This Week’s Word on the Street is: REPETITION
There are different schools of thought on just how many times something needs to be repeated for it to sink in. Just ask my wife. But in advertising and marketing – especially B2B marketing – it pays to repeat yourself.
Sometimes it takes at least 12 repetitions for a message to be effectively delivered. I say it doesn’t stop there.
Billy Mitchell is the president and creative director of Atlanta-based B2B marketing firm MLT Creative. Located on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, Mitchell co-founded MLT Creative in 1984 along with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor.
Known as the Idea Launch Pad™ for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative’s services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions for business-to-business clients.
- Is it time to reassess your relationship with your customer?
- Are you listening? Do you go to the places your customer goes?
- Are you providing what your customer really needs?
Answer these questions or your customer may leave you at the table.
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
by Christopher Hosford
New York—Internet publishers inevitably will charge for their information, and display ads must conform better to the content around them, proclaimed Barry Diller, chairman-CEO of Internet company IAC/InterActiveCorp., at the opening keynote Wednesday of Advertising 2.0 New York.
“Display ads have been completely ‘commodified,’ and that won’t change,” said Diller,
whose IAC headquarters building hosted the event. The issue, he said, is that “with generic display, every day a ton more inventory arrives.”Diller, who also is chairman of travel services site Expedia and ticketing company Ticketmaster Entertainment, said that standard banner ad formats fail to adequately conform to the context in which they are placed, and that this must change.
“We’re all at the earliest period of display advertising, which has been standardized into formats where people can say, ‘I know what to ignore,’ ” said the former head of Paramount Pictures and Fox Inc.
He said ads that are “embedded in a very deep way” and “contextual sponsorships specific for the audience” may be more effective.
Diller also predicted that the original model of free Web content is obsolete, and that publishers increasingly will begin to offer content behind walls, charging subscription fees to access it.
“I absolutely believe that the Internet is passing from its free phase to a paid system,” he said. “Consumers have expected it to be free, but it’s going to change. It’s likely publishers will have fewer readers, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s inevitable. Some people will pay and some won’t, but it will be a good thing for everybody, including the consumer.”
IAC/InterActiveCorp. owns such businesses as search engine Ask.com; dating service Match.com; local search and reviews site Citysearch; and Vimeo, a videocentric social network.
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
Marketing ‘tis marketing, whether your audience is businesses or consumers. Correct? In many ways, perhaps, but there are distinct differences. As in B2C marketing, the first step in B2B marketing is understanding your customer. From understanding their success motivations and professional affiliations to their influence levels and web habits, a matrix of the various customer persona segments is key to developing a rounded marketing 
program.
After this key step, the marketing program activities differ.
Business buyers are sophisticated. They buy products or services to help increase their company’s profitability, reduce costs, boost productivity and, ultimately, enhance business success.
Because B2B buyer purchases can be high in both quantity and cost, the sales cycle is longer and multi-layered. The buying decision is based on rationale and business value versus the short, emotional impulse buy.
The buyer’s professional reputation is at stake for every transaction, meaning choices tend to be driven by relationships instead of product exposure.
The targets are usually small and focused, unlike the vast consumer markets of B2C. They rely on education and awareness programs for product clarity, versus merchandising or point-of-sale promotion.
Put your marketing dollars into marketing programs and materials that offer your target audience what they need to make a rational buying decision. Help them determine the value of the product and service you offer through quality materials, testimonials and other activities that build credibility. As you create your marketing plan, remember what is important to your target audience, and create your marketing programs to speak to them.
/mh
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
Bill Hunt, CEO, Global Strategies International
BtoB: Finding things on a company website is important, but often frustrating. What are the 
major pitfalls? Bill Hunt: You would think that if a company is making an announcement about something, it would reference it on its website. But say the web page launched the same morning as the news release, without regard for search engine crawl cycles. If it's waiting to be crawled, nobody's going to find it — even on your website. Our experience shows that 40% to 70% of people who land on a multi-product homepage do an on-site search for what they're looking for, even if the site has drop-down menus. That makes internal search critical.
