06 Marketing IT supplement
B2BM MAR 08 – www.b2bm.biz
Zimbler. “We have many people asking us ‘do you think we felt (the emotions underpinning those needs and
should do a viral?’ We ask them why, and the answer is that desires of which they were unaware) when negotiating
other people are doing it. It’s the same for blogs.” a purchase. Expressed needs such as, “help the business
There has been a fetishisation of the channel, often at to be more productive” were expected. The unexpressed
the expense of marketing’s key principles: right message, needs however, were somewhat different. “These buyers
right person, right time. However, 2008 could well mark revealed emotions around insecurity (e.g. IT issues are
the renaissance of content. “There’s been a lot of splashing never solved, technology is always changing) and even
but not much moving upstream,” says Peter Hansen, personal disrespect (feeling ignorant of emerging
director of strategy at Masius. “You have a bunch of products). They wanted the IT decision making process
technology marketers saying that you should be and related responsibilities taken off their shoulders,”
communicating on one platform or another. The problem says Liam Fahey, director of Emotional Mining.
has been in having nothing good to say on any of those This is precisely the area in which Hansen feels
platforms. The key thing is whether the message is going to there is most to be gained. If companies can realise
“Technical influencers also play a be memorable to the people you are trying to sell to.” the emotions that underpin decision-making, the
big role. But these people are The reason for the subjugation of content in favour of a onset of a downturn need not be as portentous as
not interested in being sold to. focus on channel is largely the result of the ability of new some believe.
The problem with messaging is channels to measure, track and prove their value. “I was in San Francisco when the dot com bubble
that they can easily stray from Impressions, click throughs and automated data capture are burst and the response was to get back to talking to
what they should be doing into more attractive than responses to direct mail campaigns. people about real things as opposed to the shell,” he
selling. Selling rather educating. says. “It’s interesting how arguments for brands are going
This doesn’t work” to have to be constructed. In the last year or two the talk
Put the relationship ahead of the channel
has been about innovation, that’s really got out of hand.
Yet according to Paul Everett, marketing director at The
LIANE GRIMSHAW People now will want to hear about reassurance. The
Marketing Practice, the emerging focus on relationship
MD, Pavillion Marketing innovation now is going to be about touching people with
ROI is rendering channel choice a tertiary concern.
Communications the message that is most relevant. To most people that is
“Marketers are seeing that what is actually needed is
going to be about making them feel your brand will help
measurements on the value of the relationship being built.
them do their job.”
Looked at in this way, the channel isn’t important, the
relationship is,” he says. “Peer-to-peer networking is a
fantastic way of building a relationship, but you wouldn’t
say it was the function of direct mail, new media or an
WHAT’S HOT:
event, it is a combination of everything.”
TOP TECH MARKETING
Moreover, a greater understanding of the audience
being marketed to has also served to bring traditional
TRENDS FOR 2008
channels back into play. Liane Grimshaw, MD of Pavilion

More, more, more. New business is harder than ever to
Communications, explains that a deeper knowledge of the
get, so you need to get more from existing relationships.
audience can often dictate the methods of communication
Upselling and cross-selling won’t be hard if you’re someone’s
– but never at the expense of the message.
‘trusted partner’.
“It is all about content, education and thought
Trust me. Technology purchasers want partners, not
leadership,” she says. “There are three different levels
vendors. Businesses are happy to outsource, pay for hosted
within the decision making unit at any organisation. The
or managed solutions and have someone they trust relieve IT
headaches.
CIO is more likely to be touched through the traditional
route; such as high quality DM etc. IT management react
Relationship ROI. How much value is your prospect
well to Internet-enabled channels. Technical influencers
getting from the pre-purchase relationship? You’d better
shape up those communications — you’ve got to credible,
also play a big role. It is with this audience that new
relevant and interesting.
technologies really come into their own. But these people
are not interested in being sold to and that’s the point.

Get intimate with your customers. Generic pitches just
won’t wash anymore. To make your brand credible you need
Sometimes the problem with messaging is that they can
to know what your customer is going through. Feel their pain,
easily stray from what they should be doing into selling
and develop the remedies.
rather that educating. This doesn’t work.”

Sharpen up. Product specs are dated. The smart money is
in humanising your offering. Don’t drone on about terabytes,
Shoot the messenger
technology buyers want to know how your solution is going
Tech marketers must transform from communicators to
to keep their business afloat. The message is reassurance,
educators. At the core of the purchase decision is a human,
not innovation.
with human insecurities and concerns. Emotion factors
into business purchases as well as consumer purchases.

The media is not the message. Buyers consider the
media channel of tertiary importance. They don’t care if it’s
US-based marketing research company, Emotional
an email, a podcast or a carrier pigeon: it’s what you say
Mining, investigated the difference between what IT buyers that counts.
stated (their expressed needs and desires) and what they
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