BtoB articles from March 2007

BtoB archives from March 2007

Problem solved.(Net Marketing)(higher conversion rates of pay-per-click ads)(Column)
March 12, 2007... Problem: How can I get higher conversion rates from my pay-per-click ads? [Search] Solution: As the saying goes, less is more. But what happens when more equals less? More clicks but less conversions, that is. Here are a few tips to help...

Campaigns being managed via Web; Small-to-midsize marketers with limited IT support able to take advantage of online apps.(Tools & Metrics)
March 12, 2007... Byline: CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD The campaign management software industry is in rapid flux. While it doesn't have as many vendors as, perhaps, customer relationship management, there are quite a few choices for marketers, with numerous new...

New campaigns.(Advertising)
March 12, 2007... NetApp "Settle for Everything'' Agency: Gyro International, San Francisco Target audience: Senior IT storage managers and data center managers Campaign objective: Raise awareness of and drive demand for NetApp storage and data management...

The great migration; As advertisers shift their spending to online venues, publishers push print as part of an integrated marketing mix.(Special Report: Top Trades)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Matthew Schwartz Last fall Sun Microsystems made a significant shift in its advertising spending. For years, the technology company had allocated 70% to print and 30% to online. But as it prepared to plug its Polaris operating...

Compelling copy draws readers.(Chasers)
March 12, 2007... The Chasers are fond of copy that carries its message on the wings of well-chosen words. The writing should be in active voice rather than passive; short words and short sentences create a lively rhythm; and frequent use of the personal pronoun...

Tech briefs.(VisionEdge Marketing survey on marketing measurement)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Survey finds business goal/measurement gap Marketing measurement continues to be a top priority at organizations, but a majority of marketers surveyed said their measurement efforts fall short, according to a survey by marketing...

Technology can help marketers quantify events.(Special Report: Event Marketing)
March 12, 2007... Byline: ERIN BIBA Many b-to-b marketers are starting to realize that measuring ROI is essential to the future of their event divisions. Yet while companies are reluctant to adopt new methods-or even to begin measuring at all-new...

Keeping track of the virtual world, chickens and you.(Beyond the Biz)(Market Truths)
March 12, 2007... Don't fret: You're not the only one wondering how to make a real buck in the virtual world of Second Life. In an effort to promote entrepreneurism in-world, PR agency Edelman and virtual world content developer Electric Sheep Co. partnered last...

Campaign management system saves time, reduces expenditures; Ask the expert.(Aimee Roberts of Frost and Sullivan Inc.)(Interview)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Christopher Hosford Aimee Roberts is a research analyst at Frost & Sullivan specializing in enterprise marketing management. BtoB recently asked Roberts about the state of campaign management systems. BtoB: What is the major...

Online Marketing Summit probes new technologies.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: KATE MADDOX Marketers at last month's inaugural Online Marketing Summit debated how to use increasingly sophisticated technologies to reach customers while not losing sight of marketing fundamentals. The Online Marketing...

Study: B-to-b 'lead generation' efforts lacking in energy.(RainToday.com's survey on business to business)
March 12, 2007... Byline: MATTHEW SCHWARTZ In the last two years, lead generation has become all the rage among b-to-b marketers. But how familiar are they with specific strategies and tactics that will put them ahead of their competitors? A new study...

Separating leads from inquiries central to Draeger's success.(Special Report: Event Marketing)(2005 American Association of Respiratory Care show)(Draeger Medical Inc.)
March 12, 2007... Byline: CHARLOTTE WOOLARD The sales force at Draeger Medical made due with the 80/20 rule of lead management until about two years ago. Unqualified leads traveled from the show floor to regional sales managers and then the field, where...

'Farm Journal' cultivates reputation.(Special Report: Top Trades)(Farm Journal Media)
March 12, 2007... Farm Journal, the flagship of Farm Journal Media, is one of the oldest trade titles, dating back to 1877. It is also one of the most sophisticated, deploying a 360-degree media strategy that could be a model for other b-to-b media companies...

