Or at least that’s the warm feeling that I was left with after reading the 11 excellent articles in the last dedicated B2B edition of marketing leaders. Perhaps the most passionate was the contribution from Peter Johnston, “Are you doing the B2B business?” The answer to that question …

…I believe - is a resounding yes! So why do I feel so bullish about the state of business-to-business marketing in the UK? Here are my 6 reasons to be cheerful….

1. Our market is growing – we now have over 4.3 million enterprises to market to in the UK (source www.sbs.gov.uk)

2. The UK entrepreneurial culture is healthy, small and medium businesses employing under 250 employees now account for over 58% of all employment – many of whom are selling B2B products and services

3. The range and quality of B2B marketing data and tools from specialist suppliers is the best it’s ever been. We can now do our B2B data cleaning online with a choice of suppliers, undertake targeted niche prospecting campaigns with no data minimum orders, track business movers and we even have 2 dedicated sources of UK start ups providing a rich stream of prospects. Not only that, but there are over 8 B2B analytical tools allowing us to profile and model our customers and prospects to an unprecedented depth – not just by the company variables, but now by the owners profiles. You want to understand which businesses in the UK are heavily dependent on water as a resource? You can and Tees Valley Regeneration won a marketing award for it. You need to know which companies in the UK have a strong ethnic profile and what their speciality is – plumbing or IT? It’s possible.

4. Creatively agencies are showing time and time again that business to business needn’t be boring and winning both awards and delivering bottom line results for their clients, with work that is exciting, innovative and even fun to receive!

5. The B2B community itself also seems to be finding its voice. Whether in the trade press – the B2B marketing magazine now has over 6,000 readers – or through communities such as the www.B2Bhub.org.uk - or in our Trade Associations; there is more interest, co-operation and coverage of B2B issues. Not only do we have www.abba.com helping you find a B2B agency, the DMA code of practice with its clear references to B2B; but we also have the IDM providing unrivalled business marketing training, events, and a dedicated B2B council comprised of marketing practitioners.

A declaration of hands

On the last point I should declare my hand – because in addition to my day jobs of marketing consultant, lecturer and non-exec director - I am the current chair of the IDM B2B council. A recent survey of the IDM membership shows that of our 4,000 members:

- 32% work solely on B2B
- 47% work on both B2B and b2c business
- A total of 79% of members work on B2B either wholly or partly

Over 4,500 members and non-members have taken part in a dedicated B2B IDM workshop, course, event, or conference, showing a real growth in the number of trained UK business marketers.

So what have we got to look forward to? As well as the new IDM B2B qualification announced in the last issue.

6. Lastly and perhaps the best reason of all to be cheerful, as a fellow council member, Hugh Bishop, Meteorite, pointed out only last week, perhaps it’s finally time that our b2c colleagues came to us for some help. After all business marketers have for years successfully found ways to reach the complex decision making units in corporates, using different channels. Now consumer marketers have to get to grips with reaching the ever changing fragmenting “family unit” where the decision on which model MPV/computer/TV/ is made or influenced by mum, dad, daughter, son, step son, half daughter, disabled mother…at 3 different postal addresses, with 12 different email addresses, 2 of whom are on tps and one ex directory (and that’s just one side of my family!). It’s enough to make B2B marketing sound even more attractive.

By Shane Redding
Managing Director, Think Direct

Email: Shane.Redding@thinkdirect.biz
Web: http://www.thinkdirect.biz
Tel: +44 (0)1234 315250

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