Four Case Studies: How These (Very Different) B2B Organizations Are Succeeding With Social Media

Marketing Profs, November 3, 2009 — The Web is awash with articles exalting the benefits of social media, so it's more than a little ironic that B2B marketers still find themselves searching online for social-media information that speaks to their unique needs and challenges.

Even though B2C companies get the lion's share of coverage, B2B organizations of vastly different sizes and in various industries are making striking gains in employing newer Web technologies to increase their market share and solve revenue challenges.

Developed especially for B2B marketers, this article provides social-media case studies for companies ranging from industry veterans SAP and BusinessWeek to newer and smaller firms Equation Research and Radian6.

As a bonus, the marketers behind each winning effort... continue reading

Starbucks Rewards Change Signals Strategy Shift

MediaPost Publications, November 2, 2009 — Starbucks' decision to merge its year-old, $25-per-year Gold rewards card and its lower-level card into a single, frequency-driven rewards program signals a shift to a more customer-centric corporate strategy.

Turner Entertainment Sees the Broadcast Networks as Its Fattest Target

New York Times, November 2, 2009 — If there is a fault line between the big but shrinking broadcast networks and the small but growing cable networks, it would run right through Steve Koonin’s office in Atlanta.

Mr. Koonin, the president of Turner Entertainment Networks, has been orchestrating the TNT cable channel’s growth for almost a decade, from a unit best-known for “Law and Order” reruns to a financial powerhouse for the parent company, Time Warner.

Got Relevance?

MediaPost Publications, October 30, 2009 — One of the most daunting challenges companies face now is how to market themselves.

Think of it: There are many businesses with the same or similar offerings. Customers can purchase goods or services from anywhere in the world, thanks to the Internet. With rapid commoditization, effectively marketing a business is more challenging than ever. It takes more than a marketing plan, strategy and tactics, positioning and differentiation to successfully market now. But what?

P&G Considers Booting Some Brands†

Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2009 — Facing mounting pressure to boost sliding sales and recalibrate his company, P&G CEO Robert McDonald is stepping up the hunt for acquisition and divestiture candidates, people close to the company said.

Strategy of New Chief at Motorola Appears Poised to Pay Off

New York Times, October 29, 2009 — Sanjay Jha’s honeymoon as co-chief executive at Motorola lasted just a few minutes into his first meeting with employees in 2008.

Why should we trust you?” one employee blurted. The frustration was understandable. Motorola, which pioneered cellphones and built such consumer favorites as the StarTac and the Razr, had not had a hit phone in years, and a succession of leaders could not find one.

Mr. Jha, 46, an engineer who worked his way up at Qualcomm from a chip designer to the No. 3 executive, answered the challenge, saying employees should not take him on faith but watch what he did.

The Two Faces of Facebook†

Steve Rubel on Digital Communications

Advertising Age, October 29, 2009 — I spend a lot of time gazing into a crystal ball that I know is going to be cloudy half the time. Lately I have been pondering Facebook's future.

Facebook is clearly on a roll and is knocking on Google's door as the biggest site on the web. Will it continue to dominate or see its lead slip? Here are two potential outcomes.

Accidental Purchases: Blame Package Design

MediaPost Publications, October 28, 2009 — Poor package design is costing marketers more than $2 billion in U.S. sales as consumers are accidentally reaching for copycat house brands that are meant to look like the well-known branded products.

Marketers such as Starbucks discover that simple sells

USA Today, October 28, 2009 — Simple is better.

This could be 2010's most powerful marketing mantra.

If 2009's hottest sales pitch was all about buying stuff on the cheap, 2010 marketing will increasingly stress less as more, as in fewer parts, additives or ingredients. While the trend is taking hold in many product categories, including health and beauty items, nowhere is it more apparent than with things we eat and drink.

Timex Pulls Out Stops For ING NYC Marathon

MediaPost Publications, October 28, 2009 — Timex has been quietly winding up programs to move the brand away from an "old reliable" sort of brand equity toward a more athletic positioning, using its Iron Man sub-brand to reach younger consumers.

The company is in its second year as official timing partner of the ING New York City Marathon