Pitney Bowes demonstrates enterprise solution capability.(Vertical Insight: Financial Services)(Pitney Bowes Management Services)
March 12, 2007... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS Pitney Bowes has long been recognized as a major force in the mail management industry. However, the company is much more than simply a postage meter provider, said Stacy DeWalt, VP-vertical market development and...

Specificity raises executives' interest; Recognizing differences in structure, size and influence will help reach sector.(Vertical Insight: Financial Services)
March 12, 2007... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS The U.S. financial services sector is expected to lend more than $39.4 trillion in 2007, according to the U.S. Financial Services Forecast published last month by the Economist Intelligence Unit. "Lending and bond...

Agenda.
March 12, 2007... April 10-13 Search Engine Strategies Incisive Media Hilton New York www.searchenginestrategies.com April 16 Sales & Marketing Effectiveness Summit IDC New York Marriott East Side www.idc.com/events ...

'Furniture/Today' builds global accounts.(Special Report: Top Trades)(Reed Business Information Ltd.)
March 12, 2007... Furniture/Today has maintained a dominant role in the marketplace by crafting ad strategies for the growing number of international furniture manufacturers that are trying to reach U.S. buyers. "International [marketers] have started to...

CORRECTION.(Correction notice)
March 12, 2007... In the "Goat or Gloat'' section of Chasers (Feb. 12, page 38), an incorrect photo appeared above the review of an advertisement from Perot Systems. The correct photo appears below.

Survey: Marketers can't grade agencies but fail them anyway; Most clients can't measure advertising's exact ROI, yet feel `vague disenchantment'.(return on investment)
March 12, 2007... Byline: MATTHEW CREAMER Ad agencies are failing miserably to deliver what clients want-never mind that most marketers can't measure what they're getting from their shops anyway. A survey of agencies and their clients released last...

Emotional connection with brand is important.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: ELLIS BOOKER Business marketers must appeal to the hearts, not just the minds of their customers and prospects, even in seemingly unlovable industries such as electronic components and concrete. The strategic and financial...

'IEEE Spectrum' boosts ad opportunities.(Special Report: Top Trades)
March 12, 2007... IEEE Spectrum, the flagship publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest professional technology association, spent a good deal of time in the winner's circle at American Business Media's...

Understand client priorities, then deliver solutions; Industry outlook.(Vertical Insight: financial services marketing)(Christine Crandell of Ariba Inc.)(Interview)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Roger Slavens Christine Crandell has marketed to major banks and other financial services institutions for more than 20 years. As VP-marketing at Ariba, a provider of enterprise-level sourcing, procurement and spending management...

'EE Times' wired for market changes.(Special Report: Top Trades)(Electronic Engineering Times from CMP Technology)
March 12, 2007... With semiconductors increasingly being manufactured using standard processes, makers have to work harder to differentiate their products to engineers and technical managers who are looking for a competitive edge, said Ross Ayotte, publisher and...

'Meeting News,' sibling offer advertisers 'one-two punch'.(Special Report: Top Trades)(Nielsen Business Media periodical)
March 12, 2007... In the last two years, Meeting News has gradually reduced its circulation from 60,000 to 45,000, which might normally be a discouraging sign for marketers such as Walt Disney Co. and the Bahamas that use the publication to plug their meeting...

Consolidation sweeps e-mail security industry.(Cisco Systems Inc. and IronPort Systems Inc.)
March 12, 2007... Byline: CAROL KROL Mergers and acquisitions in the e-mail security space are expected to peak during the next 12 months, as technology players scramble to position themselves in the middle of the big business of message security. Most...

Corporate culture class; Positive brand communications start with how employees feel about where they work.(Column)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Ron Cain Effective brand communications starts with a positive workplace. One that is filled with individuals who believe in your mission and can communicate your brand effectively. How do you build the right skills and strategy to...