BtoB: What can marketers do to make sure their internal search is optimized?
Hunt: Coordinate crawl schedules with your webmaster, or folks who manage your on-site search, so queued-up announcements can be properly indexed and found. Then make sure the same results are found internally as are found externally when you Google important keywords. Software companies in particular should consider error codes, so customers can search for solutions to problems they encounter.
BtoB: Are there tests you recommend to gauge success here?
Hunt: First, there's the "no results clicked" test, which reports when someone does a query, gets a results page, but does not click on any results. Pick a threshold for concern — five searches in a month for example — of any search phrase that yields no clicked results, to see which rules or contents need to be added or changed to deliver better and more relevant searches. Then there's the "all searches with no results" test, which shows the content visitors are looking for that has no matching results. An example of this is a product recently announced in the press, but which searchers can't find on your website.
/mh
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
Respondents to Forbes’ survey rated ad networks and video ads as least effective.
Among other study highlights, brand perception was considered most influenced by sponsorships and pay-per-impression programs in digital publications. Ad networks and PPC search were rated least effective.
The low rating of ad networks in support of both conversion and brand perception is due to its primary role in demand fulfillment rather than demand creation, according to Forbes.
The study, “Ad Effectiveness Survey,” polled marketers online in February and March on their attitudes toward digital marketing. It generated 112 responses.
/mh
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
This Week’s Word on the Street is: POSITIONING
As an Atlanta-based B2B agency, MLT Creative happens to be located in the same city as Al Ries, co-author of the famous book Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. Upon reading it, I decided to use our geographical proximity to put myself in “position” to meet him.
Billy Mitchell is the president and creative director of Atlanta-based B2B marketing firm MLT Creative. Located on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, Mitchell co-founded MLT Creative in 1984 along with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor.
Known as the Idea Launch Pad™ for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative’s services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions for business-to-business clients.
MLT Creative won the South Star for the best B-to-B Integrated Campaign in the category of Image Building for its work with Airgas, the country's largest
distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases and related equipment. The agency designed a campaign around Airgas's reclamation efforts, which were prompted by the mandated phase-down of the common refrigerant R-22 and other HCFCs. Targeting HVAC technicians and supply wholesalers, the Airgas refrigerant reclamation program includes incentives like providing free gas reclamation tanks and paying wholesalers for returning their used refrigerant gas to Airgas.To tout the environmental benefits of the program while playing on the color of printed currency, MLT modified it to read “Be Green and Turn Those Used Refrigerants Into Cash.” While the direct mail pieces were central, the integrated marketing campaign was branded over multiple platforms, including print and banner ads, point-of-sale materials and collateral.
“This was a really green campaign to work on,” said MLT Creative Account Executive Vann Morris, “because we knew that if we were successful, it also meant that we would be keeping ozone-depleting gas out of the atmosphere.”
For that reason, she added, “we are so proud of the campaign’s success. And the DMA South Star Award is like icing on the cake!”
The campaign’s success speaks for itself: Initially, there were no ReKlaim collection center locations. Now there are 230.
MLT Creative’s other South Star Award is especially dear to the agency, as it recognizes their ability to promote their most important client: themselves. The agency won in the B-to-B Integrated Campaign – Lead Generation category for its own integrated “’Need a Lift?’ Eight-Straight Strategy” campaign.
After developing a new website, the agency capitalized on its launch by kicking off a new business development campaign. They combined the website with self-promotional efforts to attract, engage, convert and retain customers. Pushing for brand awareness and recall, the campaign’s strategy included outreaches that were frequent and repetitive. MLT Creative shipped eight tactile, clutter-busting mailers to its target market of 300 Atlanta marketing professionals in a rapid-fire, 10-week schedule.
