As part of the research for his new book, "Grow: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World's Greatest Companies," Jim Stengel interviewed several of the key B2B marketers, such as Dell, IBM, Motorola Solutions and VISA. "These companies that I visited are all powered by something very extraordinary, which I call an 'ideal,'" said Stengel, the former global head of marketing for Procter & Gamble, who is now president-CEO of The Jim Stengel Company. Stengel, who will speak at the BMA's annual conference this spring, said he intends at the meeting to challenge B2B marketers to find their ideal.

Last summer BMA Colorado launched "Cocktails & Conversations with the C-Suite," which offers younger marketing professionals an opportunity to network with senior B2B marketing executives. About 30 younger marketing pros met with five C-level B2B executives to discuss the various aspects of B2B marketing and the ongoing trends in the business. "The younger professionals loved it, which I knew they would because how often do you get access to someone like that?" said Marilee Yorchak, executive director of BMA Colorado. "But the C-level people loved it as well; they said, 'this was a really great thing for me because I got to ask them: Why do you spend so much time on Facebook?'"

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the BMA New York's ACE Awards, which honors the best creative in B2B marketing communications. The 2012 ACE awards, which is expected to draw 500-plus entries, will be held April 25 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. The deadline for entries is March 9.

By Chris Chariton

Smart marketers know that in order to achieve a long-term, healthy pipeline of business, you need a successful plan that's balanced with the right marketing tactics. Amid myriad options for marketers, in the last 15 years different tactics have proved to be capable of delivering demonstrable results. 

BMA Kansas City Chapter February Lunch and Learn - "IBM's Presentation of the 2011 Chief Marketing Officer Study"

2/21/2012 | Kansas City, MO

BMA New Jersey Chapter Event: Deep Content: National Starch/Corn Products' Online Marketing within 3rd Party Websites
2/21/2012 | West Orange, NJ

BMA Philadelphia Chapter Event: Daybreak Dialog: Think like a buyer - How Usability Helps Marketing Meet Buyers' Expectations
2/22/2012 | Conshohocken, PA 

BMA Chicago Chapter February Member Dinner
2/22/2012 | Schaumburg, IL

SEE ALL UPCOMING EVENTS> 

Hoffins: To help grow local BMA membership, take the long view 

Ilka Hoffins, executive director of BMA Milwaukee, is spearheading a new program to specifically target corporate CMOs who are not yet familiar with the group. It is one of a handful of initiatives at BMA Milwaukee that are designed to build relationships with both existing members and increase the chapter's appeal among local prospects. She spoke with BMA Buzz about her efforts to boost the chapter's overall membership and shared some of the personal rewards of running BMA Milwaukee.  

With the proliferation of digital media channels, Web analytics have become a powerful tool in B2B marketers' ability to measure the effectiveness of their online campaigns. Nevertheless, many B2B marketers still take a dim view of Web analytics. Just 56% of marketers indicate they are "somewhat" to "fully" engaged with Web analytics, with 44% of companies saying they are meagerly or not at all engaged with Web analytics, according to a research study by BtoB. The study, titled "Web Analytics: Practices and Trends from The Field," is based on an online survey of 458 marketing pros.

Outlook 2012: Marketers planning new ad campaigns >

Lessons learned from a crisis of transposition >

A new model for proving the value of flagship events >

How to best secure your company's email >
What is your most effective content marketing initiative? >

VP Marketing, Benenson Strategy Group

The Benenson Strategy Group is a globally recognized strategic research and consulting firm with a reputation for being energetic, agile and analytically aggressive. Founded in 2000, clients include presidential candidates, premiers and prime ministers.

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