How Best to Build a Dynamic and Effective B2B Marketing Team - The Evidence

garethcase.com

HOW BEST TO BUILD A DYNAMIC AND EFFECTIVE B2B MARKETING TEAM

#TheEvidenceMarch 20th 2014

FYI – I GOT THE MEMO PETE

garethcase.com @gareth_case

INTRODUCTIONA BIT ABOUT ME

• 15 YEARS RUNNING B2B MARKETING TEAMS• GLOBAL MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR XCHANGING PLC AND XUBER• MANAGE A MULTI-DISCIPLINE, INTERNATIONAL MARKETING TEAM• AUTHOR OF B2B MARKETING BLOG – GARETHCASE.COM• B2B MARKETER OF THE YEAR 2013 FINALIST

HANDS UP IF YOU MANAGE A MARKETING

TEAM

SO…WHERE DO WE START?

WELL IT’S SIMPLE, YOU JUST NEED TO REMEMBER 3 THINGS.

KNOWLEDGE INNOVATION SPECIALISATION

PART 1KNOWLEDGE

THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED WHEN BUILDING A MARKETING TEAM FALLS INTO 3 CATEGORIES

• TECHNICAL• BUSINESS• MARKET


WAY BACK WHEN IN 1999…

EMAIL TELEPHONE

FAX DIRECT MAIL


THAT. WAS. IT.

WTF

NO SOCIAL MEDIANO ANALYTICSNO AUTOMATIONNO CMSNO DIGITAL ADVERTISINGNO MOBILE MARKETINGTHE LIST IS ALMOST ENDLESS


TODAY?WELL TODAY, WE

HAVE NO EXCUSES

KNOWLEDGE INNOVATION SPECIALISATION


SO WHEN WE CONSIDER KNOWLEDGE…

MODERN MARKETING LEADERS MUST UNDERSTAND THIS

WORLD. IT’S NOT OPTIONAL. SERIOUSLY.


THIS NEW EXCITING WORLD SHOULD BE A MARKETING LEADERS’ DREAM. YET MANY MARKETERS (FROM THE 90’S) STILL REVERT BACK TO TYPE. (USUALLY MINUS THE FAX MACHINE.

BUT NOT ALWAYS)


EMAILTELEPHONEDIRECT MAIL

“THOSE PEOPLE WHO DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE NEW AND BETTER KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY CAN APPLY TO THEIR WORK AND TO THEIR LIVES, WILL BE THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS IN OUR SOCIETY FOR THE INDEFINITE FUTURE.”

BRIAN TRACY

UNDERSTAND THE WORLD WE ARE OPERATING IN TODAY (AND TOMORROW). IF YOU DON’T INVEST TIME AND EFFORT IN IT NOW. YOU SHOULD INVEST TIME AND EFFORT IN LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER.


SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?


LESSONTO BE ABLE TO BUILD A DYNAMIC AND EFFECTIVE MARKETING TEAM. YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR SHIT.


ASK YOURSELF:CAN YOU REALLY MANAGE A TEAM, A BUDGET OR EVEN AN AGENCY PROPERLY IF YOU DON’T HAVE A BASE LEVEL OF TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING ACROSS THE MODERN MARKETING MIX?

AND THEN…THERE’S BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE


LESSONYOU NEED A TEAM THAT KNOW’S THEIR SHIT TOO. GET AROUND YOUR BUSINESS AND UNDERSTAND YOUR OFFERINGS. INSIDE OUT.

AND FINALLY…THERE’S MARKET KNOWLEDGE


LESSONTO BE ABLE TO BUILD A DYNAMIC AND EFFECTIVE MARKETING TEAM. YOU NEED TO EXPLICITLY UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

THE EVIDENCE?


TALKTALK BUSINESS• COMPLETE RESTRUCTURE OF THE MARKETING TEAM • A SHIFT TO CUSTOMER CENTRICITY• A MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME TO IMPART KNOWLEDGE

THROUGHOUT THE TEAM• COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF CUSTOMER MARKET

THE RESULTS?• BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS• PRODUCTION OF HIGHLY TARGETED CUSTOMER

PROPOSITIONS• NEW CONTENT CREATION FRAMEWORK BASED ON THE

CUSTOMER BUYING CYCLE


MACE• DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A MARKETING

PLANNING FRAMEWORK• CREATION AND LAUNCH OF A CONTENT ARCHIVE FOR

MARKETING

THE RESULTS?• ABILITY TO TRACK THE BUYER JOURNEY MORE ACCURATELY• ASSISTED MARKETING TO FACILLITATE BETTER PITCHES,

MORE CLOSELY ALIGNED TO CLIENT BRIEFS


LESSONCATHERINE GREEN AT MACE AND PAUL HIGGINS AT TALKTALK CLEARLY KNOW THEIR SHIT. DEMONSTRABLE APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE ENHANCED THEIR MARKETING TEAMS’ PERFORMANCE AND HELPED DEFINE THEIR STRATEGY. SIMPLE.

PART 2: INNOVATION


MARKETS ARE MORE COMPETITIVE THAN EVER BEFORE. THE NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE IS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR ORGANISATION. INNOVATION UNLOCKS POTENTIAL.


ENCOURAGE INNOVATION WITHIN YOUR

TEAM AND BUSINESS.

