Prickly Issue #1 - B2B
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The document provides tips for successful Business-to-People (B2P) marketing campaigns based on lessons learned from various B2P case studies. It outlines 10 steps for succeeding in the new B2B frontier, including embracing transparency between B2B and B2C, wrapping hard sells in soft shells to make them more appealing, thinking like a publisher by creating compelling content, and turning happy clients into post-purchase ambassadors. The case studies illustrate how various companies activated partners and increased sales by telling emotionally relevant brand stories that felt more like B2C campaigns than traditional B2B communications.
Prickly Issue #1 - B2B
- 1. Prickley Issues 01 Who decided that B2B campaigns had to be so boring, anyway? Time for change! +10 Easy ste ps to suc on the N ceed ew B2P Frontier
- 2. It’s been one of the most consistent conversation pieces over the past year: tuned-in MDs commenting on the somewhat confused state of B2B communication. It’s changing, everyone feels it, but how? And why such a Grand Canyon sized gap between enticing ‘pull’ B2C campaigns and the somewhat dull hard-sell ‘push’ tactics oft-used for B2B?
- 3. A middle ground has emerged in the boardrooms, namely B2P – Business to People. In the past year a wide array of vastly different clients came through our agency doors with highly specific B2P briefings. Brands like California shoe company K-Swiss, global printer make Océ, Swedish Tourism Board VisitSweden, Schiphol, Amsterdam RAI, to name just a few. Their briefs were tellingly similar: give us B2B, but make it feel B2C. In trying to meet their expectations we spent much time seeking out the right balance between hard and soft selling, rational and emotional, cash and cuddly. Along the way we’ve made a few key discoveries. And we’ve packaged them for you here in this Prickly Issues whitepaper. And when all is said and done, we offer up a B2P Survival Guide for all those marketers looking for inspiring B2B campaigns.
- 4. Case 1 K-Swiss K-Swiss’s classic woos shoes into stock What to do when high-end European retailers are no longer stocking your most iconic shoe? This was the challenge facing California sports company K-Swiss in the Spring of 2010. The result was an award-winning campaign (D&AD ‘In Book June 2011) that not only activated retailers to stock more shoes, but ignited positive conversations about the K-Swiss brand across the globe.
- 5. Case 1 K-Swiss Insight Campaign Results Media Mix The lowdown While the Classic shoe itself is just The challenge was to tell the long story The results resonated far beyond Print, brand story, DM, a pretty nifty heritage sneaker, it’s of the Classic in a way that would help retailers. Because we packaged the hard- PR: plugging & seeding The D&AD award was story is extraordinary in these times of retailers sell more shoes. So we broke the sell story of the shoe in an emotionally certainly unexpected, but fast-moving goods. The problem was, story up into 8 non-linear chapters and relevant way (i.e. respected designers), it just goes to show that K-Swiss didn’t communicate the story asked 8 respected underground designers major sneakerfreak communities picked even B2B campaigns can of its shoe to its retail partners, namely across the globe to design posters around the story up and helped us create the create positive B2C buzz on because the company didn’t know them. We sent the resulting double-sided demand for retailers to stock more a global scale if that’s what the whole story itself. We immediate limited-edition posters to key retailers to Classic shoes. The campaign and social you set out to do from day 1. set about piecing one together out hang in their shops and hand out to their media strategy it entailed resulted in a of the fragments of information and most exclusive clients, creating goodwill 63% increase in brand awareness and a communication lying dormant in the and making them part of the campaign’s 36% jump in positive conversations about company archives. success. K-Swiss.
