BtoB articles from May 2006

BtoB archives from May 2006

Fitness equipment maker finds strength in military campaign; Woodway expands reach into government market with targeted ads, direct mail.(Vertical Insight: Government)
May 8, 2006... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS Woodway, a global manufacturer of treadmills and fitness equipment for sports organizations, fitness clubs and medical use, already had its foot in the door with the U.S. military. "We had GSA [U.S. General...

Build brand, then nurture relationships.(e.Republic Inc)(Interview)
May 8, 2006... Don Pearson is exec VP of e.Republic Inc. and publisher of Government Technology, a magazine aimed at helping state and local governments make IT purchasing decisions. BtoB asked Pearson how marketers should approach state and local...

Media Power 50; Our annual list of the best b-to-b advertising venues.
May 8, 2006... Byline: SEAN CALLAHAN This year's Media Power 50 selections, as always, reflect the array of choices that are available to b-to-b marketers hoping to get their message across to prospects and customers. Among the venues in this year's...

Survey skills; What to consider when choosing a provider for online research products, services.(Net Marketing)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Paul Gillin The Internet may be the greatest market research tool ever invented, but the mind-boggling number of available survey services can give even the most seasoned marketer a headache. Online survey services allow...

Lessen bias with multiple sources.(web based approach in market research)
May 8, 2006... Question: If I use a Web-based approach to do market research what, if any, data quality issues should I be concerned about? Answer: Data quality is often a function of the approach used. For example, if your research requires that a...

Five tips for reliable online survey results.(online survey methods)
May 8, 2006... Byline: PAUL GILLIN Online survey sources are plentiful and can be inexpensive. But simply having the tool won't lead to reliable results. Scott Broetzmann, president of Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC), an Alexandria,...

Marketing to government; Successfully reaching lucrative market requires tailored messaging, patience.(spending reports)
May 8, 2006... Byline: ROGER SLAVENS The U.S. government spent, in total, $2.363 trillion on products and services in 2005, according to research and data company Global Insight. That spending is expected to increase to $2.5 trillion this year. "The...

U.S. Postal Service seeks 8.5% increase in postage rates.
May 8, 2006... Byline: CAROL KROL On the heels of the 5.4% increase that went into effect in January, the U.S. Postal Service filed a request with the Postal Rate Commission last Wednesday to raise postage rates an average of 8.5%. The request includes a...

Measuring the grapevine; Early adopters put hard metrics in place to measure word-of-mouth media impact.(customer relations service)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Lynda Radosevich Word-of-mouth marketing firm BzzAgent (www.bzzagent.com) typically services consumer brands, but b-to-b companies are starting to take notice. Joe Cordo, VP-marketing at Bullhorn, an on-demand software vendor, is...

A lesson in change management for marketers.(management techniques)
May 8, 2006... Byline: David Hutchinson If I see one more op-ed piece calling for marketers to "break down the silos'' between the various disciplines of the marketing function I think I'm gonna snap. The ugly truth is that such companywide integration...

Tech Briefs.(ValueClick)(eMarketer)(Internet Ad Revenue )
May 8, 2006... Study shows satisfaction with measurement up Companies are slightly more satisfied with their ability to measure marketing ROI, according to the "2006 Marketing ROI and Measurement Trend Study'' by MarketingProfs and the Lenskold Group. The...

Methodology.(advertising revenue)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... In making the selections for the Media Power 50, BtoB editors and reporters employed both objective and subjective criteria. They evaluated data such as ad revenue and audience, and interviewed about two dozen top media buyers, advertisers and...

In Direct.(Hacker Group)(Teramedia Corp)
May 8, 2006... Direct marketers foresee hiring gains Nearly three-quarters (72%) of direct marketers surveyed said they plan to add staff this quarter, according to a quarterly survey by Bernhart Associates Executive Search. "Only two companies out of...

Quick Hits.(ZenithOptimedia)(Pitney Bowes acquired Ibis Consulting)(Klipmart Corp online video ads)
May 8, 2006... CMO Council study finds marketers out of touch Marketers still have a long way to go when it comes to understanding and interacting with customers, according to a recent study by the CMO Council. The study, "Select & Connect: Strategies...

Ad agency's phone spots push the envelope.(News)
May 8, 2006... A TONGUE-IN-CHEEK b-to-b telemarketing campaign that ran in April from Hammerhead Advertising turned the idea of cold calling on its head. The boutique ad agency based in Hoboken, N.J., wanted to reach marketing VPs to generate new business and...

Brave new media world redux.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Ellis Booker Back in 2000, when BtoB first published what has come to be our influential, annual Media Power 50 special report, most business publishers had already read the writing on the wall and boosted their commitment to...

Nortel CMO begins global brand audit; Flaherty faces a tough job as she takes the reins at the telecommunications vendor.
May 8, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX Lauren Flaherty, who took over as Nortel Networks' CMO May 1, is undertaking a global brand audit this month to understand exactly how Nortel is perceived by its constituents and what the company needs to do to reshape...

