The following is an advertorial extract from the B2B Marketing Summit - 2014 - event guide.
Rip off your ties, tear out your shoulder pads, set them alight and charge through the office because the B2B marketing revolution is here! Well, in reality it’s been upon us for a good couple of years now and as for burning ties and power suits we might have to give that a miss as they're far from the norm these days (as Tie Rack’s demise last year would testify). To that end, this change in what we wear brilliantly symbolises the revolution - a physical manifestation of the shift in our outlook and approach. We’re all starting to chill out a bit more, we've taken a lead from the headline brands of the moment... Google, Twitter, Salesforce, et al with their legions of gen Y, ‘cas-smart’, bright sparks who've challenged the status quo. It's now time for you to do the same.
Before I go on I need to clarify this isn’t the classic ploy of using the theme of change as a mechanic to create drama and drive engagement in order to give this advertorial a fighting chance of some readership. Hand on heart; this is much more than a tactic. This is real and this is happening. Now. Those brands that embrace the revolution will win out. Those marketers that stop, listen and adapt will be seated in the virtual boardrooms of tomorrow.
B2B marketers are obsessed with asking ‘what’s the next big thing?’, be that a piece of tech or a new channel but this is something much bigger than that…
It's a new way of thinking, a new way of doing, a new way of being. Some of us are already part of the way there but are more than likely not aware of it.
So, first things first, along with your ties throw your B2B Marketing Rulebook onto the pyre as well. You’re done with it. Time to get a fresh Pukka Pad out of the stationary cupboard, lick the nib of your shiny black biro and get ready.
Get ready to re-imagine your strategy, your tactics and your working practices. Get ready to stand up in meetings and be brave. Challenge convention. Rub against the grain. This will lead to untold riches. I promise.
IN A NUTSHELL WHAT STARTED THE REVOLUTION?
Digital. It has dismantled the walls, brick by brick, which historically governed our personal and professional lives. The two now co-exist for the majority of us. We check our email after we’ve kissed our loved ones goodnight. We post Facebook updates during sales meetings or at industry events. You get me?
A key enabler of this phenomenon is tablets and smartphones that now provide us with an experiential mash-up that blends these worlds. As a result our expectations as consumers of B2B comms has fundamentally changed forever. Throw in other digital heavyweights like social media, content marketing and mobile and the result is a B2B landscape that is in amazing revolt.
To understand more about the revolution and how you can join please go to www.purestone.co.uk/b2brevolution
