BtoB articles from October 2008

BtoB archives from October 2008

Beyond the BRC; Our panel of experts discusses the decline in traditional response marketing methods and the growth of online brand engagement.(Special Report: Direct Marketing)(Discussion)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Christopher Hosford To take the pulse of the industry, BtoB Senior Reporter Christopher Hosford contacted several direct marketing agency executives to solicit their views on agency and industry trends. Participating in separate...

Btobonline.com.(Opinion)(Survey)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Survey says! Recent BtoB webcast audience poll results: How is the current downturn affecting your plans for social media and Web 2.0 marketing? More likely to pursue: 72% Less likely to pursue: 28% Poll taken during...

Credit crisis slows deal flow in media sector.(Business Media)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Sean Callahan The credit crisis has begun to hurt mergers and acquisitions activity in the media and information sector, according to media investment bank Jordan, Edmiston Group's recently released "Third Quarter 2008 M&A...

Online advertising during the downturn; Optimists and pessimists abound, but marketers will concentrate on ROI, analytics to justify spend.(NetMarketing)(return on investment)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Karen J. Bannan The cup is half full or half empty, depending on whom you talk to. While some pundits say advertising isn't immune to the world's economic trials and are bearish about advertising and marketing growth in 2009 and...

Financial ad campaigns pick up in midst of crisis.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KATE MADDOX One of the unexpected boons of the financial meltdown is the rash of new advertising from banks, investment firms and other financial institutions seeking to reassure shaky investors, business partners and customers in...

Direct hit? Global economic uncertainty is eroding marketing budgets, but some agencies see the downturn driving more clients to direct.(Special Report: Direct Marketing)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Amy Syracuse Remember the good old days, when the credit crunch was an ambiguous phenomenon that concerned only the world's financial elite? What a difference a few weeks can make. Following the unanticipated demise of an...

new campaigns.(Advertising)
October 13, 2008... Cisco Systems "The Human Network Effect'' Agency: Ogilvy Los Angeles Target audience: IT decision- makers and business executives Campaign objective: Show how Cisco networking technology is changing the way people live and work Media:...

JetDirect relaunches brand with targeted C-suite campaign; Case study.(Special Report: Marketing to the C-Suite)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KATE MADDOX Campaign name: "People. Planes. Purpose.'' Agency: Winsper, Boston Target audience: C-level executives and high net worth individuals Campaign objective: Introduce the new JetDirect Aviation brand ...

Cut to the chase.(Chasers)(advertising of Avaya Inc. and Microsoft Corp.)
October 13, 2008... Company: Avaya Inc., Basking Ridge, N.J. Agency: N/A Market: IT, telecommunications Quick chase: Human faces are a powerful lure in b-to-b advertising, especially faces presented in an attractive, well-crafted ad like this online execution for...

Objectworld shifts from trade shows to webinars; Tough economic realities push communications company into saving with virtual events.(NetMarketing)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KAREN J. BANNAN Marketing is a tough game, but it's even tougher when your target doesn't like marketing in the first place. And it becomes even more of a challenge when your company's major competitors- Cisco Systems, IBM Corp....

Draftfcb uses customer data to create effective campaigns; Runner-up: Draftfcb.(Special Report: Direct Marketing)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Kate Maddox Draftfcb, formed in late 2006 through the merger of Interpublic Group's Draft Worldwide direct agency and creative shop Foote Cone & Belding, is the runner-up in BtoB's 2008 Direct Agency special report. In 2007,...

Agenda.(News)(Calendar)
October 13, 2008... Oct. 20-23 EMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit Rising Media Hilton Alexandria (Va.) Mark Center www.emetrics.org/2008/washingtondc Oct. 22-23 Digital Marketing Mixer MarketingProfs Radisson Fort McDowell,...

`BtoB' hires McCarthy for media beat.(Opinion)(Daniel McCarthy )(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Daniel McCarthy has joined BtoB as media reporter. A former publication director for Business Trends Quarterly (BTQ) and a freelance journalist, McCarthy will write for both Media Business and BtoB. Prior to joining BtoB, McCarthy was part...

Webcasting is on the upswing; Webinar industry pegged at $83.3 million in '07 and ready to grow more than 28.2%.(Events)
October 13, 2008... Byline: ERIN BIBA The Web conferencing industry is big business. More and more b-to-b marketers are turning to Web conferences or webcasting to reach their target audience. In a recent BtoB web-inar, How to Address Today's Top Marketing...

