A grumpy old man makes the case for B2B marketing communications
This ad, created and published by the McGraw-Hill business magazine group, is 60 years old this year. Amazing… and yet it is still – IMHO – the greatest argument in favor of business-to-business advertising and marketing communications in general. It is so simple: until you have some kind of credibility in the mind of your target audience, you really can’t hope to sell anything.
And in today’s industrial/business-to-business world, things are tougher because you probably can’t even get face-to-face with a prospective customer. You don’t even have good looks and animal magnetism going for you. The Old Man in the Chair might just as well be saying “Now why should I read your email?” or “Why should I return your phone call.”
An integrated marketing communications program, including not only advertising, but also public relations, digital/social messaging, and much more, is a critical tool that will allow you and your sales force to spend more time selling and less time introducing yourself. It will also make it easier for you to differentiate your company and your products from your competitors, and justify your pricing.