In order to convey the strengths in both creative and strategic areas, the agency developed a parallel component to the mailers, labeled an “experiment.” This experiment invited each recipient to participate in the campaign under the promise of offering a totally transparent view of its goals, strategy, tracking and results. Creative direction shaped these goals as scientific hypotheses, and an interactive microsite dubbed “The Idea Launch Lab” (www.theidealaunchlab.com) served as an experiential environment for sharing the results. The creative team devised, designed and constructed a a series of foam and paper airplanes and rockets that backed up the campaign’s “Need a Lift?” theme, designed to drive recipients to The Idea Launch Lab – as were incentives such as a travel voucher and other giveaways.
“Our Eight-Straight ‘Need a Lift?’ campaign was a success by enabling us to target, connect and land work with new B2B marketing clients, even in the midst of a slowing economy,” said Account Executive Kelly Pires. “To receive this peer recognition from the DMA-Atlanta makes our achievement that much sweeter.”
The campaign was successful because it combined innovative ideas with industry best practices and a creative strategy that generated returns three times the investment.
The DMA South Star Awards are the latest in an exciting string of recent nods for MLT Creative. Additional honors this year include the American Marketing Association AMY Award for B2B Visual Branding, with an additional four finalist awards; recognition as a Georgia State University MAX Award finalist; and, most recently, a coveted spot on BtoB Magazine’s Top BtoB Agencies List.
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
It very well could be, based on the results in a recent Ad-ology study, Advertising's Impact in a Soft Economy. The study finds that advertising appears to play a key role in consumers’ view of how a business is doing, and by not advertising, businesses may be sending a warning signal to current and potential customers.
The study goes on to note that businesses that continue to advertise are perceived by consumers to be competitive in their marketplace and committed to doing business. It just adds additional substance to the old statement that marketing and new business efforts, when committed to, just cannot fail.
Developing B2B ad campaigns that get results is an area of expertise for MLT Creative. We provide innovative strategies, visuals and copy that focus on all of your marketing touch points.
Glenn Taylor is a Senior Creative Director and Partner with MLT Creative, an Atlanta advertising agency specializing in B2B marketing.
During my years building our B2B advertising agency in Atlanta, I've always been interested in advertising history, and especially ad characters. Recently, I came across some kindred spirits in the form of a new book, ADBOY - Vintage Advertising with Character, by Warren Dotz and Masud Husain. This excerpt gives a brief glimpse of what you'll find within the pages of this rich history of ad characters.“The postwar, twentieth-century economic boom launched a generation of charming, cheeky, and relentlessly cheerful critters and characters that found their way into American homes — and hearts — in print, on television, and on packaging. Some took detours that reflected historic events: Elsie the Cow was sent into space in 1958. Some were fashion victims who managed to survive the times — who can forget Hippy Hush Puppies, circa 1969? And some, sadly, are no longer with us — like the Frito Bandito, who was finally brought to justice in 1971. These endearingly offbeat creations are as fresh and engaging today as they were when they first appeared in decades past.”
They also have a great blog associated with the book that I suggest you check out as well.
We have an extensive collection of ad characters of all types here at MLT Creative. Many of them are available to view on our website. We have a history of bringing unique character to our successful B2B projects for more than 25 years.
Glenn Taylor is a Senior Creative Director and Partner with MLT Creative, an Atlanta ad agency specializing in B2B marketing.
When I think of the word "groundswell," I recollect political pundits debating over the latest surge in policy opinions. I can hear the evening news talking heads: "With a groundswell of public support, congressional leaders today..."But the primary definition of the word is more physical. According to Merriam-Webster, a groundswell is defined as "a broad, deep undulation of the ocean caused by an often distant gale or seismic disturbance."
As a scholarly, yet down-to-earth primer, Groundswell - Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies is one of the best books I've read on social media. It captures the essence of social media, as well as the seismic disturbances that have erupted in marketing communications.
