teachthe4ps.com - teaching the 4 ps

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

BtoB Magazine’s “Best of 2009” issue has come out.  If you click on that link you will be connected to a page that shows all the categories — with subsequent links to the top three in each category.  Lots of great B2B examples for you there.

My favorite campaign is Cisco Systems “The Human Network Effect” which won for best Intergrated Campaign (over $200,000).  The campaign focuses on the Cisco’s video conferencing product and I think really demonstrates the value it can provide.  The original “Welcome to the Human Network” cannot be embedded because of copyright issues (but my link takes you to it on YouTube).   At YouTube you can find the Chinese (and several other language) versions of this ad — as well as many more from the campaign.  I have embedded the “I Will Survive” ad from the campaign below.

One nice thing about those category lists over in that right hand column — I can see areas that need more coverage — like B2B.  It is much easier to find articles about consumer marketing.  This blog post, “B2B Social Media Marketing: Branding or Lead Generation?” from the Modern B2B Marketing blog is a short post that looks at the changing buyer and evolving market trends with respect to media.  There is growing interest in social media among B2B firms.

This article (“Fertilizers on Wheels,” The Wall Street Journal, October 16, 2009, no subscription? click here) and short video (2:39, see below) describe the marketing strategies for two different firms selling fertilizer to farmers in rural India.   The video provides an interesting addition to class because it gives students a look at rural India.  The topics covered include selling to businesses, integrated marketing communications, and distribution – all in the international context of a developing country.  I showed this video in class after lecturing from our first promotion chapter.  I asked students to think about why I thought this reflected IMC and to note the different types of Promotion they observed.  A variety of different forms of promotion (even sales promotion) are demonstrated and can be tied to the AIDA model.

“H-P Wields Its Clout to Undercut PC Rivals,” The Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2009.  This relatively short article shows how a large PC manufacturer (HP) and a large mass-merchandiser (Wal-Mart) use their power to pressure suppliers to lower costs and deliver lower prices to consumers.  Great example of the channel captain concept we bring up in the first Place chapter in our books.

“Whirlpool Cleans Up Its Delivery Act,“ The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2009.  It can be tough to find good articles about distribution and logistics – it is even my research area and the few I find are usually pretty dry.  Even though this is a short article, it’s interesting to see that even a big name company like Whirlpool can find opportunities for significant savings and improved customer service in its distribution operations.