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None of us likes to receive telemarketing calls — much less talk about them in class.  But for B2B, it can be a cost-effective medium for seller and buyer.  Sometimes we need to be reminded of this and how to do it better (”A return to telemarketing in b-to-b,” B2B, March 1, 2010).

FedEx is targeting small businesses with a series of web parodies.  One commentator in the Wired article “TV Ad Powerhouse FedEx Woos Small Biz with Web Parodies” (FEbruary 26, 2010) wonders how well this will work.  I watched a couple of the 3 minute videos — they are kind of funny and educate customers on FedEx services at the same time (not an easy task).  They are modest budget productions and the media costs are zero.   The videos I saw had anywhere from 20,000 to more than 400,000 views.   At this point, the payback from the use of YouTube and other social media is hard to predict, but there is only one way to find out and that is through experimentation.

The video is a versatile example of many marketing concepts.   It is always nice to have clear, understandable B2B examples.  The video shows how FedEx tailors its strategy for the small business target market and could fit with chapter 2’s discussion of strategy planning and chapter 4’s coverage of segmentation and targeting.   The video might also be shown with a lecture on organizational buying, where we talk about service businesses.  Finally, it also fits with integrated marketing communications and advertising on the web.

As some of you may know, I have done a  fair amount of academic research on trust.  I believe that trust is a very important factor in marketing.  This article cites a recent study on trusted brands, “Study: Amazon.com is most trusted brand in U.S.” (CNET News, February 22, 2010).

Many of us are familiar with the old “Man in the Chair” ad (if not, link to the blog post first).  It does a nice job of demonstrating integrated marketing communications and how in business markets, advertising works in combination with personal selling.  I saw this post at Mac Macintosh’s Sales Lead Insights blog that brought this point back home to me (click on the ad in the blog to see if full size).   One of the comments on the blog post pointed me to this great presentation (see below) by Ralph Oliva at a Business Marketing Association event.  It is a bit long (5:41), but might make a nice video to show when discussing organizational buying — or for an example of IMC in the B2B context.  It updates the “Man in the Chair” ad — but also shows how the core marketing concepts have not changed.  To fully appreciate this, I suggest you check out the blog post first and click on the ad to see if full size.  Then watch the video below.

We have used webinars to promote our text books — and I think they work great.  The media is really easy to use and allows marketers to convey information in an interactive environment.  It is also a very efficient way for buyers and sellers in B2B to share information.  Many B2B sellers feel that “Webinars educate, drive brand awareness” (BtoB, January 18, 2010).  This article does not provide any particular company examples, but it certainly suggests the types of Promotion objectives that Webinars can help achieve.  So it provides some non-traditional examples you can use in discussing Promotion objectives.

This article in BtoB (January 21, 2010)  “Case study: How IT company increased response on U.K. e-mail campaign,” offers instructors several benefits.  While the article is short, it shows how an American firm had to adapt its communications approach to get a better response from UK buyers.  The case study includes the adaptations made in an e-mail campaign and the before and after click-through rate.  It is also a good example of the use of e-mail, an important component of the promotion blend in B2B.  Check it out.

While Facebook and Twitter garner much of the attention in consumer markets, I am not sure they have as prominent a place in B2B.  That is not to say the web has not made B2B more efficient, webinars are a valuable tool (we have used them as authors to connect with larger groups of instructors and tell them about our books).  I believe that many more firms will have webinars as a key part of the promotion blend.  Check out “Take the Leads with Webinars,” (BtoB, January 18, 2010) for more ideas.

Telemarketing tends to get a bad rap.  Yes, I have added myself to the “no call” list to keep my dinner hour undisturbed less disturbed.  But for B2B, well run telemarketing programs can be a key part of a strategy.  When the right customers are targeted, the business buyers are happy to talk to a supplier.  And for sellers, telemarketing (or inside sales) can be an efficient and effective method to generate leads for an outside sales force or close sales and service smaller customers.  This article, “Case Study:  Hewlett-Packard division uses outbound telemarketing for lead generation” (BtoB, January 4, 2010) provides an example of the success HP is having with such a program.

I like to show my students that B2B firms can be clever with their marketing as well.   So I was intrigued by this example of a successful viral campaign put together by a pipe company.  The viral video is shown below and you can link to an article with more information “Charlotte Pipe Goes to the Dogs,” (BtoB, September 14, 2009).

The campaign, created by Eric Mower & Associates, Syracuse, N.Y., includes print and online. It is aimed at engineers and building contractors that use cast iron pipes in drain, waste and ventilation systems. “Charlotte Pipe and Foundry is a conservative company. We have been in business for 108 years, and it is safe to say that the company has never produced an ad that even comes close to the concept behind “Rosco’,” said Brad Muller, VP-marketing at the Charlotte, N.C.-based manufacturer.

For several editions of our books we have been paying increased attention to the role of search in organizational buying and promotion strategy for B2B.  This December 4, 2009 post “5 Must-Read Tips for B2B Search Marketing” on the Online Marketing blog by Michelle Bowles builds on that trend and highlights some strategy