Features

• DATA: One marketer's recession is another's profit

  Successful marketing during a fragile economy relies on quality rather than quantity to help a business adapt and thrive, reveals Max Firth, client director for PH Group

• ANALYSIS: Lead generation gets a facelift

  A radical new model of lead generation has just been unveiled. Maxine-Laurie Marshall investigates B2Group's SME Census and what it means for others in the market

• ANALYSIS: Is B2B data finally going digital?

  Are online data providers the way forward when it comes to sourcing relevant, up-to-date marketing information? Alex Blyth reports

• DATA: Do you want fries with that?

  Maximising opportunities from within your client base, with the help of effective cross-selling and up-selling techniques, has never been more important, says Max Firth, client director of PH

• DATA Q&A: Do social media and data mix?

  Can social media act as an effective tool for data enhancement and cleansing? If so, how should this process be conducted?

• DATA: Once a failure, always a failure?

  Max Firth, client director for PH Group, explains why tailoring your approach to pre-screened data can lead to optimal success

• BOOK REVIEW: 'Herd: How to change mass behaviour by harnessing our true nature'

  Reviewed by Paul Godwin, planning director, Positive ThinkingPublished by John Wiley & Sons

• DATA: Avoid the false economy

  Whether business is sailing or sinking, history has shown that abandoning the marketing ship is never a good move, says Max Firth, client director, PH Group

• DATA: Model behaviour

  Max Firth, client director for PH, explains customised propensity modelling and how B2B marketers could benefit from it

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Are directories on the list?

  Are directories still relevant in today's digital world? Brett Mathews examines how one of the oldest B2B channels is evolving

• DATA: Business on red alert

  Howard Lewis, head of sales for B2B Marketing at Experian, explains why it's more important than ever to target the right prospects

• DATA: Root and branch marketing

  Max Firth, client services director at PH Group, looks at how data insight can demonstrate the true value –or otherwise – of a branch network

• SOCIAL MEDIA: 'Inside-out' versus 'outside-in' marketing

  Howard Lewis, head of B2B sales at Experian, considers the 'inside-out' versus 'outside-in' marketing debate and looks whether a truce between the two is the way forward

• DATA FOCUS: Making a splash with data pooling

  Arguably the biggest problem with B2B marketing is data – or the lack of it. There are two key problems – new data is difficult to acquire, and companies struggle to manage and maintain the data that they already have. Alex Blyth examines data pooling; how it is changing and what opportunities it creates for B2B marketers

• SOCIAL MEDIA: Social CRM - The next big thing in social media?

  How can B2B marketers stay ahead of the game in social media? Tom Chapman, social media strategist at Headstream, explains why the next focus should be on 'social' CRM.

• DATA FOCUS: Bringing fresh data to the masses

  Nick Frazer, general manager for business marketing at Experian, takes a look at how developments in B2B data delivery can bring data analytics to a new audience

• DATA FOCUS: Data reveals the true impact of the credit crunch on SMEs

  Rolf Hickmann, managing director of PH, takes a look at how data insight can help small businesses through the credit crunch

• DATA FOCUS: Segmentation and the Net Promoter Score

  Martin Green, vice president EMEA at Net Promoter company Satmetrix, provides some practical advice on how to build revenue by segmenting according to customer loyalty

• DATA FOCUS: A cycle for customer retention

  Nick Frazer, general manager for business marketing at Experian, looks at the steps businesses can take to fix their customer retention issues

• DATA FOCUS: Micro marketing to micro-businesses

  Nick Frazer, general manager for business marketing at Experian Business Information, looks at how to effectively target small business owners

• DIGITAL MARKETING: Webcasting for lead generation

  Webinars or webcasts are increasingly being used for lead generation, to raise the profile of a business and to help brands engage directly with their target audience. Brett Mathews reports

• DATA FOCUS: Get your data in shape for the new year

  Nick Frazer, general manager for business marketing at Experian Business Information, highlights the importance of the data health check

• TECHNOLOGY: Professional Edition briefing by Astragy

  A review of data platform Professional edition and a look at how it could save you time and money spent gathering raw data

• DATA FOCUS: Getting up close and personal

  Closed-loop marketing could be a solution for businesses in turbulent times, says Nick Frazer, general manager for business marketing at Experian Business Information

• DATA FOCUS: Emarketing- marketers folly or dream solution?