- 6. Case 2 Océ Kick-starting conversations and creating quality leads for Océ’s global sales force Océ is a global market leader in large-format printers and thought it was time to drive that point home through a global B2B campaign around its new PosterPrinter. The brief: create a powerful conversation starter for the brand’s global sales force that helps them create genuine leads and ultimately sell more printers. The catch? Needs to be adaptable across all Océ’s OPCOs and succeed with no media budget. The result was an online mockumentary that drove home a hard B2B message; namely, that the Océ Poster Printer is the fastest and “We wanted a campaign that would tell the story of the PosterPrinter in easiest poster printer on the planet. a way that would inspire our sales force and function as a conversation starter. A B2B story that didn’t feel B2B.” -Ed Lensen, International Business Development Manager, Océ Display Graphics Systems
- 7. Case 2 Insight Océ The decisionmakers in the large- The entire campaign was format printing business (the guys complemented by an activation who place the orders) are the last link microsite, where an online Poster- in a very creative chain, but they are Printer turned uploaded images into still part of the creative chain. We virtual posters. The Instant Poster played into their creative instincts by Power also translated to on-site and The lowdown capturing every creative individual’s trade fairs where clients could turn dream: to escape the monotony of the images from their telephones into B2B campaigns office! instant posters in 30 seconds. are so caught up in corporatespeak that they often forget WHY their Campaign Results products and services are We scripted a story around two very In the first few months after launch so interesting and unique. likeable young guys who launch a some 30,000 video views and the By giving the PosterPrinter pop-up printer business called ‘Instant microsite hundreds of community a human, ‘outside-in’ Poster Power’ from the back of their uploaded images. Every Océ Opco context (instead of purely customized van. The mockumentary picked up the campaign and adapted inside-out), the Océ sales follows these two micropreneurs as both the film and microsite into local team enthusiastically they service small businesses, pull languages. The campaign also sparked picked up on the campaign pranks, do some social good and local activation campaigns around and used it as a serious transform the urban landscape, all the Instant Poster Power theme. The tool to service current with the help of the PosterPrinter. In campaign was included in prestigious clients and to create new short, they capture the emotion of the international marketing magazine leads – each salesman was poster business and the importance of Contagious as a Best Practices for encouraged to plug&seed posters in communication today. All B2B campaigns. the film into his own the printer’s USPs were worked into networks. the script, but we avoid typical B2B Media Mix corporatetalk through unscripted, Online film, print, DM, web platform, spontaneous dialogue to help the trade shows, PR: plugging & seeding message sound heartfelt and real.
- 8. Case 3 VisitSweden How Swedish tourism got Dutch travel agents on their side The Swedish tourism board, VisitSweden, had one business goal: get more Dutch to give up the Austrian and French Alps for Swedish ski sojourns. An integral part of the challenge was thus to convince travel agents to take Swedish skiing seriously. What they got was the B2C/B2B ‘Fit for the Winter Games’ campaign that travelled well beyond the agents’ offices and ended up a global cult hit. Oh, and the first direct charter flights to Sweden.
- 9. Case 3 VisitSweden Insight To challenge the Dutch annual Alps agents – in return they could win a routine, Sweden needed a serious limited-edition ‘Fit for the Winter edge, and we quickly pinpointed one, Games’ bag. an insight the Swedes themselves weren’t particularly proud of. Namely, Results that since 1986 the Swedish winter By activating Dutch travel agents sport towns of Are and Ostersund via DM, the bag and a special page had bid for the Olympic Games three on the website, the number of Dutch times – and lost. We didn’t see losing winter hotel stays after the campaign bids however, we simply saw proof doubled and the first winter charter that Sweden had world-class facilities. flight to Are took off from Schiphol. B2C results were also impressive: over The lowdown Campaign 800,000 video views, a 200% increase The ‘Fit for the Olympic Games’ in web visits and a campaign that Your B2B partners are campaign was created around two completely dominated all Google also consumers, and in amusing online films highlighting search results for ‘Swedish winter some situations you need Sweden’s Olympic ambitions and its sport’. to activate them like key USPs. We told the story through consumers. If they like two fanatical Swedes who dream of something they’ll actively the Olympics so they can display Media Mix share and sell it. And if their talents as, respectively, a mascot Film, Web platform, Print, they don’t, encourage them and a streaker. In addition to DM, a DM, Events, PR: plugging & seeding other ways like giving flyer team, web and taking the films them free give-aways. consumer direct via YouTube, we sent agents a special package with DVD and brochures and encouraged them to send the film to at least three other
