BtoB articles from June 2004

BtoB archives from June 2004

Companies plan Web site upgrades; With budgets loosening up, marketers look to web site analytics, search engine optimization.(NetMarketing)
June 7, 2004... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS Companies rebounding from the economic downturn have begun to free up their budgets and invest in upgrading or even relaunching their Web sites. In fact, according to a JupiterResearch report released last month...

Quick Hits; TNS/CMR reports 9.6% jump in Q1 ad spending.(Briefs)
June 7, 2004... Total U.S. ad spending reached $31.5 billion in the first quarter of the year, up 9.6% over the first quarter of 2003, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR. Growth was led by a surge in Internet spending, which increased 28.1% to $1.8...

Quote Unquote.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2004... "Only 18% of respondents said they were `very satisfied' with their marketing organ-izations, while 35% said their marketing departments needed improvement.'' -Chief Executive's latest CEO Confidence Index, June issue, page 14. On all...

Chasers' rules to live by for online advertising.(Chasers)(Dymo)(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Viking Office Products Inc.)
June 7, 2004... We turn our attention this month to online ads, specifically in the small-business space. We were heartened to find that ads targeting the small-business segment did not have a small-time look. That's smart because small business is big...

Cut to the Chase: Television.(Chasers)
June 7, 2004... Company: Xerox, Stamford, Conn. Agency: Y&R Advertising, New York Market: IT managers, office managers Quick chase: Xerox is focused on creating three impressions about its new printer: It is fast. It generates vivid color. And it's...

How to explore non-traditional opportunities.(Opinion)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Clark Crowdus After nearly four years of slash-and-burn cost-cutting, the U.S. economic recovery is awakening corporate America to opportunities in non-traditional markets. You don't need massive resources to grow your business...

Deluxe agrees to acquire NEBS; $800 million deal will give check printer bigger share of small-business market.(Direct & Database)(Deluxe Corp.)(New England Business Service Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: CAROL KROL Deluxe Corp., the world's largest check printer, agreed last month to buy New England Business Service for about $800 million. The acquisition, which is expected to close within 60 days, will significantly increase St....

Novell; Success Story No. 2: Campaign brings relevant technology terms to life, reaches top execs with messages throughout the day.(Integrated Marketing Success Stories)(Novell Inc.)(JWT Group Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Kate Maddox Campaign: "We Speak Your Language" Goal: Raise awareness of Novell brand, market positioning and products among C-level executives. Raise awareness in segments including identity management, resource management and Web...

Marketing to small business heats up; With more than $75 billion spent on technology annually, the SMB market is attracting big advertising dollars.(News)(Intel Corp.)(International Business Machines Corp.)(Office Depot Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX As the nation celebrated "Small Business Week'' May 17-24, many b-to-b marketers launched products and campaigns aimed at the SMB (small-to-midsize business) market. Among those advertisers debuting campaigns with...

Delphi to share cost savings with suppliers.(News)
June 7, 2004... Byline: TERRY KOSDROSKY At a meeting with some key suppliers last month, a Delphi Corp. purchasing manager came in with a baseball bat. "He said, `This is how we used to work with vendors,''' said a supplier at the meeting. "Then he...

Case Study: Colgate-Palmolive.(Special Report)(Colgate-Palmolive Co.)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2004... Problem: The consumer packaged-goods manufacturer has customers of all sizes in multiple channels. It wanted a way to target each channel individually while coordinating promo-tional plans between sales and marketing. Solution: SAP's CRM...

Case Study: WebMethods tailors ads to insurance industry; Web services marketer uses online, direct, e-mail to reach execs at insurance firms.(Vertical Insight: Insurance)(webMethods Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: KAREN J. BANNAN Web services are standardizing, turning an industry that was once ruled by innovation into a commoditized business. As part of an effort to differentiate itself from its competitors, Web services provider webMethods...

Marketing pros feel undervalued; Survey respondents defend importance of marcom's role.(News)
June 7, 2004... Byline: SEAN CALLAHAN Two recent surveys-one by the Business Marketing Association, the other by the Chief Marketing Officer Council-indicate the marketing profession is struggling with something of an inferiority complex. "We were...

Industrial buyers cite lack of Web information; Thomas survey finds majority of purchasers who cannot find product information, pricing will choose different suppliers.(Thomas Industrial Network)
June 7, 2004... Byline: CARRIE M. BROWN A recent survey by Thomas Industrial Network tracked the online sourcing habits of industrial buyers. The survey concluded that 55% of industrial buyers surveyed found a lack of specific product information on...

