Do they have different attitudes and personalities? Last week I was invited to join The Network of Aspiring Woman, Birmingham Group.  I was tempted.  After all, “ it’s where networking feels like a party ”.  However, I declined for two reasons.  I live in London.  I’m a man. Clearly the Network’s execution fell short, but their strategy seems smart.  Rather than trying to be all things to all people, they’ve segmented the market and targeted a niche group.  Contrast this with another experience. The call was from a data centre “ specialising in the SME segment ”.  Let me introduce Sage. MORE >>

Are there any B2B brands that you personally admire? You can certainly be cooler than your competitors principally by injecting personality into your brand, even if you are in a sector that may not be that exciting. And of course the same thing could equally apply in B2B where you can create brand personalities in sectors that are even more boring than insurance. So brand personality can make a big difference in B2B. Probably not, but they can definitely stand out through personality and appeal to buyers’ emotions. What makes a strong B2B brand? Absolutely.  MORE >>

If a person’s decision is guided by the unconscious, they’ll find it tough to explain what truly determines their choice.  Sometimes things just feel right.  We can’t say why, they just do.  The house bought not because it ticked all the boxes, but because you could imagine living there.  The supplier chosen not after an exhaustive procurement assessment, but because they just seemed to fit.  In his book, Blink, Malcolm Gladwell explores experiences like these. It does so unconsciously and then guides our decisions.  This idea has significant implications for marketers. MORE >>

Let’s also not forget our own personal pride and the morale of those around us.  In my last post I put forward the idea that every business should measure its performance against a stakeholder ‘Happiness Index’ with a particular focus on customers.  As the customer’s voice within the organisation, responsibility for this index lies at the marketer’s door. Before we go any further I’d like to challenge the received wisdom that it’s commercially sensible for every business to invest in enhancing customer happiness.  This isn’t always true and there are two notable exceptions. . MORE >>

After all, isn’t cargo a business-to-business environment where person-to-person relationships are key? But what customers say to the sales person may be what he wants to hear and what is reported back up the line to top management may be different too,” Booth points out. I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by legendary aviation journalist Peter Conway for Air Cargo News.  Who needs marketing in the air cargo sector? Unlike business-to-consumer sectors where the customers are many and unknown. Eighty per cent of all the work we do is brand-focused”. he says. MORE >>