They Say They Want An Evolution:
Research indicates B2B marketers are in search of a better way to reach their goals
From ADV Magazine and ADVMag.com
By Rich Carango

Many B2B companies see marketing as a sales-support activity. They spend too much time promoting product and not enough time promoting company. One reason for this trend is that B2B marketing managers often have sales backgrounds, resulting in a belief that the marketing team is an extension of the sales force with a mission to generate leads. Another reason is that many decision-makers are more comfortable investing in product promotion – a practice they know and trust. Lack of familiarity has made them skeptical of the value of company promotion with image and positioning messages.

But now, according to a recent survey of more than 500 B2B marketing professionals in the Delaware Valley, this sales-support mindset is beginning to change. B2B marketers are starting to recognize that company promotion used in tandem with product promotion can help them achieve their goals faster and more efficiently. It’s a marketing evolution: an integration of both product and company promotion. And the bottom line? The right strategy for Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) can help B2B companies increase revenues and profit margins.

The Evolution
Research shows that B2B advertisers most highly value Creating Product Awareness, Building Company Image, and Generating Leads. The importance of product awareness and lead generation to B2B marketers is not surprising. What is shocking, however, is that 67% of survey respondents now value Building Company Image the most; Generating Leads takes a distant second with only 43%. In the past, generating qualified leads was the primary B2B marketing objective. This interest in building company image indicates a change in the sales/product-dominated marketing mindset to include company-oriented thinking.

"As a former sales rep, I’m good at promoting our products. But, when it comes to company promotion, that’s where our marketing breaks down. We need a few powerful ideas to jump-start a more balanced company-oriented marketing campaign," wrote one respondent. This marketing professional is not alone. More and more B2B companies are turning to agencies for help…58% of survey respondents ranked Proactive Contribution of Marketing Ideas as an extremely important agency service.

The Strategy
IMC has been around for years. However, it has often been inaccurately defined as "communicating one message through many different media (i.e., direct mail, PR, advertising, etc.)." A marketing program designed according to such guidelines lacks impact, because ONE message cannot appeal to all the different audiences that need to be reached.

We offer our clients a more thorough solution. A well-planned IMC program should not deliver just one message, but rather uses different media to communicate different types of messages to impact different audiences, satisfying different strategic objectives. These objectives include sales-support (promoting products features/benefits) and company promotion (creating a preferred brand, positioning a company as the market leader). The different messages are tailored to address the level of interest for each target audience – from the general needs of the widest, total market down to the specific needs of a hot prospect. Overall, these individual messages work together to project one consistent image of the company. In a word, integrated.

These messages work toward one common goal: becoming the market leader with the preferred brand. The rewards are increased revenues AND profits – achieved faster and more efficiently than with either a sales-support or company-promotion program alone. The power of IMC comes from the blending of the two. It is this power that is beginning to attract the attention of B2B marketing professionals.

Research shows that 70% of survey respondents agree on the need for integrated marketing programs that effectively combine sales-oriented strategy with marketing-oriented strategy. B2B marketers are seeing and believing how important it is to balance sales/product promotion with company/image promotion, having seen recent, highly-touted marketing successes by giants like IntelTM and Microsoft®.

Finally, B2B marketers have a better way to reach all of their goals – Integrated Marketing Communications. To put the power of IMC to work for you, keep up with the sales support but take a hard look at your company promotion. Ask yourself a few questions. Does your program tailor your marketing messages to your different target audiences? Do you send branding messages to your total market…and positioning messages to your market niche?

Done right, IMC serves as the roadmap to turn your program into a turbo-charged B2B marketing machine. So buckle up…when you’re moving at these speeds, the turns can be tricky.


© 1998 Rich Carango. All rights reserved Schubert Communications

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