For today’s B2B brands, there is a key element to help you forge strong connections with your customers. Humans.
Continue readingWhat human connections do for marketing
Five ways clear ‘opt-outs’ encourage subscribers to opt-in
Many companies are still reeling from the tightened requirements for subscriber consent in marketing. The turbulence that accompanied the full implementation of GDPR has prompted some less-than-ethical marketers to devise creative ways to prevent users from opting out or unsubscribing. The assumption being that un-willing subscribers are better than reduced list sizes.
But making it simple to leave is part of the equation for convincing people to stay.
Your company’s sustainability story needs a powerful strategic narrative
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.
Deloitte: Storytelling boosts sustainable innovation
Monitor Deloitte’s Camilla Marie Thiele shares her perspective on why business innovation is important for the sustainability agenda and how storytelling can inspire other companies to follow.
Why every B2B company needs a strategic narrative
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
Denmark: A great B2B nation
Denmark has a distinguished history of successful global commerce. As a small country, Denmark consistently punches above its weight, being home to an unlikely number of current consumer superbrands. Think Carlsberg, LEGO, ECCO, B&O, Arla and Pandora to name a few.
But it’s not only in consumer brands that Denmark stands out. In their niche markets around the world, B2B brands such as Maersk, FLSmidth, Rockwool and Vestas are recognised leaders in their fields. And behind these and other multinationals, there’s a plethora of successful, growing companies – particularly in IT and tech – that keep Danish concepts and technologies right at the forefront of global development. Continue reading
When less isn’t more: the new model of collaborative B2B agencies
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
Branding workshops 3/3 – How to get great results
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?
Branding workshops 1/3 – Big Ideas and picking winners
I’ve run plenty of B2B branding workshops over the years. Big Ideas come out of them, whether they’re team-building or educational exercises for corporate marketing departments or brand creation/makeover projects of all sizes – but it’s all about picking the winners.
The ‘you’ in UX
Whether B2C or B2B, user experience (UX) is about building the customer-brand relationship. When we use a service or product, we don’t just interact – we connect. The experience you have can even become more important than the product and service itself. It’s all about the emotions. Continue reading