Integrated Marketing Success Stories; Learn the secrets of how successful campaigns reach customers in diverse ways with a cohesive message.
June 7, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX As the economy turned around in 2003, business marketers with increased budgets launched major integrated campaigns to introduce new products, reposition their companies or continue to build awareness of their brands....

United Parcel Service of America; Success Story No. 3: UPS zeros in on four groups: Shipping managers, front office staff, small-business people and senior executives as well as the media that would get them to act.(Integrated Marketing Success Stories)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Beth Snyder Bulik Campaign: "What Can Brown Do for You?" Goal: Change perception of UPS from being a ground shipping company to being a multifaceted international logistics business Duration of campaign: March 2003 through the end...

Cut to the Chase: Print.(Chasers)
June 7, 2004... Company: MessageLabs, New York Agency: N/A Market: Corporate security managers Quick chase: A businessman on the deck of a high-rise is pointing at something. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the end of spam, a truly welcome and monumental...

General Electric Co. Success Story No. 1: 'Imagination' showcases the many sides of 'wow'.(Integrated Marketing Success Stories)(BBDO Worldwide Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Kate Maddox Campaign: "Imagination at Work" Goal: Reposition GE as a provider of more than lighting and appliances and raise awareness of such GE businesses as wind power, water technologies, security systems and jet engines....

Case Study: Corda revamps site, focuses on why to buy.(NetMarketing)(Corda Technologies Inc. )
June 7, 2004... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS Last year, Corda Technologies realized its Web site presented information in a language that several important audience segments couldn't easily understand. The Lindon, Utah-based data visualization software...

CPG giant gets customized CRM; Solution helps sales, marketing work together on promo plans.(Special Report)
June 7, 2004... Byline: KAREN J. BANNAN Consumer packaged-goods manufacturer Colgate-Palmolive Co. has a wide variety of customers, ranging from large discount clubs such as Sam's Club to individual distributors. Its sales and marketing efforts are...

Media News; Primedia b-to-b group pushes out Maleska.(Business Media)(MediMedia)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2004... Martin Maleska was pushed out late last month as president-CEO of Primedia's Business to Business Group. "It was a surprise,'' Maleska said in an interview with BtoB. He said he had no immediate plans. Maleska joined Primedia in August of last...

Inflated satisfaction metrics.(Opinion)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Steven F. Walker Product commoditization has forced companies to compete on service and brand rather than the quality of their products. Customer focus has become the great differentiator. The pressure to compete on customer...

Ad agencies begin to staff up in '04; Response to increased client budgets creates more jobs; media, interactive especially hot.(Advertising)
June 7, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX As graduates pound the pavement this summer looking for jobs in advertising, they will find more opportunities than in the past few years, thanks to the economic upswing and a consequent increase in hiring. ...

IBM, Ogilvy celebrate 10 years.(News)(International Business Machines Corp.)(Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX Ten years ago today, IBM Corp. made the bold move of consolidating all of its global advertising business with Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide. The move was significant because it changed the ways in which IBM worked...

Vertical CRM products proliferate; Vendors go after small, midsize companies with software tailored to specific industries.(Special Report)
June 7, 2004... Byline: RICHARD KARPINSKI Customer relationship management (CRM) software targeted to specific industries, long available for larger companies willing to pay for the privilege of customized vertical applications, is starting to become...

FMC Corp. Success Story No. 4: Geographic targeting helps Mustang max stand out in a crowded field.(Integrated Marketing Success Stories)(NKH and W Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Beth Snyder Bulik Campaign: Mustang Max, "Maximum Performance. Maximum Results." Goal: Establish the new Mustang Max pesticide brand with growers and retailers nationwide, and build market share quickly in the highly competitive...

Corrections.
June 7, 2004... * On page 19 of the May issue ("CDW wins gov't contracts with direct sales''), Jim Shanks was identified by the wrong title. He is president of CDW-G, the government and education subsidiary of CDW Corp. * On page 32 ("Media Power 50''),...

New Campaigns; Kodak Professional launches 'breakthrough' print campaign.(Advertising)(HSR Business to Business Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2004... Kodak Professional will roll out a campaign this month for its line of digital photo printers. The campaign, developed by HSR Business to Business, Cincinnati, has the tagline "Tough. Prints,'' and is designed to show the durability of Kodak's...

