You can see a working example on my client, Schulte Building Systems’ site. Expertise blogs – starting your own company blog to showcase your internal experts is a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition. The best example of an expertise blog that I know of is the Emerson Process Experts blog moderated by Jim Cahill. It is heartening to see that content is at the center of most discussions about the state of B2B marketing today. What do you do when the bulk of your marketing content, with the exception of case studies is product focused? Thanks for sharing! MORE >>

In 2008, revenues were up to $16.6 The duck has 165,000 facebook fans in the US. For example, don’t let your brand mascot share the spotlight with other characters. Brand mascots are best for highly competitive market arenas where it is hard to differentiate players. The Effective Marketer Effectiveness is a discipline and it can be learned Home About the Effective Marketer Books Speaking Taming Your Brand Mascot From Tony The Tiger, Trix Rabbit and Energizer Bunny to Ronald McDonald and even John McCain (?!) That’s what makes them memorable. The company reported $9.7 MORE >>

Diagnostic Example: Microsoft Infrastructure Optimization Assessment Microsoft wanted to provide analysis and roadmap advice to help get more C-level engagements, engage earlier in the sales cycle, and shift customer perceptions from tactical product provider to strategic partner. The assessment tool has been available since 2008 and is generating more than 600 analyses per month, driving significant evolution of Microsoft’s relationship with clients, and empowering significant partner marketing campaigns. For most buyers it’s easier to do-nothing, than to change. MORE >>

Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey. Eccolo Media 2008 B2B Technology Collateral Survey. She identifies and transforms differentiation - customers crown jewels - into compelling, customer-centric value that sells. Share a generic example of what can be. Include an example of how the changes occur, how a ‘generic’ product or service can be applied to initiate improvements. Sometimes this is the hardest story to create –because it acts as an umbrella example across multiple audiences. in January 2008. Blogs. Books. MORE >>

Over time, virtually all markets consolidate around three major players (for example, Google, Yahoo and MSN in search) plus a few wannabes (e.g. del.icio.us , Digg , Furl , Backflip ), community ( MySpace , Searchles ), networking ( LinkedIn , Facebook ), etc. For example, B2B buyers and vendors are unlikely to want to congregate on the same sites where tweenagers are babbling about Hannah Montana , and kids could care less about developments in database technology or network appliances. Social media sites are multiplying like rabbits. social tagging sites. MORE >>