  Nick Frazer, general manager for business marketing at Experian, outlines five pivotal areas B2B marketers should hone in on to effectively implement email in a DM campaign

• DATA FOCUS: Propensity modelling - It's not just what you know...

  Rolf Hickmann, MD of PH, shows how learning what you don't know about your customers through propensity modelling can increase customer retention and maximise ROI

• DATA FOCUS: Blurring the divide between B2B and B2C

  Rolf Hickmann, MD of PH, looks at the role blended data can play in helping you forge closer relationships with your customers

• DATA FOCUS: Preventing data loss

  Since last year's HMRC data loss scandal, awareness over the importance of keeping customer information safe has been dramatically heightened. So what are the implications for B2B practitioners? Claire Weekes reports

• DATA FOCUS: Blended data

  Rolf Hickmann, MD of PH, considers why blended data is finally being recognised as a true competitor to more traditional sources

• DATA FOCUS: Data planning

  You wouldn't launch a marketing campaign without going through the planning stages, so why should data be any different? If you struggle to give data planning the attention it deserves, read on for a step-by-step guide on how to properly plan your data management. By Sara Goodwins

• DATA FOCUS: Combined data universe files

  Limited sources of B2B data has meant that companies often struggle to find fresh contacts. Since the launch of the first blended database in 1994, more and more data companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Alex Blyth investigates the benefits a ‘data multiverse' can bring to your marketing

• DATA FOCUS: Marketing through the credit crunch

  Nick Frazer, head of B2B marketing at Experian, says the credit crunch must focus marketers' minds on intelligent use of data to improve their marketing strategies

• ANALYSIS: What's the future for data bureaux?

  Data bureaux have always been important for B2B marketers, yet recent shifts in the marketplace mean data buyers now demand more from them than ever before. Sara Goodwins reports on how they have evolved to rise to the challenge

• DATA FOCUS: Credit checked marketing data

  With marketers placing customer response higher on their list of priorities than reducing bad debt, credit data often gets neglected. Sara Goodwins calls for more attention to be brought to the underestimated value of pre-vetting data

• DATA FOCUS: Data capture

  No one needs reminding that informed decision making is central to the conduct of good business. But with a distinct lack of recorded information on key influencers, it can be difficult to market effectively to them. Sara Goodwins considers how businesses can avoid this and develop their own methods of data capture

• DATA FEATURE: Global data

  Globalisation means that an increasing number of companies are looking to market their products and services overseas. However, this isn't always a straightforward process. Sara Goodwins offers advice on the best way of sourcing reliable business data from European countries

• DATA FEATURE: Marketing to SMEs

  There is huge potential in marketing to SMEs, which make up a significant proportion of the UK economy. However, accurate information about such companies can be hard to uncover. Sara Goodwins offers advice on sourcing the right data on SMEs in order to make the most of this untapped market

• DATA FOCUS: Customer insight

  Professor Merlin Stone examines how customer insight can be truly enlightening

• DATA FOCUS: Up close and personal - data analytics

  Data analytics has been largely ignored by B2B marketers, but examining your customer base enables better targeted campaigns and tailored offerings. So is it time businesses started looking seriously at this area? Alex Blyth reports

• DATA FOCUS: Outsourcing - In or out?

