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| Neil Rackham |
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The BMA's 2012 international conference will feature keynote speaker Neil Rackham, professor of professional selling at the University of Cincinnati and author of "Rethinking the Sales Force." Rackham, who has worked with several of the top B2B brands, such as AT&T, IBM and Xerox Corp., will explore the dramatic changes that the Web has wrought on B2B sales and marketing departments and how to ameliorate the constant friction between the two sides.
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| Sean Geehan |
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The growth of social marketing is raising questions about whether B2B marketers should adopt more B2C types of marketing strategies to communicate with their customers. But there are some fundamental differences between the two markets that B2B marketers need to keep in mind, said Sean Geehan, founder and CEO of Geehan Group and the author of "The B2B Executive Playbook: The Ultimate Weapon for Achieving Sustainable, Predictable and Profitable Growth."
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This year marks the Business Marketing Association's 90th anniversary. A commemorative book, which will be given to attendees at the BMA's annual conference in Chicago, is just one way the BMA plans to celebrate the milestone. "For 90 years, the BMA has enriched the professional lives of B2B marketers," said Carla Johnson, a member of BMA Colorado, who is in charge of the BMA's anniversary committee. "This book will share the story of how BMA, one of the oldest professional marketing organizations, has impacted business throughout history and around the world, and a vision for where we go from here."
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| Erin Shampine |
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By Erin Shampine
Integrating marketing automation into your B2B marketing strategy can be a daunting task. While many Software as a service (SaaS) providers are happy to help you get the technology up and running - and even provide some helpful thought leadership along the way - very few offer strategic insights into how marketing automation can help your business. Here are a few guidelines to consider if you're thinking about using a marketing automation system for B2B demand generation and lead nurturing.
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| Bob Goranson |
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Goranson: Making better use of the tools that are at your disposal
In the early days of his marketing and advertising career in the 1970s Bob Goranson also helped to manage Styx (the band, not the river). Goranson, partner, account strategy and planning for mobium and treasurer of the BMA national board, pointed to a few similarities between the topsy-turvy world of rock and roll and the current state of B2B marketing. "It's being able to handle a lot of craziness," he said. "It's dealing with unreasonable demands, tight schedules [and] dealing with highly opinionated personalities in a creative atmosphere." Goranson spoke with BMA Buzz about how B2B marketers can bring some more sanity to the marketing mix.
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Total advertising expenditures increased 0.8% in 2011, finishing the year at $144 billion, according to data released by Kantar Media. Ad spending during the fourth quarter of 2011 dropped 1% compared with the year-earlier period, the first quarterly decline since the end of 2009. Ad expenditures for measured digital media decreased in the fourth quarter, with paid search budgets down 6.4% and display investments down 5.9%. |
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Sponsor Recognition: Interested in advertising with BMA BUZZ? Contact Michael Greskiewicz at (630) 696-4017.
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