Using Scenarios in B2B Marketing planning
Some perceive the B2B marketing planning process to be flawed and a waste of resources, perhaps rightly so. In this post we consider the traditional planning process, some of its major flaws and one possible solution. The Traditional Marketing Planning Process There...
read moreHow To Identify Ideal Target Customers
The time taken to identify ideal target customers in B2B markets is rarely wasted. It can be all too easy for a sales department to lack focus and to chase the easy target, the ones the competitors chase, or those always open for a visit. It is important to focus...
read moreWhat Type Of B2B Marketer Does Your Business Need?
Marketing, when implemented properly, can be the growth engine for your business but putting the right marketing person or team in place is crucial to success. There are generally two types of B2B marketers. It is important to consider which style of marketer your...
read moreBusiness Mentoring And Coaching – What Is The Difference?
Many find it difficult to identify the difference between business mentoring and coaching. To some the two terms are interchangeable. Given the many definitions of mentoring and coaching this confusion is understandable. This post attempts to define the key...
read moreGenerating Creative New Product Ideas – B2B Markets
In many B2B markets what was once a unique product or service is soon copied, often by low cost producers, making it a commodity and driving down the price. The challenge then is generating creative new product ideas on an ongoing basis. However, there is a problem...
read moreFocus On The Key B2B Marketing Strategy And Planning Issues
The lack of an effective B2B marketing strategy can result in lost opportunities and a long term decline in business. Without the market analysis that is a key pillar of any strategic process market changes can catch a business unawares with potentially catastrophic...
read moreThe Value Of Customer Input To Your New Product Idea Process
Asking your most important customers what new products on solutions would be of benefit to them may seem to be a logical approach to your new product idea process but there is a problem Steve Jobs said: A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show...
read moreAddressing The Complexity Of B2B Marketing
Many issues add to the complexity of B2B marketing. They include the project driven nature of many B2B markets and servicing the needs of a large decision making team. This post offers some guidance on how an appropriate content marketing strategy can address these...
read moreIs It Really Possible To Measure Marketing ROI
In an increasingly competitive B2B marketplace every department must prove its contribution. Manufacturing output is relatively easy to measure, as is the contribution of the sales department but what about the marketing department? Is it possible to measure marketing...
read moreAn Integrated B2B Marketing Campaign Vs The Ad Hoc Approach
It may come as a surprise but spending money on ad hoc marketing in a short term push to make the year-end sales figures is unlikely to succeed. Following the latest and greatest marketing trend just because everyone seems to be doing it is often not the best idea....
read moreA B2B Market Analysis Template
When building a B2B strategic marketing plan for any business an in depth market analysis is of vital importance. Without analysis the resulting plan is likely to be of little practical use resulting in significant wasted resources on a document that simply sits on a...
read moreB2B Market Penetration Strategies
In B2B markets growth tends to be based on either new product introduction or attacking new markets. In this post we cover how to execute a new market penetration strategy with the aid of a case study. Successful new market penetration depends on the nature of the...
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