- 10. B2P B2B short 1 Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Shorts Schiphol’s ‘Magic in function’ film It’s not just enough to be Europe’s 5th largest hub and one high-quality partners. More specifically, the short film of the most innovative airports in the world. Sometimes, combines the Schiphol elements people know with behind- “Lemon managed to reinvent our you have to remind people that behind the business there’s the-scene action they don’t – the functional and the magic corporate message and create a a clearly defined mission §and vision. Our ‘A day in the of an airport. brand story that makes us appealing Life’ B2P campaign for Schiphol was designed specifically to virtually everyone. Never before did to spark positive conversations internally and with new Media Mix Brand story, Film we get so many thumbs up!” Chella Busch, Brand Manager Schiphol Group
- 11. B2P B2B short 2 B2B short 3 Amsterdam RAI WYSTC AmsterdamINTENSER DE ERVARING WYSTC 2011’s RAI’s Shorts HOE inspiring ‘experience HOE KOSTBAARDER DE HERINNERING fake travel trend angel’ challenge Waar je het ziet, is hoe je het ziet. Hier zie je alles op zijn mooist, beleef je het intens. Een galadiner, feest, beurs, congres, vergadering of training... RAI Elicium staat voor ongekende allure en elegantie. Wil je meer weten? Ik kan je nog veel meer laten zien! Graag leid ik je rond op www.rai-elicium.nl In its effort to further reinforce its status as a business We’re starting to really like B2B campaigns here at Lemon. and innovation hub that connects people, the The latest in our string is The Fake Travel Trend Challenge Amsterdam RAI built a new congress building called for The World and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) Elicium. Once built, they needed a campaign that would 2011, a conversion campaign and identity rolled into one. The inform its national and international business network conference organizers asked us to work with them to create a – large corporations, CEOs, organizers – of the Elicium’s quick-hit B2B campaign that would stimulate key delegates cutting edge facilities and, quite simply, fill their halls. to book booth space and attend the fair. The Challenge With ‘Elise’, we didn’t change the RAI’s messaging, we invites key travel industry delegates to tweet their best fake just changed who was saying it by wrapping all those travel trend to win prizes. With this cheeky Challenge we’ve USPs into an emotionally relevant story. Elise turned positioned WYSTC’s authoritative insights against all those all the RAI’s B2B communication into fun testimonials. sketchy online travel trends people are so eager to believe Next to posters, DM and web, we also turned Elise into these days. We already have a favorite fake trend: “Holy Land a teddy bear that businessmen could take home to their tours spike as European youth rediscover religion.” Yeah, children. right. Sorry, open exclusively to travel industry delegates only. Media Mix Print, web platform, DM, events, brand story, Media Mix Web, Twitter, identity, Facebook, brochures, DM merchandize, PR: plugging & seeding
- 12. The B2P survival No more split personality companies From push to pull Think (more) like a publisher guide Transparency of the web means that Wrap your hard sell in a soft shell. Content marketing is on the rise. B2B and B2C are no longer mutually Rational information works, but With all those daily clicks going to exclusive. Google doesn’t differentiate repackage those facts enticingly (i.e. Facebook and Twitter, content for between the two. infographics) and recycle your content social platforms is rapidly replacing in an emotionally relevant way. expensive and flashy microsites – yes, even for B2B. 10 easy steps to succeed on the New B2B Frontier Telling enables selling Work in your WHY Few things enable sales teams and You can never drive home your vision, help generate leads as well as a simple mission and company culture enough. opening story about your company However, one caveat: the more you and your product. talk about things, the higher the expectations that you make good Flip page for on them. next 5 steps.
- 13. The B2P Can’t share? Despair! Embrace employee advocacy Synchronize your voice survival guide Even B2B initiatives should link to If it doesn’t inspire Jane in accounting, Create a clear and consistent tone YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Flickr, it won’t inspire anyone else either. of voice across all your platforms slideshare, pdfs, etc. You may have that mirrors the culture of your 30 white papers lying around, but if company. B2B too often captures the people can’t share them they aren’t most boring part of your corporate going to get around. personality. 10 easy steps to succeed on the Content is key, but only Post-purchase New B2B Frontier when you do it consistently ambassadors Producing content is not enough, Perhaps the biggest opportunity you’ve got to produce unique and for B2B credibility is turning compelling content – and consistently! happy clients into post-purchase And then complement it with the ambassadors simply by making their right marketing mix (blogs, videos, comments visible on the platforms microsites, newsletters, social media). people like to visit (i.e. Amazon, Yes, another tip from the retweets) B2C playbook.
- 14. While we truly believe in universal sharing of ideas and content, our prickly issues are not cut-and-paste affairs summarizing other people’s hard-thought insights. We read a lot, we talk to a lot of people, we tweet and retweet and keep our ears close to the ground, and our reports are born from all that. If we appropriate original thinking, we give them credit. The rest is lemon being, Well, lemon. We just thought you should know. www.lemonscentedtea.com