Lots of B-to-B activity coming up

By Ralph Oliva | Published: January 18, 2010

As the new year/new decade gets underway it would seem as if things are looking better.  Across Member firms the buying/ M&A frenzy seems to be dying down a bit and the integration process is moving forward. For many we’re hearing that the worst seems to be over and that things are flat ( now a real achievement) to up a bit (in today’s world amazing).

At ISBM we’re looking forward to:

Our New Offering realization Consotium Meeting February 11 at Kellogg — see :

 http://isbm.smeal.psu.edu/professional-development/isbm-new-offering-realization-consortium

and our Members Meeting on Social Medai and B-to-B coming up March 2-3, see:

http://isbm.smeal.psu.edu/professional-development/isbm-winter-members-meeting

The ISBM Trends 2012 study is just out of the field –be looking for  results soon!

Keep on pulling for the economy — and spenmt a moment today reflecting on the many Contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King…

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Getting back in: Reflections On 2009

By Ralph Oliva | Published: December 17, 2009

Well it’s been busy fourth-quarter here in happy Valley, and it’s time for me to get back into the blogosphere, and reflect on some of the trends we’re seeing in our practice, as well as some interesting new insights.

 We’re at work right now finalizing the ISBM “trends 2012″ study, which is pointing to some very interesting ideas on challenges will face and capabilities we will need to build as we move on into a new decade.  First results indicate that the primary thing we as business marketers must focus on is redirecting our role to be seen clearly as the drivers of organic growth: spotting opportunities, assessing them, and bringing them to our firm aggressively.  And tying the results of our marketing efforts and emphatically to cash flow and asset value – in language that our CFOs and CEO’s understand, and appreciate.

 Just finished reviewing a very interesting paper from researchers here at Penn State on “Referral Equity and Referral Management: The Supplier Firms Perspective.”  Some powerful insights on the whole business of referrals, their impact, the equity they create, and how to better mobilize them.  I can’t help but triangulate the research results with the unfolding of social media and all things “Web 2.0″.

 And speaking of Web 2.0,  we have been hard at work to setting up the next ISBM members meeting — coming up March 2 – 3 2010 in Houston.  We’ve been very fortunate who’s accepted our invitation to speak, and reflect on the whole business of “Social Media and B-to-B: What’s Working , What Isn’t, And What’s Next.”

 Finally, in all candor to all my friends out there, I’m looking for this year to wind down.  It’s been a busy year, not without a lot of waves in the water, but all in all most of us made it through okay.  Anyone choosing to read this, my very best wishes for a peaceful, restful, and healthy holiday season and a happy and prosperous new year.

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An update — new stuff in B-to-B

By Ralph Oliva | Published: October 17, 2009

Hello!

 

Been a while since I’ve updated of the blog — lots going on in business-to-business.

 

First of all, Gary Slack has shared with me some very exciting stuff about the relaunch of Xiameter.  What a great job he and his team have done, and xiameter still seems to be setting the way on alternative channels to market.

 

Recently attended a great session at the Gallup organization on customer engagement — and the importance of customer engagement as we move forward into “the new normal” coming our way is 2010 unfolds.

 

Also had the chance to intend a great symposium on energy sustainability and water sustainability at CSIS in Washington, DC.  A panel of very prestigious speakers.  Unfortunately they presented a future that is sort of dismal — it still seems as if most of our power will be coming from coal as we move on in the near future, primarily because we continue to apply ancient technologies toward the problem.

 

My own view is that only a tiny fraction of what’s needed is being spent on research to create possible new sources of energy.  It seems as if were throwing spitballs at a huge problem.

 

Meanwhile getting ready for class tomorrow — starting up on strategic brand management, and essentially finishing my experiment (which sort of failed) having MBA students work together with undergrads on campaign planning.  This didn’t seem to work out at all, and by mutual agreement will probably have a parting of the ways on this.

 

We’ll try to get into the groove on getting back into the blog as we move toward our “grand opening.”

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Real Imagination in Creating B-to-B buzz

By Ralph Oliva | Published: September 23, 2009

Just finished laughing out loud, and smiling at the imagination in this B-to-B campaign from EMA –sent to my by the grand B-to-B master John Favalo:

Don’t miss seeing this.

 

Hello Piasano,

 

Happy days in Happy Valley, especially after you kicked the butts off my Orangemen.  Regardless of that transgression, I hope you and ISBM are very well.  I’m working hard up here in CNY.  And speaking of working hard…

 

I don’t often send around EMA stuff, but this: Charlotte Pipe goes to dogs :: BtoB Magazine  is too neat to not.  It’s not only an example of how to leverage an industry issue, in this case sub-standard, offshore knockoff products, but it’s also exemplary of how to differentiate and build interest in a commodity product – what could be more of a commodity than plumber’s pipe!  Even if you don’t read the case study, click on the video – it’s a hoot and I  thought you’d get a kick out of seeing it.

 

The video started off viral and is backed up by print, online, social posts and telephone.  It never ceases to draw chuckles from people who see it – great for building connections.  More importantly, 40% of viewers go to Charlotte Pipe’s website – great for building conversations and business.  Lots of people ask me to explain “Talk Human”…in the future maybe I’ll just run this.