GE video campaign measures engagement, favorability.(Tools & Metrics)(General Electric Co.)
October 13, 2008... Byline: CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD For a company whose products are numerous-from the ubiquitous (electricity) to the imposing (jet engines and railroad locomotives)-there are plenty of opportunities to tell good stories and, in the process,...

Kodak scans the horizon for small-business opportunities.(Special Report: Direct Marketing)(Eastman Kodak Co.)
October 13, 2008... Byline: CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD Eastman Kodak Co. is no stranger to change. The company's onetime bread-and-butter business, film cameras and film stock, was decimated by the rise of digital photography, and today the Rochester, N.Y.-based...

Correction.(Correction notice)
October 13, 2008... In "2008 E-mail Marketer Insight Guide'' (page 13), incorrect contact information was given for Premiere Global Services. The company is based in Atlanta and can be reached at (404) 262-8400.

event briefs.(Events)
October 13, 2008... Marketbright debuts Event Manager Marketing automation company Marketbright has introduced Event Manager, an event marketing management solution that combines administrative tools with lead generation and nurturing functions. Event Manager...

Slack looks back on past 20 years; Slack Barshinger chairman also gazes ahead and sees potential boon in crisis.(Advertising)(Slack Barshinger and Partners Inc.)(Interview)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KATE MADDOX Slack Barshinger, a b-to-b integrated marketing communications agency in Chicago, joins the ranks of other Windy City b-to-b agencies that have reached their 20-year mark within the past year (including Colman Brohan...

How to choose a direct agency; Look for expertise in your industry, and don't be afraid to bring on multiple specialty shops.(Special Report: Direct Marketing)
October 13, 2008... Byline: CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD When it comes to choosing a direct marketing agency, what do you need? A shop with top creative? State-of-the-art database technology? How about expertise in your industry, or even scale (small, medium or...

BBDO wins Grand CEBA for GE campaign; Ogilvy recognized for digital and online video efforts.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KATE MADDOX BBDO New York won the Grand CEBA Award for its General Electric Co. "Global ecomagination'' campaign at American Business Media's 13th annual Creative Excellence in Business Advertising Awards Oct. 1. ABM presented...

Ad spending will fall; how much is unclear.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KATE MADDOX While ad agency executives and marketers say it's still too early to assess the impact the financial crisis will have on marketing budgets next year, it is sure to hit Madison Avenue. Last week, media agency...

QuickHits.(News)
October 13, 2008... DMA: Direct marketing revenue declines in Q2 While direct marketing revenue fell off during the second quarter, the sector still enjoyed growth in profitability, according to the Direct Marketing Association. The DMA's new Quarterly...

Corporate blogs fail crisis test; New Channels.(Opinion)(Viewpoint essay)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Paul Gillin It's been nearly four years since corporations began wading cautiously into the sea of blogging with the commitment to engage in what has come to be called a global conversation. The essence of blogging is timeliness,...

Video value reassessed; Online video challenges marketers seeking to measure its impact.(Tools & Metrics)
October 13, 2008... Byline: CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD A slew of marketers is producing original online video for use on their Web sites or for placement on such video aggregation sites as YouTube.com. But many are only beginning to appreciate how problematic online...

Google's mobile ambitions; Launch of `Android' phone a bold bid for dominance of mobile advertising.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: RICHARD KARPINSKI In little more than a week, the first phones running Google's Android mobile operating software will hit the streets, courtesy of carrier partner T-Mobile. The release of the first Android phones-starting with...

Volatile markets, shifting strategies.(Opinion)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Ellis Booker Like a slow-motion train wreck, the stock market collapse the past two weeks has been surreal and unnerving. On Friday at noon, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 350 points. On Thursday, it fell 7.3%...

Beyond the biz.(News)(building and facilities of marketing industry)
October 13, 2008... Media companies expand into retail, oenophilia The media are no longer just messengers, they are progressive merchandisers. Their first target-airports. Detroit Metropolitan Airport's North Terminal opened the first USA Today and Sports...

Goat or gloat; A quick comparison of recent work by competing advertisers.(Chasers)(advertising of AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
October 13, 2008... Company: AT&T, Dallas Agency: BBDO New York and BBDO Atlanta Market: CIOs, sales managers Quick chase: Mostly lost against the nocturnal skyline is the headline: "The INTERNET can't hide anymore,'' which either underscores AT&T's point about...

