Don’t space out
The people at NASA have our deep respect. They are extremely intelligent, truly dedicated and possess a remarkable vision for the future. Consider some of the milestones our space program can claim: Launched the first U.S. satellite Put the first American in space Landed the first humans on the moon Created reusable spacecrafts with the Space Shuttles Captured astonishing images with the Hubble Space Telescope Facilitated collaboration and exploration with the International Space Station Even when things are bleak, NASA finds a solution. The “successful failure” of Apollo 13 defined crisis management for generations to come. Which leads us to an almost unfathomable fact: NASA never trademarked their logo. How can that be? The
Created or generated
Going forward, all creative work will be separated into two categories: Either it is created or generated. How can we distill all creative down to such a clear distinction? After all, there are so many nuances to original human thinking and an infinite number of possibilities with AI produced work. The simple dividing line is this: Created If humans developed the work through their own imagination and experience, it is created. That applies even if the execution of the ideas were supported by AI tools. Generated Ads that are concepted, designed and written by AI are generated. That applies even if humans monitored the AI tools, including chatbots and image generators. How common is AI generated work?
The cat that killed a presentation
The following story is true. Ridiculous, but true. The big presentation day dawned golden with promise. In the quiet northern Ohio town, the agency team met in the hotel lobby before heading off to the famous industrial client. “Better go through one last check,” advised the CEO. “This is a big one, after all.” “Creative, are all the concepts tight? Good. It’s almost showtime.” “Media, are we ready with a bulletproof plan for every segment? Thought so. We’ll own this market.” “Account, do you have the budget estimated down to the last penny? Nice. We’re really buttoned up.” “IT, is the presentation loaded and ready to roll? Perfect
B2B budget nightmares
B2B marketers are common sense people. We like programs with structure, strategy, best practices, smart spending and measurable ROI. However, sometimes even solid B2B professionals lose their grip on reality. To prove the point, consider the following statistics from HubSpot: 95% of B2B marketers expect to increase their budgets this year 63% of B2B firms do not follow a formal marketing RFP process The first stat is fueled by dreams of success. The second one is a B2B budget nightmare waiting to happen. RFPs provide the structure B2B marketers crave and eliminate those sleepless nights worrying about the budget. However, there are some seasoned B2B professionals who have sworn off the RFP process altogether. We wanted
B2B bookmarks: 3 websites that are keepers
B2Btimesuck.com B2Brabbithole.com B2Bpurgatory.com Those URLs describe the vast majority of websites targeted to B2B marketers. They draw you in with the promise of valuable insights for your specific needs. Then, they abandon you among thinly disguised ads, broken links and content that hasn’t been refreshed in over a decade. As a public service to our B2B community, Boomm would like to share some of our favorite B2B marketing sites; ones that have actual value. All these sites post fresh content regularly on topics that B2B marketers are confronting daily. When they do mix in ads for services, they’re generally for webinars or training that is both legitimate and enlightening. Here are 3 B2B marketing sites that
B2B success in three words
Assets, insights, trust. Those three simple words hold the key to B2B success. It really is that basic: If you can provide your B2B agency with assets, insights and trust, you will get their best work in return and stay within budget. Why do these essentials matter so much to the end results? And why are they so often neglected in the client-agency relationship? Let’s consider the role of each one and find out. What they are Assets come in a myriad of forms, including brand guidelines, logos, image libraries, fonts, videos, websites, sales data, market research and any other elements that will help give structure to the agency’s thinking. Assets may also include
The Artie problem
His coworkers hated Artie, and for good reason. At first, everyone in the agency loved him because Artie seemed totally selfless. He only wanted to help get things done, and he was always hanging around, just in case. But over time, some disturbing traits started to surface: When Shelia the account manager would pause while expressing a thought, Artie would finish her sentences If Justin the strategist mentioned a challenge, Artie would offer vague suggestions that never reflected the nuances of the situation When Akira the art director was designing a web page, Artie always offered alternative options If Michelle the writer was crafting a white paper, Artie stubbornly tried to correct
The happy accident of B2B
You wanted to work on Nike. Or Coca-Cola. Or Apple. You wanted to create commercials with A-listers like Snoop Dogg, Tina Fey, Peyton Manning and Aubrey Plaza. And you wanted to win so many awards that those celebrities would ask for your autograph. Yes, once upon a time you wanted it all. That’s the allure of B2C. Then something inexplicable happened. You accidentally stumbled into B2B. At first, you wondered what went wrong. Instead of being a rising star on some famous B2C brand, you were stuck on an account with a microscopic budget
The age of brilliant stupidity
B2B marketing is more sophisticated, nuanced and global than ever. Campaigns can accurately pinpoint age groups, locations, industries, titles, behaviors and even specific companies. Messaging can be tested, modified and optimized with remarkable dexterity. New platforms are emerging constantly and B2B marketers are finding innovative ways to leverage them. And the potential for using AI seems unlimited. No doubt about it, this is the Golden Age of B2B marketing: a time of brilliant, predictable prosperity. Then, the results come in. Sales are down, engagement is weak, the C-Suite is angry and the customer base isn’t growing. It all seems inexplicable. Perhaps the hard reality is that we’re in the age of Brilliant Stupidity. Our