Focusing in on an individual account and treating it as a market has big benefits.(account-based marketing methods)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Jeff Sands One of the most intriguing trends in b-to-b marketing today is the rise of account-based marketing (ABM), perhaps the ultimate expression of the trend toward smaller and more precisely targeted campaigns. ABM is an...

Corrections.
May 8, 2006... The Online Publishers chart in BtoB's "Interactive Marketing Guide 2006'' (April 24, page 33) contained inaccuracies for some properties. CNET Networks' URL is www.cnetnetworks.com. Regarding unique monthly visitors, the correct numbers are:...

Postal service campaign proves direct can be hip.
May 8, 2006... Byline: CAROL KROL One way to promote a product is to not take it too seriously. Try a wink and a nod with a little self-deprecation thrown in for good measure. The U.S. Postal Service did just that, in a direct-mail campaign portraying...

Welcoming your critics online.(new marketing methods from General Motors Corp and Microsoft Corp)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Paul Gillin Here's an assignment for you: Stage a corporate event and invite everyone, even your worst critics, to attend. Let them all have stage time to say their worst about you. Then publish their comments on your corporate...

For booth personnel, optics company opts for professional staff.
May 8, 2006... Byline: JAMES M.CONNOLLY At Edmund Optics, the events strategy begins with the seemingly simple question of which type of event to attend. Each year, the industrial optics manufacturer exhibits at about 20 trade shows, each with its own...

Problem Solved.(algorithms in search engines)
May 8, 2006... Problem: Selecting the right search engine optimization provider. Solution: Done properly, search engine optimization improves your Web site's placement in results generated by search engines such as Google. The higher your site's placement...

BMA's new chairman says customer is key.(Business Marketing Association )(Interview)
May 8, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX John Favalo will take over as international chairman of the Business Marketing Association at the BMA annual conference in San Jose, Calif., May 10-12. Favalo is managing partner of Eric Mower & Associates Group...

No. 1 The Wall Street Journal; Amid myriad media choices, the "Journal' is still considered the top buy for b-to-b marketers that want to reach an executive audience.(internet advertising growth)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Matthew Schwartz Gordon L. Crovitz, president of Dow Jones Consumer Media Group and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, offers a reminder of the role the print Journal will continue to play despite the growing migration of ad...

No. 2 Google; Company is well positioned for further growth as search catches on as an advertising medium.
May 8, 2006... Byline: Sean Callahan How powerful is Google? Well, you know you've arrived as a company when tech behemoths eBay, Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo! have discussed forming a confederacy to combat your influence, as The Wall Street Journal...

No. 3 ESPN SportsCenter; Cable TV giant moves into wireless world with Mobile ESPN, enabling advertisers to reach sports-loving executives 24/7.(television advertising)
May 8, 2006... Byline: Roger Slavens It's no longer an exaggeration to say that ESPN's "SportsCenter,'' a perennial presence in the top 10 of BtoB's Media Power 50, is everywhere you look. The cable sports network giant rolled out its Mobile ESPN...

No. 5 CNET Networks; Internet pioneer attracts advertisers with its strong stable of b-to-b properties: News.com, TechRepublic and ZDNet.
May 8, 2006... Byline: S.C. CNET was launched in 1992 with a plan for a technology-oriented TV network but eventually found the Web to be its natural home. Over the years, it has taken much of its ad revenue out of the pockets of traditional...

No. 6 USA Today; Gannett's flagship delivers a compact news read for travelers.
May 8, 2006... Byline: M.S. Within the last several years it's become the drill for business executives on the run: Laptop? Check. Cellphone? Check. BlackBerry? Check. USA Today? Check. Along with a dizzying array of technology products, road...

No. 8 Meet the Press; Show is most-watched Sunday morning public affairs program.
May 8, 2006... Byline: M.S. The majority of NBC's "Meet the Press'' is devoted to discussing the issues of the day with newsmakers and political prognosticators. It's a relatively uncluttered commercial environment, with a total of just nine minutes of...

Cut to the Chase.(marketing contracts)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Company: Huber Engineered Materials, Harve de Grace, Md. Agency: Point of Vision Design Group, Atlanta Market: Formulators of oral dosage tablets Quick chase: We all remember Rolling Stone's long-running "Perception/Reality'' ad campaign. Now...

Goat or Gloat.(marketing contracts)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Advertiser: Ohio Business Development Coalition, Columbus Agency: Paul Werth Associates, Columbus Market: CEOs Quick chase: Ohio is proud of the logistics and transportation services that businesses can tap within its borders. In this ad, it is...

Ads say a lot about corporate identity.
May 8, 2006... Every ad-not just a corporate identity ad-ideally portrays the things that will make a company liked, respected and admired. Regardless of whether the company is pushing a product or a service, readers will make judgments about what that...

No. 9 The New York Times; "Old gray lady' has revamped its business coverage.
May 8, 2006... Byline: M.S. The New York Times has taken several lumps in the past few years because of the controversies surrounding Jayson Blair and Judith Miller. Still, the "paper of record'' has been able to maintain its reputation as one of the...

