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