Promises, promises.(Chasers)(advertising of American Express Co.)(Column)
October 13, 2008... Promising to help customers pinch a penny isn't as glamorous as offering to help them be more profitable or more productive, but it's a message that's taken on greater urgency as the economy struggles. While the task of conquering markets...

Relevant content connects with C-suite.(Special Report: Marketing to the C-Suite)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KATE MADDOX Multiple media programs may help reach business leaders, but there has to be a substantive message to keep their attention To connect with hard-to-reach C-level executives, marketers are using a variety of media...

'Day in the Life' report shows Internet primary BI source for C-suite.(Special Report: Marketing to the C-Suite)
October 13, 2008... Byline: KATE MADDOX The Internet is the primary source of business information for C-level executives, according to research from Forbes.com and Gartner Inc. released earlier this year. The report, "Day in the Life of C-Level...

WSJ.com looks past 'paid vs. free'.(Business Media)
October 13, 2008... Byline: MARIE GRIFFIN With its redesign, site seeks to grow both subscriptions, total audience for advertisers In the online world, can a paid-subscription business model coexist with an advertiser-supported model driven by free...

DIRECT IMPACT; Industry responds to downturn with rising layoffs; list prices fall across the board.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD The deepening economic crisis that has ensnared the country is having a profound effect on direct marketing, with new reports showing hiring declining, layoffs rising and list prices falling. And there is no...

BMA honors AmEx for Plum Card.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD The Business Marketing Association of New York last month awarded its Communicator of the Year award to American Express Co. for the campaign that launched the Plum Card for small businesses. Presented Sept....

CMO Council explores customer experience in difficult market; Home Depot, Marriott, Southwest Airlines top customer engagement rankings.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: DANIEL MCCARTHY As the economy reels from the crisis on Wall Street, a newly released study from the Chief Marketing Officer Council suggests companies must engage with their customers better. The study found consumers are now...

MRM delivers engagement and utility to drive results; Direct Agency of the Year: MRM Worldwide.(Special Report: Direct Marketing)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Kate Maddox MRM Worldwide, BtoB's 2008 Direct Agency of the Year, is driving success for its clients by creating engaging, useful direct and digital marketing programs to reach business decision-makers. MRM is the direct and...

Take the time to find and reach the right person; industry outlook.(Vertical Insight: Manufacturing)(methods of marketing)(Interview)
October 13, 2008... Byline: Mary E. Morrison As VP-strategic media programs at Godfrey, a Lancaster, Pa.-based b-to-b marketing communications agency, Stacy Whisel works with several clients in the manufacturing market. BtoB recently spoke with Whisel about...

Gates Corp. uses online show to capture leads virtually.(Vertical Insight: Manufacturing)
October 13, 2008... Byline: MARY E. MORRISON Denver-based Gates Corp. is a manufacturer of automotive and industrial products that targets original equipment manufacturer (OEM) designers. The company's power transmission division was looking to generate leads...

Industrial buyers shopping online; Internet use during the purchase process has made successful Web engagement essential.(Vertical Insight: Manufacturing)
October 13, 2008... Byline: MARY E. MORRISON Companies selling their products or services to manufacturing professionals face the challenges that marketers in any industry do: determining who, exactly, the audience is and how best to reach them. These hurdles...

Hard times don't deter 'New York Times'.(News)
October 13, 2008... Byline: MARIE GRIFFIN Newspaper launches trade ad campaign, expands online coverage of business At the end of last month, The New York Times launched its first national trade advertising campaign in more than a decade, even as the...

Direct mail: multi - Runner-up: Xerox Corp.(Creative)(briefs)(Brief article)
October 27, 2008... ***** Correction: In the Creative section of BtoB's Best 2008 (pages 30, 33), the location for Roberts Communications was misidentified. The agency is based in Rochester, N.Y. ***** Agency: Roberts Communications, Tampa, Fla....

Single print ad - Honorable Mention: MasterCard.(Creative)
October 27, 2008... ***** Correction: In the Creative section of BtoB's Best 2008 (pages 30, 33), the location for Roberts Communications was misidentified. The agency is based in Rochester, N.Y. ***** Agency: Roberts Communications, Tampa, Fla....