Proof, patience key in selling to insurers; Risk-averse industry looks for products with demonstrated benefits.(Vertical Insight: Insurance)
June 7, 2004... Byline: AMANDA L. MILLIGAN Insurance companies have become careful, discerning spenders because of uncertainty about market conditions as well as their industry's conservative culture, observers say. But with the right approach and a...

Dell at 20: What others should learn from this tech success.(Opinion)(Dell Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Ellis Booker Back in October 2001, around the time I logged on to the Dell Web site to buy myself a laptop, the computer company launched a major ad campaign to tout the benefits of its direct sales model to midsize and large...

Marketing firms push into search; DoubleClick, Digital Impact look for share of booming business.(News)(Digital Impact Inc.)(DoubleClick Inc.)
June 7, 2004... Byline: CAROL KROL Specialists in other marketing disciplines are suddenly rushing to claim their share of the lucrative search market-a trend that's expected to continue at a brisk pace. The sector they're entering is booming....

NetMarketing's Best Web Sites.(News)
June 7, 2004... In September, BtoB will feature a special report taking an in-depth look at 10 superior Web sites across different industry categories. We'll be choosing these sites based on quality and presentation of information, navigation, design and...

Trade magazines' influence wanes; Veronis communications report bullish on Internet, trade shows, database services.(Business Media)
June 7, 2004... Byline: SEAN CALLAHAN A new report by media merchant bank Veronis Suhler Stevenson chronicles the rise of the communications industry as an economic force. But the report also shows the waning influence of trade publications. ...

Industry Outlook: Insurance firms tread carefully.(Vertical Insight: Insurance)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2004... Byline: AMANDA L. MILLIGAN Though the current "hard'' market has helped many insurance industry players improve profitability, these conditions have not translated to more purchases, said Bill Wilt, VP of Morgan Stanley Equity Research in...

Online ad market roaring; Ad:Tech draws record crowds.(News)
June 7, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX Online advertising is booming once again, as demonstrated by record revenue as well as record crowds at Ad:Tech 04 in San Francisco last month. Kicking off the show on May 24 with good news for the industry, the...

Goat or Gloat.(Chasers)
June 7, 2004... Company: Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Agency: ISM Travel & Leisure Marketing, Boston Market: Business travelers, corporate travel managers Quick chase: Captain Mike Walter looks skyward from the window of a cab. We learn in the copy...

New domain made for business pros; .pro domain provides encryption security, authentication for eligible companies.(News)
June 7, 2004... Byline: RICHARD KARPINSKI Doctors, lawyers and accountants this month can begin using a new "top-level domain'' called .pro that promises to offer them-for a price-a more professional online home than today's ubiquitous .com Web addresses....

June 1964: Fear of the reaper? Hindsight A b-to-b time capsule.(Opinion)
June 7, 2004... Sydney Russell, publisher of Casket & Sunnyside, wondered in a letter to the editor why funeral service publications were left out of Industrial Marketing's Business Publication Guide. You must be superstitious. That's the only thing that...

Guest Column: CRM and top-line growth.(Special Report)(Customer Relationship Management)(Column)
June 7, 2004... Byline: Andrew Webb Here's a quick test. Review the tools and processes your company uses for selling to and supporting customers; consider the interaction customers have with your employees and partners; and then answer this: Is the...

Direct Personality: Capossela has direct marketing in his blood.(Direct & Database)(Richard Capossela )(List Services Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2004... Byline: CAROL KROL As a student at Southern New Hampshire University 25 years ago, Richard Capossela won a Direct Marketing Educational Foundation scholarship from the Direct Marketing Association. That was his entry into the business, and...

Beyond the Biz; NYIT print effort wins ad student a tryout.(Briefs)(New York Institute of Technology)
June 7, 2004... Ad mogul Donny Deutsch, business mogul and reality TV phenom Donald Trump, and movie mogul Steven Spielberg are the unseen focus of a new campaign intended to show that the New York Institute of Technology is a step up from the "typical''...

Chasers' criteria for effective banner ads.(Chasers)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2004... * Create visual magnetism with bright colors and contrast between elements. * Large headlines work better than small ones. * Banners are like billboards, which are read by motorists driving at 60 mph who can absorb only a half-dozen...

Need to know; Tips for maximizing your search engine marketing.(Search)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... 1. You don't have to be No. 1. Test a secondary position in search results to cut costs. 2. Move beyond Google and Overture. You can find savings by listing at engines such as Kanoodle, FindWhat and Ask Jeeves. 3. Expand your keyword...