REPORTING

TEAM MEETINGS

COMPET

ITIO

NS

ASK

“INNOVATION DISTIGUISHES BETWEEN A LEADER AND A FOLLOWER”

STEVE JOBS


LESSONINNOVATION CAN BE A BEHAVIOUR AS LONG AS YOU EMBRACE IT. IT DEMANDS AN OPEN MIND OF LEADERSHIP AND THE ABILITY TO LISTEN.


BUT IT CAN COME IN MANY SHAPES AND SIZES. PEOPLE OFTEN RELATE INNOVATION TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. LOOK UNDER THE COVERS OF YOUR BUSINESS AND YOU’LL FIND IT EVERYWHERE…

THE EVIDENCE?


02 ENTERPRISE• WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE THE BENEFITS OF ITS FLEXIBLE

WORKING OFFERING. • THEY SHUT THEIR HEAD OFFICE IN SLOUGH FOR 1 DAY

FORCING 2500 TO WORK FROM HOME.

THE RESULTS?• 331 LEADS WERE GENERATED AS PART OF THE WORKING

FROM HOME INITIATIVE WITH 46 QUALIFIED OPPORTUNITIES


DELL• USED KNOWLEDGE OF INHOUSE MAKRETING CAPBILITY TO

EXERCISE A RESTRUCTURING PROGRAMME MERGING 4 BUSINESS UNITS INTO A SINGLE, GLOBAL MARKETING FUNCTION

THE RESULTS?• 69% INCREASE IN LEADS Y0Y• LEADS PROCESSED 63% FASTER THAN PREVIOUS YEAR• OPERATING COSTS REDUCED BY 61% YOY


LESSONTHE GREATEST INNOVATORS ARE TYPICALLY FEARLESS. IF YOU WANT GREAT REWARD, YOU NEED TO BE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK.

PART 3: SPECIALISATION

“EVERYONE IS A GENIUS. BUT IF WE JUDGE A FISH BY ITS ABILITY TO CLIMB A TREE, IT WILL LIVE ITS WHOLE LIFE BELIEVING IT IS STUPID”

ALBERT EINSTEIN


GENERALISTSVS

SPECIALISTS


A ‘GENERALIST’ FOR CLAIRITYSTRONG DOMAIN EXPERIENCE AND SOUND UNDERSTANDING OF THE FULL MARKETING MIX.TYPICALLY MARKETING MANAGER / EXEC


A ‘SPECIALIST’ FOR CLAIRITYIS FOCUSSED ON A SPECIALIST AREAS OF MARKETING EXCLUSIVELY. E.G. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER, CONTENT MARKETING MANAGER, PR MANAGER, EVENTS MANAGER, DESIGNER, SEO MANAGER ETC.


A WORKING CASE STUDYXCHANGING TECHNOLOGY MAKETING TEAM

2 X MARKETING MANAGERS

1 X MARKETING

EXEC

SOCIAL MEDIA

MANAGER

PR AND EXTERNAL COMMS MANAGE

R

EVENTS MANAGE

R

CONTENT

MANAGER

INTERNALCOMMS MANAGE

R


IT’S SCALABLE. IT’S EFFICIENT.IT’S FOCUSSED.


LESSONIF YOU HAVE THE LUXURY OF HEADCOUNT, RECRUIT GENERALISTS WITH DEEP DOMAIN EXPERIENCE AND SPECIALISTS TO SUPPORT THEM. IF YOU DON’T HAVE HEADCOUNT, FIGHT FOR IT.


LESSONIF YOU LOSE THE FIGHT, GET YOUR WEAPON OUT… #NOTAEUPHAMISM

THEY WILL THANK YOU FOR IT LATER. (THE TEAM THAT IS, NOT YOUR ‘WEAPON’)

THE EVIDENCE?


MACE• INTEGRATED THEIR MARKETING FUNCTION, FOCUSSED ON 5

SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES; MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, PR, BID MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

THE RESULTS?• EACH DISCIPLINE HAS BEEN ALLOCATED A STRATEGIC

OWNER WHO RUNS A FOCUSSED, SKILLED TEAM.• COLLABORATION AND VISIBILITY OF PROJECTS HAS VASTLY

IMPROVED AND THE TEAM IS NOW MORE FOCUSSED


DELL• ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE

MARKETING TEAM TO BECOME THOUGHT LEADERS AROUND SPECIFIC MARKETING DISCIPLINES.

THE RESULTS?• A SERIES OF TOWN HALL EVENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE TO

EDUCATE THE INTERNAL AUDIENCE WITH THE TOPICS INCLUDING:• BEST PRACTICES IN LEAD MANAGEMENT• REPORTING ENHANCEMENT IN MARKETING CAMPAIGNS• THE IMPORTANCE OF FAST LEAD TURNAROUND.


SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS


UNDERSTAND THE TECHNICAL AND TACTICAL SIDE OF DELIVERING MARKETING ACTIVITY. IF YOU DON’T THEN YOU SHOULDN’T BE MANAGING IT.


DON’T BE AFRAID TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES AND TAKE CALCULATED RISKS. INNOVATION, AND THEREFORE, THE FUTURE OF YOUR BUSINESS, DEPENDS ON IT.


THERE IS NO POINT IN BEING AN INCH DEEP AND A MILE WIDE. FOCUS YOUR TEAM, SPECIALISE AND REALISE THE REWARDS


THANK YOU