Our industry already has a credibility problem. <br/>Do we really think AI is the answer?
These days, you can’t discuss marketing—or anything really––without the topic of AI coming up. Most of the articles and posts I’ve seen reference how to utilize AI in your content creation and tend to suggest you’re behind the curve if you’re not already on board. Sure, I’ve dabbled. And yes, it’s a fascinating tool that […]
CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES: PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PRIORITIZING YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING EFFORTS.
Marketing hasn’t changed much since the term first appeared in dictionaries in the late 19th century. It’s still about getting stuff from the people that make it to the people willing to buy it. But what has changed—many, many times—are the tactics employed by those of us in the ever-evolving marketing profession. In the last […]
THINGS THAT CAN TURN YOUR CUSTOMER JOURNEY INTO A DEAD END.
The quest for a better Customer Experience has produced solid results for many brands. And in most cases, that means an improvement in sales. It can be in the form of new sales, repeat sales, or increased sales volume from existing customers. Either way, sales is the metric that’s making management happy. All this is […]
<strong>YOUR DEALERS ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU. (TRUST ME ON THIS.)</strong>
For B2B brands, it’s important to keep your dealers close. After all, they’re the ones representing your brand and promoting your products or services to customers. You can’t afford to have them feel ignored, preached to, or taken for granted. That’s why actively investing in your dealer relationships is so important. It’s crucial for the […]
Help your dealers deliver value, not just transactions.
In the current business climate, there are a lot of conversations around delivering value. But let’s take a step back and ask an important philosophical question: What, exactly, is value in the context of brands and their independent dealer channel? Sure, brands want dealers to succeed. But what is required for success has changed drastically. […]
Want to improve your customer experience? Start with your dealer relationships.
Improving the customer experience for any brand that sells through a dealer channel must include the dealer in order to be successful.
Is your brand’s customer journey worth the trip?
Drive big results by helping your dealers focus on small moments. We marketers tend to talk at length about the Customer Journey and the Customer Experience. As well we should because these are important branding concepts. They can also be overwhelming since marketing’s role is to optimize every moment of a brand’s interaction with its […]
So you think it’s time for a rebrand? Not so fast.
It’s a conversation that comes up on a regular basis. A client says, “we need to rebrand our company.” To which I reply, “are you sure?” You’d think that as a creative agency, I would simply dive in and push for budget approval. But a rebrand is often ill-advised. I’ll outline the pros and cons, […]
IN DEFENSE OF SALESPEOPLE.
Sales may not be on your resume, but it’s part of every marketer’s job. I came to a couple of conclusions early in my career that have served me well. We’re all selling something. The best salespeople solve problems. Salespeople get a bad rap. They’re punch lines, the butt of jokes, and typically reduced to […]
Does your B2B strategy include E-Commerce? Make sure it includes your dealers, too.
At this evolutionary moment in time, we’re all still figuring out how to do business. The pace of change has us a bit fatigued, and new challenges have us scratching our heads. One of the faster-moving trends in sales and marketing is the integration of E-commerce in industrial B2B sales. Everyone knew it was important. […]
Let’s Make the Dealer the Hero of Your Brand
Your dealers should be catalysts that propel your brand forward. Marketing and brand directors will likely nod along and say, “Absolutely, they should be. But they aren’t.” I’ve witnessed frustration on both sides of the fence between dealers and the manufacturers they represent. Like any relationship it requires effort from both parties. But dealers are required to serve many masters, so for better or worse the lion’s share of the effort in this relationship belongs to the manufacturer. Of course, the manufacturers also reap most of the rewards.
Quick, what does your brand stand for?
If you have to stop and think, you’re in trouble. It’s important to continuously educate your organization about what makes your brand unique. Because the worst brand message is no brand message at all. Of course, you have a brand message. You know it by heart from all those conference room presentations you’ve made. But […]
