BTOB LEVERAGES CONSUMER POWER:
New Strategies See BtoB Brands Going BtoC to Drive Demand
By Liz Bigham
Every day, consumer brands and their marketers produce events to engage consumers. And why not? Consumers can walk right into a store and buy their products directly. But why would a BtoB brand launch a marketing campaign to engage end consumers? Simple—to create demand. If a company's BtoB contacts know that consumers are aware and eager for a specific feature or benefit, they will be more apt to partner.
It's a bold argument to make, but two recent Jack Morton projects are cases in point. Last Fall, we produced a mobile tour for Cotton Incorporated: Cotton's Dirty Laundry Tour. Cotton Incorporated represents cotton growers and is far from a traditional consumer brand. Its multi-venue experience didn't promote a clothing designer or a single retailer. Instead, its fun games and activities taught college students about the benefits of cotton and how to care for it—developing a community of cotton-knowledgeable, cotton-hungry Millennials.
The tour was an ideal approach for this audience. Millennials have money to spend, but are also notoriously media-savvy and advertising-averse. They could engage with such an event (and its many engaging activities) freely, without feeling targeted or manipulated. For Cotton Incorporated, the benefits are clear. They've generated momentum and buzz for their growers' products—supporting their efforts to improve perceptions of cotton (and persuade manufacturers to choose it over other available fabrics).
In February 2006, we launched the Texas Instruments "DLP® Reality Zone" mobile marketing unit at the NASCAR Daytona 500. The Texas Instruments DLP® chip is one of three high-definition technologies available today (the others being LCD and plasma). Texas Instruments and IPG sister agency Octagon came to Jack Morton to find a dynamic, fun way to teach consumers about the technology—inspiring them to demand it in their own home entertainment systems. After all, you can't buy a DLP® chip for your own TV—but certain brands of high-definition televisions use it, including HP, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, RCA, Samsung and Toshiba.
We answered with a mobile experience that will travel to NASCAR events in a 53' double-wide trailer. Visitors will pass through three distinct zones of consumer engagement, ranging from dramatic high-definition presentations, a full-screen 3D Movie Theater to hands-on product demos. The tour will travel to 30 NASCAR races annually from 2006 through 2008.
This strategy builds on sports enthusiasts' desire for HDTV where they are most excited about sports—at the event itself. It gives them the opportunity to see, hear and interact with the technology in a far more on-brand environment than a corner of an electronics store. The tour builds knowledge-based consumer demand for what is unquestionably a BtoB brand—helping the brand make the case to HDTV brands that using the DLP® chip will be a profitable choice.
Tradeshows and meetings can never be replaced as critical communication points for BtoB brands and their customers and partners. But consumer contact—and positive response—can add real weight to BtoB marketing efforts. Organizations like Cotton Incorporated and brands like Texas Instruments are savvy to engage the end consumer. By bringing their brand face-to-face with their ultimate buyer, they give prospective partners solid reasons to join forces.
JACK360° ©2008, Jack Morton Worldwide
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