Key Analytics; How to measure online publishing.(Online Publishers)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Richard Karpinski As online publishing matures, media buyers are moving toward more sophisticated metrics for measuring the success of online ad buys. In most b-to-b sectors, the audience numbers-in the form of impressions or...

E-mail adjusts to the times; Despite deliverability issues and in-box overload, marketers use e-mail to connect with customers.(E-mail)
June 28, 2004... Byline: CAROL KROL Thanks to the proliferation of spam, companies continue to be reticent about marketing via e-mail, fearing their messages will be blocked from or lost in customers' increasingly crowded in-boxes. And unfortunately, a...

Sounding off on the state of interactive marketing.(Discussion)
June 28, 2004... For a wide-ranging discussion about online tactics and trends, BtoB convened in June a roundtable composed of two marketers, an interactive agency and a trade publisher. Participating in the roundtable were Eric Siebert, director-worldwide...

Ask The Expert; Barbara Coll is CEO of WebMama.com Inc. and President and chairman, SEMPO.(Search)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Carol Krol What are some interesting ways marketers are integrating search with other online tactics? I believe you need to hit a potential customer at least three times over the head if you want them to take action. This is...

Search surge is continuing; National marketers have adopted search in a big way; is local search marketing the next frontier?(Search)
June 28, 2004... Byline: CAROL KROL Search advertising continues to grow in importance for b-to-b marketers, which have adopted the strategy as an integral part of their online marketing plans. The numbers from the Internet Ad Revenue Report released...

Best sites focus on customers; Strong content, user feedback, detailed analytics key to successful b-to-b Web site, experts say.(Web Sites)
June 28, 2004... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS Web gurus and front-line marketers agree that building a successful Web site today-especially a b-to-b one-has much more to do with being truly customercentric than it does with what innovative technologies or...

Ask The Expert; Gary Stein is senior analyst of online advertising and marketing at Jupiter Research.(Online Advertising)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... What are some of the top trends this year for b-to-b online advertising? Stein: Search is clearly the top trend for b-to-b this year, but it still has a long way to go to reach its true potential. I was talking with a company called...

Focusing on customer intelligence, relationships.(Editors Note)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Ellis Booker Welcome to BtoB's 2004 Interactive Marketing Guide. Our guide offers sections on e-mail, search, Web sites, online advertising, events, online publishers and agencies. Each section provides an overview, an interview...

Ask The Expert; David Cohen, Senior VP-interactive media director, Universal McCann.(Online Publishers)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Sean Callahan Since the Web's rise to prominence, how complex has media buying become? Cohen: I would actually expand that question. The remit of marketing communications planners has become exponentially more complicated, and...

Key Analytics; How to measure Web site success.(Web Sites)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Richard Karpinski As b-to-b marketers become more sophisticated with how they measure the success-and failure-of their Web sites, an intriguing truth has come to light. More than even imagined, a Web site in many ways represents a...

Key Analytics; How to measure e-mail success.(E-mail)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Karen J. Bannan When it comes to e-mail marketing, there are three metrics that most marketers rely on: open rates, click-through rates and conversion rates. But, experts say, there's more to each than meets the eye. open rate...

Key Analytics; How to measure success in search engine marketing.(Search)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Richard Karpinski Of all the different approaches to interactive marketing, paid search might be the easiest to track and measure. The medium is simply all about measurement. Buying keywords As is now widely known to most...

Key Analytics; How to measure online event success.(Online Events)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Richard Karpinski In the past, marketers could count on a pat on the back simply for successfully conducting a Web event without the audio breaking up or the presentation crashing. But those days are over. As the technology behind...

Ask The Expert; Regina Brady is president of Reggie Brady Marketing Solutions.(E-mail)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Carol Krol What are the "must have'' elements of a successful e-mail marketing campaign? Brady: From a legal standpoint, there are all the elements required by the CAN-SPAM Act. From a marketing standpoint, you need a...

Ask The Expert; Jakob Nielsen is principal of Fremont, Calif.-based Nielsen Norman Group.(Web Sites)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Roger Slavens What's the most critical "best practice'' in Web site design today? A study we recently conducted showed that 88% of Web users went to a search engine to find sites that might address their needs or solve their...

Ask the Expert; Andy Sims is director of interactive marketing services for SF Interactive.(Interactive Agencies)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Kate Maddox What lessons did you learn from the dot-com crash? Sims: We learned that the rules of b-to-b selling didn't change but those of b-to-b marketing communications did. During the boom, b-to-b marketers saw the Internet...