  Outsourcing may be an effective way to assist companies that struggle to manage their database effectively internally; so when should a company outsource and how does it compare against inhouse data management? Sara Goodwins reports

• DATA FOCUS: Building a database

  Catherine Chetwynd offers a step-by-step guide for building and maintaining a consistent and clean customer database

• TECHNOLOGY: Address management software

  Up-to-date business addresses are vital for B2B direct mail, but ever-changing data means they're hard to maintain. Address management software is said to solve this problem. How does it work and what potential does it have for businesses? Alex Blyth reports

• TECHNOLOGY: Combining sales and marketing

  Fractious working relationships between sales and marketing departments is a perpetual problem; one that can cause significant damage to a business' overall productivity. New technology, however, claims to be able to combat this issue. Alex Blyth reports

• DATA FOCUS: Choosing B2B data

  Data bureaux have the potential to be beneficial assets in managing B2B data. However, they must be chosen with careful consideration, so what should businesses look for? Catherine Chetwynd investigates

• DATA FOCUS: B2B is failing the credit check

  The potential to cut costs from database marketing through utilising credit-ready data is being ignored by B2B marketers, according to new research by B2B Marketing and Experian

• DATA FOCUS: Creditable mailings

  A range of credit checking services are now available, allowing B2B marketers to cut costs by removing 'unsuitable' companies from their mailings. But how do they work? And what has uptake been like? Catherine Chetwynd reports

• TECHNOLOGY: Planning campaign management

  Planning and managing campaigns can be a complex and exhaustive task for marketers. Can the use of a project management system help to take out the stress and ultimately improve the success of a campaign? Ian Sclater investigates

• DATA FOCUS: Data suppression

  Data suppression is widely used in consumer marketing for eliminating waste and saving money in larger DM campaigns. However, B2B has been slower to utilise it. Can it provide similar benefits? Sara Goodwins investigates

• DATA FOCUS: List brokers - data navigators

  Over 10,000 B2B and B2C lists are available commercially in the UK, with thousands more globally. Navigating around these lists to select the best data can be both daunting and time-consuming. List brokers are the experts who can steer you through the maze of options. Sara Goodwins reports

• DATA FOCUS: Managed data - Selling to the converted

  Looking for a list of contacts who have already demonstrated an interest in the sort of things you're selling? Try using managed data; the success rates are high. Sara Goodwins reports

• DATA FOCUS: Avoiding data decay

  Business data decays at an alarming rate each year, so it's crucial to choose the best method to ensure customer information is precise and maintained to its highest quality. Sara Goodwins explores different approaches to this problem

• DATA FOCUS: Data pooling - Sharing is daring

  B2B companies are more hesitant towards data pooling than their B2C counterparts. Should you share your data with the competition? Will you benefit, or is it an unnecessary risk? Catherine Chetwynd analyses the potential of pooling

• INTERNATIONAL MARKETING: Data's Eurovision

  A Swedish data company claims to hold the password to 18.8 million European companies. But how good is this information and how does it compare to the rest of the market? Catherine Chetwynd investigates and finds that what EuroContactPool lacks in quality it is supplementing with local partnerships. But will it work?

• DATA FOCUS: Collecting email data

  Email can be a hugely powerful medium, but collecting data is difficult and buying third party lists is much more expensive than traditional marketing data. So what are the factors that should be considered when seeking out email data? By Sara Goodwins

• DATA FOCUS: Business list audit - A creditable solution?

  In March 2004 the Business List Audit (BLA) was launched as a 'transparency audit' but the market wanted a data quality measure, which is where the DMA is trying to take it. Catherine Chetwynd investigates

• DATA FOCUS: How clean is your data?

  Few would be surprised if their car gave you problems if it were never cleaned and serviced. Yet it's surprising how many businesses fail to apply the same reasoning to their database. Sara Goodwins reports

• DATA FOCUS: Data list shopping

  Whether you buy data direct, through a reseller or broker, Alex Blyth offers advice on segmentation, duplicates, laws and buying online. He also looks at the human issues of list buying, such as managing expectations and building relationships with the provider

• DATA FOCUS: Database management - In or out?

  Deciding whether to keep database management inhouse or outsource it to an external company is a matter worthy of serious consideration. Alex Blyth looks at the implications of each choice

• DATA FOCUS: Segmenting data - Divide and conquer

  Segmenting a business database into distinct groups establishes a protocol on how best to treat different customers. Ian Sclater examines the efficiencies of introducing such a template

• DATA FOCUS: Data outsourcing

  The outsourcing of database management can be a cost-effective means of gaining an enhanced understanding of your customer base, says Cheryl Pugh, head of database management services at Prospect Swetenhams