The term "social media" can be a bit confusing to some. This book cuts through the hype and explains the nucleus of the gale-force phenomenon.
Groundswell is full of customer examples. The book illuminates the power and importance of social media by describing real-world examples where social media technologies are used. In doing so, the book escapes the trap of dwelling on abstract theory and instead gives you a practical understanding of the ways social media tactics are being used successfully by actual companies.
Because the authors are well-known Forrester research analysts, I assumed Groundswell would be a little textbook-ish, but I found it easy to read. It has a smooth rhythm with an easy conversational tone.
Although Groundswell has detailed explanations and ROI models for B2C, the examples and suggestions translate easily to the B2B environment. After reading the book, I couldn’t resist following up with the calculators and other tidbits found on the Groundswell blog.
With this book, you can learn how to implement a social media strategy via blog, wiki or community to begin your own seismic disturbance.
/mh
Martine Hunter is the creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
We at MLT Creative strongly support strengthening your B2B marketing and business marketing campaign efforts through the addition of social media tools like Linkedin®. We feel that this should be a weapon in every B2B salesman's arsenal to join group conversations and gain valuable contacts.Yet, as strong as those tools can be, they're not a replacement for doing the basics in an outreach and lead generation program. You still need to pick up the phone, send out crafted e-mails and business letters, and network your product or service like crazy.
That all seems obvious, and yet I find stories on the web every day where brands are too busy beating their chests about their success on Twitter® to notice basic flaws in their product or service offerings, and lose thousands of customers every day thanks to bad customer service and retention techniques. Just make sure your sales and marketing team isn't so "wowed" by the latest sparkle in the toolbox that they completely ignore what got you where you are in the first place.
Utilizing new inbound marketing tools and combining them with time-tested and effective B2B marketing strategies is a specialty at MLT Creative. As a BtoB Magazine Top 125 Agency for 2009, we have a history of building successful B2B programs for more than 25 years.
Glenn Taylor is a Senior Creative Director and Partner with MLT Creative, an Atlanta ad agency specializing in B2B marketing.
This Week’s Word on the Street is: ACTIONABLE
How often do you hear or say the words “actionable” and “information” in the same sentence? If you’re business is anything like mine, a B2B marketing agency, in most meetings you are either pitching, discussing, debating or listening to ideas and information being exchanged. And hopefully each meeting ends with the next steps clearly identified and agreed to by all in attendance.
To see "before" and "after" examples of effective calls-to-action from Compendium, click the call-to-action graphic in the right-hand column to download their presentation. Be one of the first 10 people to do so, and you'll win a FREE impressively-large 19-ounce MLT Creative coffee mug.
Billy Mitchell is the president and creative director of Atlanta-based B2B marketing firm MLT Creative. Located on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, Mitchell co-founded MLT Creative in 1984 along with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor.
Known as the Idea Launch Pad™ for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative’s services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions for business-to-business clients.
What Ben Franklin Knew About Social Media
written on February 4, 2008 by Dawud Miracle
Benjamin Franklin was a blogger — without a doubt.
He may not have had a computer to share his thoughts, nor the internet to spread them, but he did have a printing press where he printed regular installments of Poor Richard’s Almanack.
Ben Franklin was known to have a sharp and witty mind and a love of things social. He loved to share his thoughts on any number of subjects. He loved to stir the pot… and he loved debate.
Think of any bloggers like that?
So Ben Franklin was a blogger before there was blogging. But don’t just take my word for it. All the evidence can be found in his own words:
“Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few;
friend to one; enemy to none.”
Isn’t that how blogging works? You want to be an open door to all, have conversations with those who engage you in the comment box, and become familiar with people who are interested in building relationships. Further, you’ll find a small group who will become like friends. And for all, let none become your enemy. Sound advice for any blogger.
And while Ben Franklin was a bit hot-headed and stubborn in his time, he nonetheless offers great advice on dealing with the negativity we social media-types sometimes face:
“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain.
