The idea of creativity in business has been swirling around in my mind. The current economic conditions are driving our customers to think more about WHAT they sell - what are the top products, what else could we sell to existing customers, etc. Trouble is, that thinking really only operates from an internal perspective.  It's much better to ask why customers buy, how & where they do this, what are their expectations of the service wraparound, etc. In essence, you need to think creatively, albeit Inside the Box of your chosen business environment. Isn't this obvious?Now I know this sounds...

My friends say I’m odd. It’s unusual, they say, to become animated when talking about business. It was with a resigned sigh that they accepted my invitation for an ‘end of recession’ drink. There was also grumbling at the last minute nature of the invite. A sensible precaution I thought. The October celebration was hastily repositioned as a commiseration drink when figures failed to back up economists’ estimates of an early exit from recession. I suspect you are also starting to think I’m a little odd so I’ll cut to the chase. At this celebration I was asked: Can a...

By Maxine-Laurie Marshall, editorial assistant, B2B Marketing My observation of B2B marketing in the brief time I have been working in the industry is that it’s comparable to Germanic tourists. B2B marketing is practical, efficient, and quite happy strolling around London in walking boots, and equally practical yet aesthetically displeasing jackets (well it could rain at any time, then who will have the last laugh). Creativity in B2B and avoiding clichés is something some agencies pride themselves on, but is it really necessary? Is there anything wrong with being practical yet slightly unfashionable? B2B seems to be based around needs rather...

I couldn't resist a dig. Lord Heseltine (nicknamed Tarzan) spoke brilliantly and masterfully at the Gyro HSR 'Brand versus Demand' event on Tuesday 23rd, but for me there was a certain irony to his appearance.Here was a man whose company Haymarket Publishing is largely B2B in focus but through its individual publications (think Campaign and Marketing) had arguably done more to sideline and marginalise B2B Marketing than anyone else in the UK over the past 20 years.If you'd read those august titles (and fine publications they are, I genuinely believe) you'd think B2B did not exist. And despite the mass...

Spent Tuesday at a CBI Council meeting.  As always, fascinating to listen to how a wide variety of companies are dealing with the world as we know it.  The good news for agencies is that service businesses in the main came out well – perhaps because they are more agile and able to adapt their services to what’s needed in the current marketplace.  So law and accountancy firms are seeing a reduction in contract briefs but an increase in resolution or winding up orders.  All sounds a bit ambulance chasing but it means that they’re still in business, still employing people...

By guest blogger Tim Hazelhurst, non-executive chairman, IAS b2b Marketing    As we enter the festivity period and we worry whether our post will be delivered or if we can fly for our Christmas break with BA. And the national debt and forthcoming cuts in the quality of our life weigh heavily on our shoulders And it would be easy to pessimistic about everything, consider this.......... A few days ago I came down to London to attend a CIM conference and the annual B2B Marketing/ABBA Christmas bash. I also took the opportunity to pop in on my youngest daughter Sophie who is working in...

By Anna Goldie, online editor The time of year is upon us when some of us start thinking about our New Year’s resolutions and I want to hear about yours. No, I don’t want to hear about you resolving not to clean your finger nails with your pen lid anymore or finally admitting that you are more than a social smoker. I want to hear about the resolutions that are really important in 2010— the ones about the world of B2B marketing. Maybe you have learnt a valuable lesson in 2009 that you are determined to put into practice in...

I don’t think I’m the only one aware that as we turn out of recession there seems to be a forgetfulness of what went before.  I’m not talking about remembering or returning to the so called ‘good old days’ of extravagant marketing budgets, but memories seem remarkably short when it comes to recalling and putting back into action marketing that actually worked, and worked well.In some sectors, marketing was cut right across the board whether it was successful or not.  Yet, as many businesses pulled down the barricades and reduced marketing spend at the start of the recession, others beefed...

...OR: Social media experiment number 34: Crowdsourcing Regular readers will have noted our ongoing social media experiments – I figure that it’s a whole new world, and if we can publicly trial these new techniques and tools then it might be of some benefits to readers. Hopefully you’ve already joined the LinkedIn Group and viewed our videos on Youtube. The latest experiment comes on the back of Scot McKee’s last blog, which was on the subject of crowdsourcing, and follows the question which I find myself desperately trying to answer this time each year: “what the hell are we going...

I was just on our B2B Marketing LinkedIn Group (a plug already!) and I read a response to a question I have heard a lot lately. “Where do I put my marketing spend in 2010?” Do I keep a good mix or bin traditional marketing in favour of digital, as it’s cheaper. The thing is, in today’s market I think this general talk of shifting away from traditional spend to digital is already outdated. “Digital” is not new anymore, I know we’re not yet hanging out with Star Trek's Captain Picard but come on; we’re online most of the day...