ESTABLISHING STRONG

COMMUNICATIONS

Integrated B2B
Communications

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS MARKETING
Senior Assist. Prof. Vanya Kraleva
Learning Outcomes
 Understand nature and role of brands in business markets
and impact of communication on business brands.
 Be able to explain meaning and importance of integrated
marketing communications.
 Understand factors affecting composition of the
communications mix in business markets.
 Be able to explain budgeting methods used for
communications programmes.
 Be able to explain role of company websites, content and
search marketing, advertising, public relations, and sales
promotion in business communications mix.
 Be able to explain strategic and tactical decisions made by
managers in relation to advertising and trade shows.
The Corporate Brand

Corporate Identity Corporate Reputation

strategic choices reputation

mission corporate dimensions
vision expression performance
strategic intent visual identity brand image
products
values :brand experience
innovation
culture promise relationships
communities service
strategy: personality citizenship
formulation & communication workplace
implementation governance

Corporate Brand

adapted from Abratt and Kleyn 2012

B2B Brand Touch Points

Customer journey

Pre-purchase Purchase Post-purchase

Advertising PR Service agreements Customer service
Website
Catalogue Partnerships E-mail
Sales
Events and Loyalty
Channel Channel
tradeshows programmes
Product/service
Social
quality
Integrated Marketing Communication
It is important that companies formulate communications strategies
which are integrative, to ensure that consistent messages are received
by the target audience. The target audience will assimilate the given
information and the result differs, for instance they can:
 arrange the information as intended by the marketer
 ignore the information
 put the information together in a way the marketer didn’t even think of

The best a company can do to control this process is “try to understand

the integration process and to modify their own approaches to maximize
the return on the integration which occurs naturally”
(Schultz, 1996: 140).
The Integrated Communication Strategy

Setting Determining the

communications communications
objectives budget

Deciding on the role of Selecting specific

each component to be strategies for each
used in the component of the
communications mix communications mix
Communications Mix and Customer
Acquisition Process
Communication Potential customers Communication
objectives target segments Tools
awareness leads advertising
PR
content and search marketing

interest enquiries website

content marketing
webinars
tradeshows

evaluation prospects online screening

telemarketing
field sales visits

trial new customers telemarketing

field sales visits
email and mobile marketing
social media marketing
purchase
transactional and relationship
customers sales teams
social media marketing
Communication Automation for
Customer Acquisition
Influence of Information from Different
Sources
Approaches to Communication
Budgeting

Objective Percentage Competitive ‘All that can

and task of sales parity be afforded’
• Difficult since it • Ignores the • Using • It ignores
requires a lot fact that sales competitors as marketing
of analysis are a a guideline strategy and
and estimating consequence opportunities
of promotional that might be
activities open through
investment in
promotion
Communicating with Business Customers

Advertising

Trade Public Relations

shows/exhibitions

Sales promotion Digital

marketing

Influencer Content marketing

marketing
Advertising Strategy
Setting advertising objectives
• performance goals - what should it accomplish?
• target audience - who does the organization wish to engage?

Formulating the creative plan

• development of a message that will engage the specified
target audience

Media selection
• digital/broadcasting/search engine/display/etc.

Evaluation of advertising effectiveness

• must be consistent with objectives
Hierarchy of Effect Model and
Marketing Objectives
Main PR Tasks
 Attract and keep good employees
 Handle issues and overcome misconceptions relating
to an organization
 Build goodwill amongst publics such as governments,
local communities, suppliers, distributors and
customers
 Build an organization’s prestige and reputation
 Promote products
PR Activities
 Lobbying
 Charitable donations
 Press releases
 Corporate advertising
 Articles in publications
 Seminars
 Conferences
 PR content can also be places on:
 Company blogs
 Podcasts
 Webcasts
 White papers
Driving Forces of Digitalization

Accessibility Availability Versatility of Marketing

of of information digitalization
information information
Digital Challenges and Opportunities
Opportunities
• Lower cost of digital marketing
• Speed of connecting
• More detailed analysis
• Richer content
• Content distribution
• Easier media buying
• Quality advertising regardless of company size