And most fools do.”
“He that blows the coals in quarrels that he has nothing to do with,
has no right to complain if the sparks fly in his face.”
“He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak
all he knows nor judge all he sees.”
He was a staunch proponent of finding what was interesting to himself and others and adding what was valuable to your reader’s lives:
“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten,
either write something worth reading or do things worth the writing.”
And he knew so well that people couldn’t be convinced of anything unless they cared.
“If you would persuade,
you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.“
What’s more, he knew that people did not want to be lectured too. Rather, they need to be engaged and included in the conversation:
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.”
Ben Franklin clearly understood that writing a solid, interesting blog post took research:
“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
…and required time and effort:
“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
…and that that hard work would eventually pay off:
“Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure.”
He even had advice for probloggers and those who wish to make money from their blogs; offering sound advice for remaining in balance between making money and keeping readers:
“He that is of the opinion money will do everything
may well be suspected of doing everything for money.”
Overall, what Ben Franklin reminds us is that if we have something to share…some perspective that’s uniquely ours to share with the world - do it! And don’t let your fears get in the way:
“Hide not your talents, they for use were made.
What’s a sun-dial in the shade?”
But perhaps the best advice of all is the advice that Mr. Franklin offered us for living our lives:
“Dost thou love life?
Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.”
Do any of Ben Franklin’s thoughts touch a chord in you about your blogging? How? And how could his advice change the way you look at social media?
/mh
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta marketing firm MLT Creative, which specializes in business-to-business marketing.
shoot: Swish – nothin’ but net. A pick-up game at the gym, or networking at a business-to-business conference? Different scenarios, but similar tactics apply to both.Although networking through the use of social media can have incredible benefits in the world of B2B marketing, sometimes it feels like riding the bench in the middle of the playoffs. So get in the game by getting away from the computer, because face-to-face interaction is still the best way to make connections and build your business in Atlanta.
Sure, the idea of walking into a room where you don’t know a single person can be pretty daunting, but with a game plan, a goal in mind and a pocket full of business cards, you can work the room like a pro.
Here's a few tips for scoring at networking functions:
Check your attitude. It's key to get mentally geared up before you even show up. Since your attitude often guides your behavior, you must overcome any self-doubts that might hamstring your efforts.
Smile. Here’s a rule that is so simple and self-explanatory, it sometimes slips people’s minds. Some of us are so focused on networking that we don't realize we have frowns on our faces. Scowls and furrowed brows are forbidden. People are more likely to warm up to someone who says “Good morning” with a broad smile than they are to someone with a dour countenance.
Have a game plan. Know who you want to meet in advance, be it a specific person or just a certain type.
Introduce yourself. Don’t wait for an introduction. Before sitting down at the table, tell everyone your name and the name of your company. Be sure to talk to the people sitting next to you.
Ask questions of the people you meet. Never lead with your "elevator pitch." People are more interested in themselves than they are in you, so ask them questions to get them talking.
Have a clear understanding of what you do. Also why, for whom, and what makes your doing it special or different from others doing the same thing. In order to get referrals, you must first have a clear understanding of what you do that you can easily articulate to others.
Put your technology away. Don’t run to your phone. When you’re fiddling with electronics, you look busy and unapproachable. Wait until the next break to break out the Blackberry.
Introduce others. When you meet cool people, make an assist and connect them with others who might be beneficial to them. This includes others at the conference, as well as other people you might know. If you ask the right types of questions, you will easily spot connections that can help others. Don't ever worry about what's in it for you -- just be the person who helps others. You will see over time that others will return the favor.
Follow up. If you meet interesting people and you never follow up, it makes no difference. Own the follow up after you meet people, and send them an e-mail (or, better yet, a handwritten note) telling them how much you enjoyed talking with them, and plan for future discussions.
