Scandinavia’s no. 1 international B2B marketing blog

Jonathan Winch

I’m Jonathan Winch, partner at cylindr and BBN International and a B2B marketing enthusiast. I've participated as a strategic and creative resource in the marketing and communication sphere for over 25 years, making contributions to the strategies and communications of companies of all sizes, the best known of which include Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Danisco, GN ReSound, Hempel, Nokia Siemens Networks, LEGO, Coloplast, and Johnson & Johnson. My mission? To help B2B companies make the most of the value they create for the world. My hobby: Nutritional science, particularly sports nutrition.

Jonathan's Posts...

Posted in

What does content marketing have to do with quantum physics?

by Jonathan Winch
content marketing complexity physics quantum

Early this morning, I watched a YouTube video where five physicists attempted to explain the key concepts of quantum physics to a well-educated, yet largely non-physicist audience. The group had roughly an hour to get their messages across and were, of course, keeping it simple – it’s just that ‘simple’ and quantum physics don’t tend to go together.

Comparing content marketing to quantum physics might be a bit of a stretch, but if you’ve got the attention of management or the sales department for just an hour, communicating its workings and benefits can be no less difficult. How do you cut to the chase and get the organization on board as quickly and convincingly as possible?

Continue reading →
Posted in

Your company’s sustainability story needs a powerful strategic narrative

by Jonathan Winch
mousetrap with cheese

Have you heard the saying, “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door”? The theory is that all you need to do is produce something innovative and people will come running to buy it. But that’s simply not true – as many businesses know.

In fact, there are over 5,000 patents registered for mousetrap designs – and lots more that don’t get registered for one reason or another. To become a success, your innovation needs a powerful, well-structured story – what we call a “strategic narrative” – and the exact same goes for sustainability innovations, too.

Continue reading →

Posted in

Why every B2B company needs a strategic narrative

by Jonathan Winch

The starting point for many of cylindr’s engagements with its B2B clients is often the construction of a ‘strategic narrative’. And over the past year or two, it seems that these two words have become a hot topic – almost as much of a must-have as the better known concept of a ‘value proposition’. But what exactly is a strategic narrative? And why is it now perhaps the most important element of a B2B branding strategy? Continue reading →

Posted in

How to make Nordic engineers come alive on video

by Jonathan Winch

Engineers from the Nordic countries may be wizards at turning innovative ideas into reality in everything from sustainable energy to medical devices. But on camera, some can come across a little, uh, uncomfortable. Here’s a quick (and yes, a little dirty) trick to bring the most wooden of engineer-on-video performances to life.

Continue reading →

Posted in

When less isn’t more: the new model of collaborative B2B agencies

by Jonathan Winch
international flags on a white background

The days of Mad Men-type agencies are gone – and not just because we’ve moved on from casual misogyny and heavy-drinking lunches. The scope of marketing and advertising has expanded, technology has advanced at lightning speed and no one agency can expect to have all the competencies and specialized knowledge necessary to serve all of their clients’ needs. Even large agencies don’t have everything that’s needed for international campaigns across many different platforms. Continue reading →

Posted in

Branding workshops 3/3 – How to get great results

by Jonathan Winch
colleagues results fist bump ideas

It’s either a CMO’s dream scenario or his/her worst nightmare: The entire marketing department gathered in a workshop and told they should put all their branding ideas on the table – and that every idea is welcome. But how do you extract really useful concepts from it all while ensuring everyone feels their input is valued? How do you get results from a branding workshop?

Continue reading →

Posted in

Branding workshops 2/3 – Your next team-building event?

by Jonathan Winch
team sitting around campfire team-building

As the demands swirl around high-performing teams, it gets hard to keep the Big Picture in focus and easy to lose inspiration – particularly with the long-game nature of B2B marketing. Stepping out of the everyday and breaking the routine can be the antidote and team-building events can bring back some of the magic.

Continue reading →