Challenges
• Content diversification
• Evolving social media marketing space
• Move away from traditional marketing funnels
Digital Marketing Vehicles
 Website
 SEO (Search Engine
Optimization) and paid Earned
media
search
 Online PR
 Social media Paid
media
 E-mail
Owned
 Video media
 Webinars
 Digital advertising
 Mobile marketing, etc.
Ensuring a Good Website Experience

Present website information that is easily verifiable
 Clearly express the identity of the organization that “lies behind”
the website
 Highlight expert content and services relevant to customer needs
 Signal honesty and integrity via tone of voice and about us, our
philosophy and FAQs pages
 Make it easy for site visitors to contact the organization on every
page
 Ensure that the site reflects the way that the company does business
to ensure consistent online and offline experience
 Make access and navigation easy
 Use frequently updated, relevant and useful content to secure
customer data
 Avoid errors!
Critical Points of Search Engine Marketing
 Words contained on the company website must
include words used by customers when undertaking
searches
 Operation of search engines.
 the nearer the top of a page and the more frequently
a word appears, the more important it is ranked by the
search engine.
 being search engine friendly involves using words (not
pictures), including keywords in the copy, repeating
these words and phrases naturally, and ensuring that
important content (concepts and keywords) is prominent.
 Webinar Marketing Goals

Lead generation 68%

Thought leadership 63%
Brand awareness 62%
Training/education 59%
Customer acquisition 53%
Engagement 42%
Customer retention/loyalty 39%
Lead management/nurturing 36%
Product demonstrations 28%
Website traffic 17%

Source: Rose, R. (2015) Webinars: they’re not just leads anymore, CMI
Social Media Channels
Social networks LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Social video YouTube, Vimeo, etc. engage customers early in their buying journey
through richer content
Social display Banners in social platforms, paid advertising

Social Yahoo!, Answers, Quora, Ask, Wikipedia, etc. used for business reference
knowledge
Social business Business communities that may also be part of social networks or
forums separate as paid or unpaid membership
Social e-mails Social networks’ own e-mail services such as LinkedIn “In-Mail”

Social blogs Company blogs, industry specialists’ blogs or specialists blogging in

platforms or forums
Content Used in B2B Marketing
Social media content 93%
Case studies 82%
Blogs 81%
eNewsletters 81%
In-person events 81%
Articles on your website 79%
Videos 79%
Illustrations/Photos 76%
White papers 71%
Infographics 67%
Average
Webinars/webcasts 66% number
used: 13
Online presentations 65%

Source: CMI (2016) B2B content marketing: 2016 benchmarks, budgets and trends – North America,
Content Marketing Institute
Great content is:
• It resonates with the audience and compels them to
Compelling view more closely

Timely • It reaches customers at the right time for their needs

Digestible/readable • For the target customers and their buying stage

• Information is relevant to the customer, their business,

Relevant industry, etc.

• It is something different, new, fresh rather than a

Original repetition of what’s already out there

• It inspires an emotion such as an urgent need or a

Emotive desire
The Content Creation Process
Customer needs Customer needs and associated communication channels and content are identified.
assessment Buyer triggers are identified, account profiles and personas are created.

Planning Content requirements are documented, timelines are drawn, processes are
mapped out and editorial calendars are built.

Building core The main content is created. It includes all messages and is the basis for the content
content creation that surrounds a marketing campaign.

Creating the Different content formats are developed based on the main content.
content portfolio

Content Content is distributed. Part of this step is content amplification by maximizing the
activation audience reach.