Read their stuff. Many people are active bloggers, Twitterers, authors, etc. If people create the written word, seek out their work and read it. It’s a great way to get to know people, plus they’ll be honored when you ask them about it.
And just like your lucky pair of Jordans, don't forget your business cards.
/mh
Martine Hunter is Creative Director, eMedia with the Atlanta marketing agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in BtoB marketing.
Be organized. Visitors looking for something specific need to find it quickly or they will look elsewhere—like a competitor's site.
Make the site come alive. Use video and Flash animation to help tell your story and demonstrate your products. Avoid splash pages and animations that “look cool” but don't support your marketing message.
Optimize for search engines. Customers looking to solve problems might not know your company has the solutions they are looking for. If your site is not optimized for search and appearing in the rankings, they might never find you.
Go social. Social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn offer an excellent opportunity to establish a relationship with customers and prospects online. They can also be effective at driving traffic to your site.
Source: Bill Rice, president, Web Marketing Association via BtoB magazine
/mh
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
This Week’s Word on the Street is: CAN’T WAIT TO WIN
Many years ago, when at the peak of his fame, Joe Namath wrote a book with a great title: I Can’t Wait Until Tomorrow … ‘Cause I Get Better Looking Every Day. Well, his star has long since faded, but his legendary prediction of a SuperBowl win, as well as that funny book title, live on.
Like Joe, I too can’t wait until tomorrow. But it’s because I get smarter everyday. I credit the economic slump – and subsequent slowdown in spending by some of our largest clients – with giving me more time to invest in learning new strategies and tactics for effective B2B marketing. I like being in a business where there is always more to learn, and my focus lately has been on social media like Linkedin and Twitter, and seeing how MLT Creative can make them work for ourselves and our clients.
I twitter as billymitchell1, where I follow – and am followed by – some of the best B-to-B marketing minds on the planet. I am also on Linkedin, and although I’m somewhat new to both, I know so much more now than I did two months ago thanks to the groups I have joined, discussions I have participated in and feedback I have received.
I can’t wait until tomorrow, and neither should you. This recession will end at some point, and we can all be taking market share now while the market is standing still. If you are a business-to-business marketer and like to win, I predict MLT Creative will help you do just that, if you have the good sense to put us on your team.
Billy Mitchell is the president and creative director of Atlanta-based B2B marketing firm MLT Creative. Located on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, Mitchell co-founded the agency in 1984 with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor.
You can find him online at Twitter and Linkedin.
Pugulistic pundit point/counterpoint.Foretelling the future of social media marketing in the business-to-business arena has prompted a pugulistic pundit point/counterpoint.
I recently shared a couple articles that offered opposing opinions of the future of social media marketing for B2B:
IN THIS CORNER: Josh Bernoff of Forrester:
Makes his point with the statement, "If you're a B2B marketer and you're not using social technologies in your marketing, it means you're late."
Josh cites research of 1,200 businesses to back his opinion.
IN THIS CORNER: Mark Everett Hall of Computerworld:
Counterpunches with, "...as a tool for B2B marketers, it's a fad in search of purpose."
A healthy dose of cynicism and a poor showing of B2B SMM in an award ceremony is Mark's back-up.
Who triumphs in this battle?
Is social media marketing for B2B companies a time-wasting fad or are we embarking on a new frontier?
Using LinkedIn's group discussion tool, I posed this question to my BtoB Marketing group colleagues. Here's my favorite replies:
Jim Bianchi
President, Bianchi Public Relations, Inc.
Carol S. Niemi
Marketing-Advertising-Communicating
Jonathan Ward, MBA
Marketing Operations Consultant
Vince Saputo
District Sales Manager at Penton Media
And the match winner is: SOCIAL MEDIA FOR B2B MARKETING
Clearly, a majority of business-to-business marketers are prepared to venture out on the new frontier versus waiting to see what will happen with these new messaging tools.
Thinking about adding social media to your BtoB marketing mix? MLT Creative can help you begin your venture on the new frontier. We can assist you with your initial social media site selection and create, write, and manage these sites.
