements are as little as $2,000. In order for consumer marketers to protect their media investment, they devote large sums of money to production costs (including creative, design, photography, illustrations, copy, test runs, and market research).

Mammoth creative budgets allow consumer marketers to push production cost to the limit, running national and regional test ads and completing extensive market research projects. B2B marketers rarely find themselves in such a position. That’s why it’s important for them to find an agency that is able to produce high-quality work without the luxury of a high-end budget. By necessity, many B2B agencies are experienced at finding creative ways to work within budget constraints.

Remember, an agency without the money to burn is less likely to make costly, frivolous mistakes – especially if it understands the B2B buying cycle, budget restrictions, market, and objectives.

Communication. Clearly communicating technical material is one of the biggest challenges B2B marketers face when it comes to marketing communications. Their agencies must have the background knowledge to understand the unique phraseology, processes, and technologies so that they can communicate the information in clear, powerful, and interesting terms.

Many consumer agencies lack experience in this area. A good B2B agency, however, has skilled business communicators. It has seen many of the same terms and technologies before. As a result, it has the experience to extract the important information and use it to address the specific needs of the market.

Both B2B and consumer agencies require unique skills, experience, and knowledge to be successful. Consumer agencies do fabulous creative work – work that has made the advertising industry famous. But, it all boils down to focus. Think about it. B2B is a specialty marketing arena. Would you give a dog fish-food? We doubt it. Would you ask a doctor for legal advice? Of course not.

Published in ADV Magazine, a monthly publication for the marketing communications industry.


© 1998, Joe Schubert, All Rights Reserved.

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