Measurement Content is measured in terms of effectiveness and against a set of criteria and
and optimization metrics such as downloads, clicks, time spent or other if the content is offline
The Content Journey

Educational Research supported Comparison Usage and

content content support content optimization of content

Buy and
Awareness Evaluation Comparison post-
purchase

SEO Webinars Webinars User forum content

Video Case studies Case studies Tutorial
Infographics Testimonial Testimonial Forums
Research Content syndication Content syndication Blogs
Industry articles Comparison tools
SlideShare
Stumbling Blocks in Content Creation

Knowing how much content to create

Creating quality content

Knowing when to refresh

Too many formats

Content creation know-how

Measuring Content through the TELS
Framework
Traffic metrics • Relating to number of visits,
unique visits

Engagement • Include bounce rates, repeat

metrics visits and time spent

• Includes number of leads, leads

Lead generation converted to sales opportunities
metrics and ultimately leads closed as
deals

Sentiment metrics • Include metrics such as comments,

likes, and shares
Influencer Marketing
 Why influencer marketing?
 People trust people, especially if they have credentials of
some sort
 Influencers provide a different angle of information

 Matured social platforms

 B2B influencers reach a very specific set of target customers

 Problems influencer marketing can solve:

 Audience reach
 Credibility

 Resonance
Who and How of Influencer Marketing
 Who can be an influencer?
 Peers who are regarded as leading in their field
 Analysts for a subject area or market
 Magazine writers or journalists
 Specialists in each field who are regarded as experts by
customers
 Bloggers
 How can influencers influence the public?
 Testimonial advertising
 Key events where speakers and influencers are advertised
 Blogs
 White papers
 Influencer Marketing Process
Influencer Prepare and Identify Select Engage Measure
stage plan influencers influencers influencers influencers
Activities Define influencer Leverage social Research Forum KPI selection
marketing goals Leverage third Marketing participants KPI review
Define customer party budget review Engage
targets knowledge indirectly
Build influencer Market incentivize
map activities
Engage subject
matter experts
Tools/ Brainstorming Social Influencer grid Follow them Marketing
Methods forums monitoring Influencer online automation
Stakeholder Social listening selection Engage CRM
maps Reaching event overview through PR Influencer
Audits of speakers and agencies or tracking
existing industry industrial software
customers associations associations
members referral
Sales Promotion
 Designed to trigger a response from:
 Members of a company’s sales force
 Channel partners

 Organizational customers

 Promotional tools
 Incentivesfor employees who reach a target
 Information and marketing support

 Promotional pricing, etc.

Trade Missions and Trade Shows

Trade mission Trade show/Exhibition

• A government- • It bring buyers and

sponsored promotional sellers together in one
activity typically to physical location. Sellers
increase economic showcase and/or
welfare in a particular demonstrate their
region/country (ex. products/services to a
country A sponsors an fairly well-qualified
event in country B to (international) audience.
stimulate export from A
to B)
Trade Shows and Exhibitions
 Sales-related functions of trade shows
 Identification of prospects
 Gaining access to key decision-makers in current and potential
customer companies
 Disseminating facts about vendor products, services and
personnel
 Actually selling products/winning orders; and
 Servicing current accounts’ problems via contacts made
 Non-selling functions of trade shows
 Building or maintaining company image
 Gathering competitor information
 Product testing/evaluation
 Maintaining company morale
What do Visitors of Trade Shows Look For

 See new products / developments

 Try new products and go to demonstrations
 Obtain technical or product information
 See new companies
 Discuss specific problems and talk with experts
 Compare products / services
 Make business contacts
 Meet a specific company
Trade Show Tactics
 Promotional activities to support participation
 The design and location of a firms’ stand
 The selection and behavior of staff on the stand
 Post-exhibition follow-up
 Post-show evaluation
Relative Effectiveness of B2B
Communication Tools
Questions for discussion
 Explain what is meant by brand identity and the
importance of this to the business marketer.
 To what extent is the business marketer able to present an
integrated communications message to target audiences?
 Explain the role of a company website in shaping a
customer’s experience of a business brand.
 Describe how a business marketer might use search
engines to guarantee being found and recalled by
potential customers.
 What alternative ways can participants and visitors
access the benefits normally associated with being
physically present at a trade show?
Literature Key

• Brennan, R. Canning, L. & McDowell, R. Business-

Pages 167-198 to-Business Marketing. 4th ed. Sage. 2017.

• Dwyer, R & Tanner, J. Business Marketing. 4th ed.

Chapter 10-11 New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2009.

• Hall, S. Innovative B2B Marketing: New Models,

Pages Processes and Theory. 1st ed. Kogan Page, 2017.
107-178