Martine Hunter is a creative director of eMedia with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
As a B2B Marketing professional, I believe the services our agency provides to our business clients can be applied effectively on behalf of charitable causes within our community. I know that when I look back over my career, it will be the work MLT Creative has done for charities like Genesis – A New Life, Positive Growth Boys Home, Heart-to-Hearts for Children’s Hospital and the Path Foundation that will mean the most to me.We grow our business by helping our clients’ grow theirs, so it is a challenge to keep our pro-bono projects from sliding to the back burner. I think we have found the right balance between our paying clients and the volunteer work we do by following these guidelines:
1.) Treat charitable projects just as you do paying work. Assign a project manager, open a job number and schedule it in traffic with the same priority as other jobs.
2.) Be careful not to over commit. Focus on the one or two charities that you can manage within your regular workflow, and make a difference for them. You will become more familiar with their needs and be more effective with your efforts.
3.) Do great work for the charities you decide to help. It’s both satisfying and gratifying, because your staff will have made a positive difference working together as a team for a worthwhile cause.
I read once that some of the happiest people in retirement are nurses and fireman, because they can look back on their careers and know — without a doubt — that they made a positive difference. I want to have that same feeling of accomplishment when I retire, and I’d like the younger members of our staff to have it too.
Currently, MLT Creative is focused on helping Genesis – A New Life. They help homeless moms with newborn babies get healthcare, child care and job training as they work their way back to self-sufficiency. It is a rigorous and demanding program with a high degree of success for 15 years running, but they now have a serious lack of funding. Please visit their website at www.genesisshelter.com and consider making a donation. Thank you!
Billy Mitchell is the president and creative director of Atlanta-based B2B marketing firm MLT Creative. Located on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, Mitchell co-founded MLT Creative in 1984 along with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor.
Known as the Idea Launch Pad™ for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative’s services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions for business-to-business clients.
From Computer World Blogs
Mark Everette Hall
There's a new website dedicated to introducing B2B marketers to the joys of social media, and it's called, in a no-nonsense B2B style, Social Media B2B. I'm certain some companies can strengthen their ties with business partners by judiciously applying social networking tools to their marketing efforts. But for most firms, I'm betting it's a waste of time and money.
Business-to-business marketing is a different kettle of fish than consumer marketing, and it should appear obvious to readers of the Social Media B2B site. In a post on the main page called "B2B Buyers Are Social," the item's contention is based on a Forrester research report that the blogger says, "states that buyers in the B2B area are one of the most social groups around."(So, it must be true, right? Just like all those Standard and Poors and Moody's reports on how sound U.S. financial markets were.)
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm sure B2B buyers as social animals are probably right up there with Paris Hilton. But as business people doing their jobs to assess products and services? Think again.
In that same post, the author quotes another blogger who claims that B2B marketers not already on the social media bandwagon now "means you're late." The blogger points to Forrester's Groundswell awards as proof.
Well I'm not sure about you, but my reading of who won these awards is that, with the possible exception of Nerd Network, B2B social networks are conspicuously missing from the winners' circle. But even the Nerd Network is really an old-fashioned forum for end users of a business tool. And forums, even tarted up with a social media user interface, are not exactly cutting edge marketing activities.
Yes, yes, social networking is all the rage. Twitter is growing by leaps and bounds. Facebook is the next Google. And who needs the New York Times when you've got snarky news reports on Reddit? But as a tool for B2B marketers, it's a fad in search of a purpose. Then there's a real possibility you'll inadvertently infect your B2B partners' computers with new social media malware. Won't that be fun to explain.
I'm sure there will be scant examples of where it makes some sense, but is it the cost-effective tool most B2B marketers need in these tough times to generate more business?
No.
Martine Hunter is an associate creative director with the Atlanta advertising agency, MLT Creative, which specializes in B2B marketing.
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