 

Best,

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Food for B2B Marketing Thought

By Ralph Oliva | Published: September 16, 2009

Lots of action this week, both in class and outside of class together with member firms.  I believe that firms are starting to get serious about investing in giving their employees the sharpest tools for navigating not only does downturn — but the upturn that will follow.  We’ll see…

 Some quotable quotes from Gary Lilien from our B2B marketing class.

 One he attributed to Mohan Sawhney particularly struck me:

 ”If you divisions are named for your technologies, it’s hard to be market oriented…”

 Interesting how we see this issue unfolding across member firms, as one reorganization after another is driven by the current economy.

 ”Don’t let a good crisis go to waste…”

 Quite a few ISBM member firms are putting that into action.

 “Segmentation is an investment, whose return is higher efficiency, greater marketing effectiveness, lower marketing costs, better prices.  It’s finding the right customers for your firm — and focusing on them…”

 “Never name your segments.  They become “pets”.  You’ll fall in love with them, and won’t be able to kill or abandon them when you need to…”

 Interesting food for thought.

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Tweets now a part of any “event”

By Ralph Oliva | Published: September 13, 2009

Interesting to watch the VMA awards and see how much time they spend on the tweet stream — a way for people to particiapte as well as critique and vote at the same time.  Could change event marketing in some interesting ways.

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The basics coming back

By Ralph Oliva | Published: September 9, 2009

Signs of spring seem to be coming as fall approaches. 

Quit a few of our Members are in contact with us in discussion of bringing stronger basics of marketing back to the firm with more defined process and skills development…

It could very well be that we’re seeing the beginning of an important trend in seeking topline organic growth in more balance with cutting cost throught the downturn.

We’re ready here at ISBM — Spring or fall.

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Dn’t just learn Value -Teach Value

By Ralph Oliva | Published: September 3, 2009

Lots going on as the semester gets underway here.  It’s very interesting to mix in insights from connections with our ISBM members into our business-to-business marketing class for the second-year MBAs here on campus.  It’s so fun.  The MBA class enables us to reflect on things we see in practice — and from our research — with such fresh eyes.

 For example: it’s not just necessary to learn the business of value-based pricing, and how to communicate through the sales force.  You need to develop the tools, techniques, and approaches together with the sales force.  And — once they’re developed — you need to be able to teach it.  Not just know it, teach it. That requires a whole new set of tools and practice.  Interesting to see the challenge in that reflected through the eyes of our great students.

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Members Focusing on VOC

By Ralph Oliva | Published: September 1, 2009

It seems as I travel to Member firms more and more of them are trying to move toward a stronger practice in Voice of the Customer. Would love to know if more of you are doing this.

From the ISBM Members meeting the week before last –this surfaced as “The Competency you most want to have” in navigating a down market…Abbie Griffin’s presentation provided a lot of insight in how to do this better. See www.isbm.org.

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News from the ISBM 09 Members Meeting

By Ralph Oliva | Published: August 28, 2009

A quick update to those of you who may be following this blog — sorry for the delay in getting a new post up.

 

Our ISBM members meeting for August 09 was last week, and I’m especially thankful for the 130 people who attended, and the speakers who shared so much insight with us.

 

Steve Ligouri from GE share insights on how GE is building stronger marketing process, building on their CECOR process to a stronger value driven marketing process.

 

Abbie Griffin and provided detail on how to do a better job on “Voice of the Customer”, and suggested that in these times a suite of tools rather than any one particular tool needs to be applied.

 

Don Scheibenreif from Granger shared insights on how to stay focused on a solution selling approach — while walking the “tightrope” of a market constantly shoving the MRO products and services Granger provides towards commoditization and pure price discussions.

 

Tom Nagle from the strategic pricing group gave us some very interesting hints — and specific suggestions — how to navigate price in today’s markets.  In fact for anyone who would like one, he has provided us a paper summarizing his talk which we will be making broadly available — if anyone would like an advance copy just send me an e-mail.

 

Roger Best is at it again — producing tools to help us do our jobs better.  His “Marketing Metrics Handbook” is available at an extra special price to all ISBM members, and enables you to create an interactive environment which can help firms take an immediate step toward building a dashboard for their marketing efforts.

 

Prabha Sinha from ZS Associates gave us some “down and dirty” approaches to connecting marketing and sales better through the current sorts of economic challenges we face.

 

Sue Sears from Kimberly-Clark — an inspiration — talked about how she is equipping preparing and motivating her team to get price, and continue to position their products in a unique way in today’s markets.  She brought her “Marketing Rock Stars” with her, and we were very glad to have them here with us.

 

Peter Krieg, from Copernicus consulting, gave us insights on how to focus on “the pointy end of the funnel” in today’s markets, and apply analytics to find white space, and better reposition your offering.

 

Finally, Ed O’Boyle, of Gallup organization, discussed the impact of relationships in sustaining firms through tough times, and shared with us some downstream data — very valuable — on what’s going on in the economy, and what we can expect over the next few quarters.

 

Note that our ISBM members meeting will be summarized on our website — www.ISBM.org, soon.  If anyone wants any additional insights — or needs them immediately, please feel free to contact me directly at ISBM.

 

On the road this week with very interesting visits to Lord Corporation, Wesco Distribution, and Kennametal.

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