International expansion is attractive as it compensates for the limited number of buyers in any one country. This is now the case more than ever. Caution is key though; the rewards may be great but so are the risks.At home, you’re aware of what matters most to buyers. Many international expansion strategies fail because there is an assumption that the same received wisdom holds true abroad. Before entering a new market thorough research is essential. The good news is that only a relatively small budget, an internet connection and some curiosity is needed. Economic, trade and population statistics can be...

We recently asked readers to pose their research questions on the B2B Marketing LinkedIn group. One question came back more than once. “In a B2B context how can I ensure a survey is reliable?” Reliability boils down to whether the right questions have been asked to enough of the right people. Survey questions need to be unambiguous, unbiased and asked in an objective format. Beware the following: • The ‘double barrelled’ question including two mutually exclusive items, e.g. ‘How satisfied are you with quality and speed of response?’• The leading question containing implicit assumptions, e.g. ‘How much do you expect...

This month sees two milestones; a new year and the first anniversary of this column so what better time for a bit of re-invention. This column should be relevant to the issues you face and those you’re curious about. It should also ideally be a discussion, so here’s the idea. Each month I’ll create a thread on the B2B Marketing LinkedIn group where you can post a specific research dilemma, general question or any interesting observations. One or some of these comments will then form the focus for the column and hopefully subsequent discussion on the B2B Marketing Blog. To...

It’s now back to reality after a fantastic Christmas and New Year break, the latter part of which was spent with friends skiing in the French Alps.  Don’t worry, the irony of returning to the UK in the midst of the most extensive snow fall for decades was not lost on me! That said the skiing was great and the company excellent. I went with a group of friends, a couple of whom are business owners. One of whom had organised the accommodation (yes all sourced and booked online), and very nice it was too, but knowing him as I do,...

Leaving just one customer dissatisfied could damage your brand's reputation more than you might think I used to drive BMWs. It's reasonable to say I was your archetypal BMW 'brand evangelist.' I walked into a BMW showroom a couple of months ago and tried to buy a new one. I was ready to pay the cash equivalent of a small neighbourhood in certain parts of Manchester, but the salesman just wanted me to have a test drive. I had no need of testing, so I left. No big deal. But then the 'tapakata, pakata' noise started, swiftly accompanied by coloured...

These days, consumers have more choice than ever before, through more diverse channels - from storefront to mail order to online. Expectation is higher than ever. Companies that fail to live up to that expectation find customers leaving without comment - the majority of dissatisfied customers will not complain, they will simply change suppliers. Those businesses that introduce an exceptional level of customer service are differentiating themselves from the competition in an increasingly saturated marketplace. Which is why it is so surprising that business, to a large extent, is still failing to address the issue of customer service. According to...

Our heartbeat quickens, our pulse races, our palms and brow sweat a little… that’s the change we experience when we’re buying a new car. According to Ian Armstrong, manager of customer communications at Honda UK, the science of car buying is every bit as important as the art. Ian was the guest speaker at a recent ‘Brand on the Run’ event, and I was interested to speak to him about the day-to-day marketing activities that happen behind the scenes of the more glamorous Honda TV advertising. I think Honda has been delivering great television advertising for years now. They’ve had...

The last 12 months have been defined by change. The foundations of our economic system are slowly being rebuilt, political power is shifting and accountability has become the keyword in all walks of life. The field of B2B marketing is no exception to this zeitgeist. Our change is based on the recognition that in economically difficult times the business goal becomes short-term survival – simply holding on until the sun shines again. For many this means a change of focus from strategic to shorter-term, tactical activity.So how does this relate to market research? Well, research is often seen as a...

Corporate hospitality. Is it going to flourish as companies try to secure the loyalty of their clients in the face of difficult economic conditions, or is it going to die as budgets are cut and redirected to the tried, tested and instantly measurable? I’ve never really been big on corporate hospitality. I don’t have the slightest idea how cricket works. I have a similar problem with the ‘Corporate Golf Days’. So either I’m not personable enough to be invited on corporate hospitality days or I avoid them because they get in the way of getting on with it. But that’s...

Let’s be frank, building customer loyalty and gaining share of wallet are strategic imperatives for all businesses. Most marketers should be very aware that research highlights that an increase in customer retention by only five per cent can lead to a significant uplift in profitability. Combined with the fact that acquiring a new customer is five to 10 times more costly than retaining an existing one, it is no surprise that many companies are desperately looking into retention strategies. The challenge lies in combining excellent retention activity while maintaining acquisition activity – fundamental for long term business survival.To achieve this,...