The outcomes at the Holmes Report 2017 North American SABRE Awards weren’t what we hoped. Our company was recognized in many ways: top five midsize agency to work for in North America, finalist for Corporate/B2B agency of the year, and national finalists for campaigns with Donate Life Ohio (Non-Profit Organization) and Highlights for Children (Branded […]
b2b
Look the Other Way
Five Tips for Customer-Centric Marketing
Upon reflection of the year in B2B marketing: 2016 version, it seems too many marketers have their backs turned toward their customers and prospects. Corporate marketing and communications teams are so focused on internal initiatives and processes that they’re missing opportunities based on prospects’ interests and actions. It’s time to start looking at the world […]
Staying Flexible for Change
Practical Planning Tips for B2B Marketers
Yellow school buses are picking up the neighborhood kids. Crowds start to fill high school stadiums on Friday evenings. And temperatures moderate from sizzling to simply warm. That’s right – it’s annual planning and budgeting season for marketers across the land.
Communicating With Technical Audiences
Eight Effective Ways to Engage With Engineers
Successful B2B agency professionals dig in to understand the client and what drives the client’s customer to purchase. Over the last 15 years I’ve experienced everything from tearing down a refrigeration compressor to pulling on a pair of boots and a hard hat for a tour on how cement is made. These hands-on experiences helped […]
What is Advocate Marketing?
A Cheat Sheet for B2B Marketers
The B2B buying cycle is long, competition is stiff and the stakes are high. So we as marketers often focus on lead generation and customer acquisition. We leverage automation, public relations, social media and the development of sales materials to bring prospects into our funnel and then nurture them until they are ready to buy. […]
Being a Mind Reader
Getting Inside the Minds of B2B Buyers and Giving Them What They Want on Social Media
Guess what? In this post you are going to learn how to become a mind reader. It’s actually quite easy – you start with a pocket watch and swing it back and forth. You must also say, “You are getting sleepy …” All kidding aside (sorry if you wanted to actually learn about mind reading), […]
Unlocking the Simplicity of Marketing Automation
10 Best Practices for Marketing Automation Technologists
Planning and implementing marketing automation programs can be complex – sometimes overwhelming. It’s hard to know everything you need to be doing; and it’s easy to question if what you are doing, you’re doing right. It’s not uncommon to end up with more questions than answers. But it’s important to remember that the power of […]
The Case of the Missing Sense of Humor
Tips to Add Emotion and Storytelling to Your B2B Communications
Imagine a guy named John who travels to his office from his suburban home every day. Along the way, he sees billboards, listens to the radio and maybe stops at his favorite coffee shop. He arrives at the office, checks his social media channels for updates and then enters the building, where he suddenly turns […]
What Influences Today’s B2B Buyer
Pass on the Studies and Get into the Field
The B2B buying process isn’t changing…said no one ever (or at least no one remotely plugged into today’s B2B world). The B2B buying world is completely different than it was just a few years ago. It is more competitive and the buyers themselves are more social, digitally savvy and have millions of pieces of content […]
Super Bowl 50: Making the Most Of A Big Opportunity
Viewpoints from Creative, Planning and Engagement
Carolina Panther fans may have been disappointed that they couldn’t “dab” as much as they would’ve wanted to during last night’s game, but today’s conversations around Super Bowl 50’s commercials and performances are far from disappointing. Yesterday, we saw a shift from last year’s Super Bowl, which used emotion and sentimentality, to a more comical and […]