Measuring relationships; Newfangled Web 2.0 concepts like `engagement' mean marketers must rethink existing analytics platforms and approaches.(Net Marketing)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Richard Karpinski With all the excitement about the emergence of Web 2.0-video, podcasts, RSS, AJAX, Flash, social media and more-the real story for b-to-b marketers isn't the flashy new content and interfaces those technologies...

'Browser blur,' and why you need to focus on it.(Net Marketing)(Web 2.0)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Adam Kleinberg Amid the hoopla about Web 2.0 there's an important trend that has not yet made it onto the radar of most marketers: browser blur. Other Web 2.0 trends are vitally important-user-generated content, harnessing...

Publishers in a pickle: Adopting Web 2.0.(Opinion)(Column)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Ellis Booker This issue of BtoB contains our annual Top Trades special report (page 27). Even a quick glance at this report reveals how these publishers are reacting to the changes-sometimes wrenching ones-caused by the Internet on...

Agencies seek the high life in Denver; Recent acquisitions give b-to-b ad shops a presence in the West.(News)
March 12, 2007... Byline: KATE MADDOX Denver, a city that has weathered the ups and downs of business cycles in telecommunications, energy and real estate, is seeing a flurry of agency activity as shops realize the potential of this gateway to the West. ...

Quick Hits.(Austin Ventures partnered with Jim Casella to form Case Interactive Media)(CNET Networks Inc. launched website www.bnet.com)(New York Times Co. and Monster Worldwide Inc. formed an alliance)
March 12, 2007... Internet ad revenue estimated at $16.8B The Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers released a report showing that Internet advertising revenue for 2006 was estimated at $16.8 billion, a 34% increase from $12.5 billion in...

Proposed postal rate hikes leave mailers in shock; Average increase expected to be 7.6%.(News)(Postal Regulatory Commission)
March 12, 2007... Byline: CAROL KROL Mailers are expressing shock and outrage following the Postal Regulatory Commission's recommendation late last month of steep hikes in postal rates and several changes in requirements for mailers. The complicated...

Why show audits are crucial for effective measurement.(Special Report: Event Marketing)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Jonathan "Skip'' Cox As marketing professionals continue to focus on measurement, definitive results linking marketing spending to business impact are vital. Trade shows remain a significant but sometimes elusive target for...

B of A makes most of 'opportunity'; Largest campaign ever targets enterprise, small-business and consumer segments.(Advertising)
March 12, 2007... Byline: KATE MADDOX Bank of America last month kicked off its largest advertising campaign ever, aimed at the enterprise, small-business and consumer segments. The campaign, with the tagline "Bank of opportunity,'' introduces Bank of...

Muddling through what Web 2.0 metrics mean; Ask the expert.(Net Marketing)(chat with Eric Peterson)(Interview)
March 12, 2007... Byline: Richard Karpinski Eric Peterson has written extensively on Web analytics, including the book "Web Analytics Demystified,'' and runs a blog of the same name at www.webanalytics demystified.com/weblog/. He recently spoke with BtoB...

The importance of pre- and post event planning.(Special Report: Event Marketing)
March 12, 2007... Byline: CHARLOTTE WOOLARD A trade show's return on investment stems from how well a company can extract value from interactions on a crowded floor. That extraction depends largely on a b-to-b event marketer's ability to reach the right...

Creative takes on bigger role.(Direct & Database)(Direct Marketing Association's survey)
March 12, 2007... Byline: CAROL KROL DMA survey finds marketers not testing key components Last month, the Direct Marketing Association's Research and Intelligence unit published "Getting Creative With Direct Mail,'' the first research it has produced...

B-to-B Online Poll Results.(social networking sites)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Has your company used a social networking site as a marketing channel? Yes - 26% No - 52% Plan to this year - 22% BtoBonline.com 3/8/2007 New Poll Question Vote now at BtoBonline.com Are you measuring "user...

5 things to consider when marketing to financial pros.(Vertical Insight: Financial Services)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Stacy DeWalt, VP-vertical market development and strategic marketing at Pitney Bowes Management Services, said that understanding the complexities of the financial services industry presents both opportunities and challenges. She and her...