B-to-b marketers embrace interactive; Companies boost use of the Internet in their effort to achieve greater personalization in dealing with customers and prospects.(Overview)
June 28, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX B-to-b marketers are increasing their use of interactive technologies, using everything from Web sites to online advertising to e-mail newsletters on a regular basis. And while the mix of interactive media varies by...

What does the Net do best? Opinions may vary on whether it's better for leads or branding, but all agree it's a key part of the mix.(Online Publishers)
June 28, 2004... Byline: SEAN CALLAHAN Back in the early 1990s, just before the World Wide Web appeared on the scene, being a b-to-b media buyer in a vertical industry had become one of the most uncomplicated jobs in the world. Just buy space in the top...

The return of the boom; Online advertising sees growth across the board, with keyword search showing the biggest gain.(Online Advertising)
June 28, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX Internet advertising, which saw a steep decline in the two years following the dot-com crash, is once again booming. In 2003, Internet advertising revenue reached $7.3 billion, up 21% from 2002, according to the...

Webcasting's new challenges; Increased competition for attendees means marketers must get beyond the commonplace.(Online Events)
June 28, 2004... Byline: RICHARD KARPINSKI Marketing-driven online events are no longer a novelty-and that's both good and bad news for b-to-b marketers. The technology behind so-called Webinars, or events that deliver audio, video, PowerPoint slides...

Need to know; 5 things to think about when buying online advertising.(Online Publishers)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... 1. As in print, the available sizes and creative options available on a Web site can make a difference in the ultimate performance of an ad. 2. Online advertising can generate leads, but it also is growing into an effective branding...

Key Analytics; How to measure online ad success.(Online Advertising)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Richard Karpinski As online advertising continues to rebound, returning b-to-b marketers will find a market with a much better hold on how to measure a campaign's success. As with the other marketing vehicles discussed in this...

Ask The Expert; Stephanie Downs is president and founder of ConferZone.(Online Events)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... Byline: Richard Karpinski How would you recommend b-to-b marketers begin planning an online event? Downs: To start off, look around at the different Webcasting options. Do some research and learn what you are talking about. As far as...

Sophisticated technology, old-fashioned marketing.(Future)
June 28, 2004... Byline: GEORGE PARKER If someone asked you what your present and future interactive marketing strategy was, would you be able to sum it up in a brief, understandable way? The problem with a business practice evolving as rapidly as...

Need to know; Tips for a more effective Web site.(Web Sites)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... * Recruit other Web sites to link to your site; it's a critical complement to any search engine optimization efforts, experts say. * Solicit feedback with usability surveys and focus groups. Also use Web analytics to learn about what...

E-Mail Marketer Insight: Secrets to good subject lines, clean lists.(E-mail)
June 28, 2004... Q. Got any great subject line tricks? A. A good subject line could be the difference between a winning mailing and a monumental flop. Clever, eye-grabbing subject lines don't have to be so hard to come up with. A little creativity and a...

Agencies get back to basics; Shops focus on creating brand experiences, solid communications plans for their clients.(Interactive Agencies)
June 28, 2004... Byline: KATE MADDOX Interactive agencies that survived the dot-com crash have learned some valuable lessons over the past five years, including a need to focus on their core competencies and tighten agency operations. "The survivors...

Need to know; 5 simple rules for effective e-mail marketing.(E-mail)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... 1. Use e-mail as part of an overall marketing strategy. 2. Obtain opt-in permission before beginning a dialogue with the recipient. 3. Make sure messages comply with spam law and that systems are in place to manage legal requirements....

Need to know; 5 simple rules for effective online advertising.(Online Advertising)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... 1. Larger ad formats perform better than smaller formats. 2. Banners with larger logos perform better than banners with smaller logos. 3. The longer ads or key messages take to appear, the less branding impact they have. 4. The...

Need to know; 5 tips for producing successful online events.(Online Events)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... 1. Start planning for your Web event as far in advance as possible. Planning a top-notch Web event requires months of planning and four to six weeks of aggressive outbound marketing. 2. Use every possible method to market your event-Web...

Need to know; 5 tips for working with your interactive agency.(Interactive Agencies)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... 1. Make sure your agency partner understands your overall business goals. 2. Be aware of the agency's core competencies and how they align with your needs. 3. Have a solid communications plan in place for working with your agency. ...