The first IAB forum of the year, tackling a range of issues to illustrate how attendees could maximise their B2B digital strategy for 2009, was today hailed a glowing success, with standing room only at the IAB’s offices in Covent Garden.
Guy Phillipson, chief executive of IAB who concluded the forum with the last presentation of the day, commented on the success of the event: “B2B online marketing events are relatively rare, so perhaps it’s unsurprising that the IAB Forum was way oversubscribed. From advice on campaign planning and research, to online tactics for short and long sales cycles, and the growing importance of business and social networks, the B2B Forum had a packed and progressive agenda.”
At the event, the IAB’s B2B Council also launched B2B Marketing Online, the latest in the IAB’s Internet Marketing Handbook Series, with every delegate receiving a free hard copy. More information about the handbook will be available on the IAB website in the coming week.
Attract, convert and retain
The afternoon forum aimed to educate members in the skills they need to use internet advertising effectively to attract, convert and retain customers in the B2B sector. Joel Harrison, editor of B2B Marketing magazine, started things off, outlining some of the key issues currently facing the B2B industry.
A growing awareness of new techniques and technologies and an increased cynicism regarding traditional channels were key issues highlighted by Harrison. “Direct marketing is shifting in its role and we’ll see digital channels coming to the fore,” he argued.
An increased focus on ROI and measurement and a willingness to embrace new ways of working and engaging with audiences were also singled out by Harrison. As a result, Harrison foresees “a digital revolution” sweeping through the sector.
Digital revolution
According to Harrison, the cause of this digital revolution could be traced back to some key developments of 2008 – Google tightening its grip on SEM, blogging becoming more mainstream and social media coming onto the radar. The result finds digital as a mainstay of B2B marketing in 2009. Having said this, Harrison was keen to point out that digital B2B marketers should not ignore offline as the channel is still a crucial driver for feeding online.
“The evolution is gathering pace,” said Harrison. “This is no time to stand still.” There is of course a credit crunch happening – something none of us can ignore. But for Harrison this is not necessarily all bad. “Recession is forcing innovation,” he argued. “In that respect it’s a positive thing”.
Old formulas don’t work
Hanne Tuomisto-Inch, online communications director at Banner Corporation, was also not wary of discussing the implications of recession. Her presentation discussed the importance of positioning your brand as a thought leader, as a crucial tool to attract clients – something that, for Tuomisto-Inch, is more important now than ever before.
With Forrester Research suggesting that B2B marketing budgets are down by anything between 15 and 25 per cent, Tuomisto-Inch asked: “Is it time to be bold, to be different, to spread your ideas and innovate? Is it time to focus on thought leadership?”
According to Tuomisto-Inch, “It’s not about saying stuff louder and more often. This is the old marketing model. Old formulas don’t work in the digital world. What was missing was interaction, content and community. These are things we have to put into the B2B marketing models in 2009.”
The human network
Next up, Andrew Sibley, head of brand and advertising at Cisco Systems discussed the technology company’s global “Human Network” campaign.
Sibley described the 1990s as “the Internet era”. This has allowed for the development of a new way of connecting people. “When technology meets humanity on the human network,” said Sibley, “the way we work changes, the way we live changes – everything changes for the better. People are more connected, more informed, more involved.”
Plumbers of the Internet
Discussing Cisco’s specific marketing challenges, Sibley outlined the fact that there was a disparity between the technology company’s aspirations and its brand perception. Bill Gates once described technology companies as “the plumbers of the Internet”. Cisco on the other hand has a rather loftier view of its role and would argue that it “enables people to change the world”.
In an effort to change this perception, Cisco has developed a number of key techniques to drive engagement. The most advanced techniques can be complicated. One example – One Million Acts of Green – saw the development of a Canadian social network which focuses on green issues. In another example – for the Italian market – Cisco took five people with different backgrounds and housed them for five days in an eco-building in an attempt to celebrate the impact of the internet on our lives. The results were streamed on a variety of media platforms to communicate and demonstrate how the internet has changed our lives.
Not everything was complex however. One solution was very simple. “The first thing we’ve done in the last six months or so is use our homepage”, said Sibley. “Until recently it was almost like a technical spec sheet. Now we are using it as a focal point for our marketing”.
In summary, Sibley argued that Web 2.0 is here to stay and that the lines are blurring more than ever before. As a result he urged attendees to strive to discover all that’s possible on the internet to ensure success in the years to come.
Standing room only
Summing up the day’s events, Jack Wallington senior programmes manager at the IAB, explained: “With standing room only our first IAB forum of the year, a tour-de-force of B2B marketing in the current economy, was certainly successful in packing the room. Coordinated by our B2B Council, the in-depth content was also successful in covering every step of the business cycle. It was a fantastic celebration of the amazing talent and creativity in the often misrepresented B2B sector.”
