In April 2020, we shared this quote from the world-renowned, Brazilian Formula One racer, Aryton Senna: “You can not overtake 15 cars in sunny weather...but you can when it’s raining.”
We loved the quote then, and we love it now because nothing could be truer when thinking about challenging conditions. We can either lean into our natural human tendency to favor negativity—especially when faced with less than desirable circumstances—or invert our thinking and bend toward the light. It is here that we view every challenge and disruption as an opportunity for the agile and determined. Perfect conditions make it easy for anyone to succeed, but difficult conditions reward the resolute.
In this edition of Brain Candy, we hope you’ll find inspiration along with actionable steps you can take to make the most out of the current and evolving market dynamic. We share our framework for planning during a downturn and provide insight on key marketing strategies. Additionally, we offer a detailed guide for account-based marketing (ABM) rooted in actual practitioner success stories. Last but certainly not least, fresh on the heels of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, we explore how TikTok may just be the next strategic weapon in your B2B marketing arsenal.
If you haven’t gotten our RG summer vibe yet, we’ll put it more plainly: the opportunities for B2B marketers abound, and if you are up for the challenge there will be a great reward at the end of the rainy day. It’s time to shine!
All the best,
Marisa & Team
Top Strategies for Marketers
In this recent article by AdAge, the author suggests that our instincts are often wrong when it comes to making decisions during a downturn. Much like pulling out of a 401k when the market is down, pulling back on key brand initiatives isn’t the best idea during an impending downturn.
But how do we plan for today, the near future, and the long term when there are endless unknowns? When there are so many variables to consider—from capital markets and geopolitical issues to weather patterns and flu seasons—how can we know what to prioritize?
A model we often cite for future planning and forecasting amidst uncertainty is what we call the Hurricane Path Model. Fortunately, the early stage path of a hurricane is fairly predictable and follows a similar pattern. While we cannot definitively predict where it will ultimately land, we can certainly make preparations for what we can see coming, and the direction it will take early on.
Following this line of thinking, find out three things your company can do to prepare for what may be a few stormy months.
Account-based marketing, or ABM, is a fancy way to frame what marketers have been doing for years: executing targeted campaigns with personalized messaging. Now more than ever, with inboxes filled to the brim, and text message queues piling up with spammy sales pitches, ABM is an absolute necessity if you want your message to break through the clutter and win new accounts.
While operational tools for ABM abound, the essential components still remain:
Know your audience
Understand their pain points
Align your value proposition to solve their problem
For an in-depth look at how ABM can be used as a core strategy to identify, attract, engage, and ultimately close ideal-fit companies, check out our recent guide: Actionable Advice from Actual Practitioners.
Not Your Grandma’s B2B: How Businesses Can Use TikTok
It is no secret that B2C brands can find their niche on TikTok, but how can a B2B company make its mark on the app? Should Enterprise SaaS, Fintech, or Regtech companies include this platform as part of their social media mix?
According to eMarketer, 69% of B2B buyers look for content that educates them on how to solve their problems and 64% prefer a more human tone than formal or academic. Authenticity is the key ingredient to any brand’s distinction, and TikTok enables this in spades—whether it is touting a product, building an employer brand culture, or promoting an event or sales opportunity. The opportunities for B2B on TikTok are abundant.
For some quick tips on mastering “TikTok for B2B” check out this blog post, a result of key learnings during our jaunt to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022.
We're proud to bring to market our latest rebrand, FORVIS, the 8th largest professional services entity in the US after the successful merger of BKD and DHG. In a slow-moving, conservative industry FORVIS honors the dynamic, future-facing nature of the organization. The brand's name is a portmanteau created through the combination of FORward and VISion and the brand red is a bold departure from a traditionally shunned color in professional services. The name and identity exemplify how FORVIS charges ahead with the best interests of the individual in mind, not industry groupthink. Congratulations on a successful merger, and a bright road ahead!