No. 10 CFO; No magazine speaks the language of finance more fluently.
May 8, 2006... Byline: R.S. If finance is the language of business, then perhaps no one speaks it better than CFO magazine. The magazine, founded in 1985 and purchased by the Economist Group in 1989, has capitalized on its financial focus over the...

Agencies chase China boom; Government relaxes ownership rules, enabling U.S. shops to step up activities in hot market.(China market analysis)
May 8, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX As multinational corporations expand into the Chinese market, ad agencies that serve them are opening offices, forming partnerships and expanding their presence as well. With 1.3 billion people, a GDP that will grow...

Newspaper companies put the squeeze on print; Dailies trim sizes, shift content online.
May 8, 2006... Byline: MATTHEW SCHWARTZ Welcome to the era of the incredible shrinking newspaper. As readers and advertisers continue to migrate to the Web, newspapers have started to contract by reducing their size and jettisoning mainstays such as...

C-level execs remain elusive for b-to-b marketers.
May 8, 2006... Byline: CAROL KROL C-level executives remain a hard-to-reach b-to-b audience, but relevance and exemplary service may give marketers the edge they need to gain and keep them as customers, according to Ipsos Media's "U.S. Business Elite...

ad:tech showcases emerging technologies.
May 8, 2006... Byline: KATE MADDOX Behavioral targeting, search marketing, online video and mobile marketing applications made a big splash at the ad:tech conference April 26-28 in San Francisco. The event, produced by dmg world media, attracted more...

'BtoB's Media Business' names Top Innovators; Weitzner, Pollak, Spanfeller among executives honored.(Business Media)
May 8, 2006... BtoB's Media Business announced the winners of this year's Top Innovators in Business Publishing Awards in its May issue. Media Business inaugurated the Top Innovators in 2004 to spotlight b-to-b media executives who are constantly pushing...

Traditional TV ads still work for b-to-b.
May 8, 2006... Byline: JOEL BROWN Despite challenges from TiVo and the Internet, traditional TV advertising will continue to provide air power for b-to-b marketers that crave the reach and profile it provides. But marketers say careful targeting and...

No. 4 Forbes.com; Business news site expands coverage of vertical markets and Washington, while offering a "beeline to the C-suite'.
May 8, 2006... Byline: M.S. Reaching top executives is "one of the most difficult challenges b-to-b marketers have because there are so many human and technological filters,'' said Rick Segal, CEO of b-to-b ad agency HSR Business to Business. To get past...

No. 7 Yahoo! Popular site lets marketers cherry-pick their audience.
May 8, 2006... Byline: S.C. Yahoo! launched itself into the public consciousness by offering free e-mail for life. It was a brilliant move for a site that now generates more than 100 million unique visitors every month and has evolved into a leading...

Quick Hits.(Briefs)
May 8, 2006... Time Inc. combines print and online sales In another example of the accelerating trend among media companies to merge print and online advertising sales, Time Inc. organized all its business and finance titles, along with the Web site...

New Events Calendar.(News)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Visit BtoB's Web site, BtoBonline.com, to access our new Events Calendar of advertising, marketing and media-related events. The Events Calendar can be accessed free of charge and without registration. Visitors can search for events by month,...

Verisign seeks to quantify PR push.(public relations management)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... For the past year, Verisign has sought to track its mainstream and consumer-generated media (CGM) public relations impact using quantitative metrics as it does in other areas of its business. "Our management team thinks in numbers.... For...

Innovators luncheon.(Business Media)(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Media Business will honor this year's winners at a luncheon on Thursday, June 8, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York. The program will start with a cocktail reception at 11:30 a.m. The awards luncheon will begin at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $95,...

How woodway got its campaign in shape; Case Study.(Brief article)
May 8, 2006... Objective: Woodway, a global manufacturer of treadmills and fitness equipment, wanted to extend its reach into the government market, increasing visibility and differentiating its products from those of competitors. Solution: Working with...

Media Power 50 List.(Directory)
May 8, 2006... NEWSPAPERS Financial Times Phone: (212) 641-6550 URL: www.ft.com Circulation: 137,845 (U.S.) Ad revenue: $270.9 million (global) Ad rate: $45,300 for 1 page 4/C (U.S.) Comment: Some business executives and the...

The personal touch; Events have increasingly become more about building relationships than finding leads, even as advanced monitoring plays a greater role.
May 8, 2006... Byline: James M. Conolly Fresh from the trade show, a marketer has a yummy-in-the-tummy satisfaction. Good booth traffic, a CD loaded with leads and feedback from sales reps all over town fill the marketer with warm feelings. The plane...

Agenda.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
May 8, 2006... MAY 11-12 BMA Annual Conference Business Marketing Association Doubletree Hotel San Jose, Calif. www.marketing.org MAY 25 BtoB NetMarketing Breakfast BtoB magazine Grand Hyatt Hotel New York ...