Net Market Makers Survey, Engage Biz Media, HP

B2BMarketingBiz.com
Practical News & Tips for
B2B Marketing on the Internet
May 22, 2000 - Vol. I, Issue 2

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1. NEWS: Exclusive Internet Market-Maker Survey Results,
Hewlett-Packard, Engage Business Media

2. CASE STUDY: Experient, Inc.

3. PRACTICAL KNOW-HOW: 8 Steps for Throwing
a Successful Trade-Show Party

4. JOBS: VerticalNet Business Dev. & PR

5. EVENTS: The Clarus eC Leadership Conference

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NEWS
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!!!!!!!!!!!!DO YOUR CUSTOMERS FEEL NEGLECTED?!!!!!!!!!!!
Then your company could be LOSING SALES. Download the
LivePerson/Harris Interactive 4Q Customer Satisfaction
Report. Learn more about customer concerns, the
importance of online customer service, and the impact of
real-time interaction with your customers. Visit:
http://www.liveperson.com/corporate_site/html/harris/popup1_form.asp?source=
CMS2810
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-> Online Marketing Loses Out: Exclusive Internet
Market-Maker Survey Results

Nosy as ever, last week B-to-B MarketingBiz.com polled Net
market-makers (a.k.a. B-to-B vertical portals) on how they
spend their marketing budgets. Online marketing was the
big loser -- 82% of respondents spend less than 20% of
their total marketing budgets on online advertising.
Where does the money go instead?

--Trade-Show Spending: 52% spend 20%-30% of their budget
on industry shows. 15% spend more. This is where you
meet customers face-to-face, remember?
--PR/Media Relations: 52% spend 10%-20% of budget on PR,
while 33% spend even more. This number could be
affected by the number of respondents (about half) still
seeking VC funding. And nothing warms a prospective
investor's heart more than good buzz in the trades.

With all the VC cash floating around B-to-B these days, 70%
of respondents say budget size is not based on their e-
marketplace’s yearly transaction volume (e.g. real
business conducted). At this early stage of the game,
69% of respondents expect a yearly transaction volume of
less than $50 million. 15% will see more than $100
million in transactions this year. Their marketing
budgets ran the gamut, ranging from less than $200,000
(27%) to more than $1 million (46%).

Want more results? Check out full coverage of this
exclusive story while you’re subscribing at our site:
http://www.b2bmarketingbiz.com/sample.cfm?contentID=209

P.S. Thanks to the B-to-B market-makers who completed our
online budget-spending survey. If you didn't get a
chance, hold on 'til our next one in September!

-> Event Watch: Wanna Meet Some B-to-B VC?

Washington, DC-based Indian CEO High-Tech Council makes
good on its mission to mix B-to-B startups with Beltway
funding sources. Last week’s get-together at the posh
Mayflower Hotel caught this reporter’s attention with
the promise, “strictly networking, no speakers.” We met
plenty of VC, as well as B-to-B CXOs (chief officers of
you-name-it) of all ages. There’s plenty of B-to-B
VC/Angel potential here, but only for B-to-B CXOs who get
themselves invited. http://www.indianceo.com

-> Yea/Nay: You Inc. from Hewlett-Packard

So many B-to-B space ads are awful (big picture, "witty"
vs. descriptive slogan, tiny descriptive type at bottom
of page next to little logo -- you know the ones) that
we were jolted out of our casual flip-through of the
latest Upside to find a brilliant one. The two-page
spread from HP featured a left-page picture of a
skyscraper with a "You Inc" sign at top and easy-to-read
blurb on the right-hand page that will strike to the
core of every B-to-B exec's heart. (You knew that pics
should always go on left or people won't read that ad
copy you slaved over, right?) Pages 166-167; grab a
copy if you can. Yea.

-> Media Buy of the Week: Engage Business Media

Launched this week, Engage Business Media (EBM) lets B-to-B
advertisers buy space across a network of Web sites that
target business users. The network uses technology
from Flycast Communications (finally acquired this month
by EBM’s parent, B-to-C aggregator Engage, Inc.).

Avertisers can choose between CPM-based pricing, or a
Cost-Per-Click (CPC) model based on actual traffic
delivery. CPM prices range from $28/M (for run-of-
business distribution) up to $70/M (IT vertical).
Business sites can join EBM’s ad-space inventory network
at no cost. EBM will earn commissions from advertisers,
and pass along a percentage of sales to network members
carrying ads.

The company currently aggregates ad space in twelve
vertical markets, including IT, automotive, SOHO,
construction, and food. For complete ad pricing &
network info, check out Engage’s online rate card at:
http://www.engageb2b.com/ad_specs.htm

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CASE STUDY: Experient, Inc.
----------
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-> Targeting B-to-B News Junkies: Experient Technologies

Marketing Objectives: Richmond, VA-based Experient
provides interactive training (a.k.a. “e-learning”)
solutions aimed and healthcare and financial companies,
where word of mouth is key. “We work on almost 30%
referral,” says Carol Weiss, VP Communications. To get
its name (and URL) dropped into more conversations, the
company has focused a large number of marketing efforts
into on-and offline news and information media.

Web Site News: “The number one place that people visit
on our Web site is news.” Knowing that, Experient
regularly adds press releases and other info to its news
page. This is especially important for companies still
in the VC funding stage, when many site visitors are
financial researchers and potential partners. “Every
new piece of business and every deal, I make sure I keep
them posted on the site,” says Weiss. “On the Internet,
every company is its own news organization.”

Offline Marketing: Advertising in business/news print
media also helps drive executives to Experient’s Web
site, according to Carol Weiss, VP Communications. The
company spent $50K to be part of a May 2000 Fortune
Magazine advertising supplement on e-learning. Many ad
buyers avoid such supplements because they lump together
direct competitors targeting the same niche. But
younger companies can benefit from association with more
established players. “We wanted to be in there, with
our big competitors,” says Weiss. “It helps to put us
in the game.”

Upcoming: The company in June will also launch a 3-month
campaign targeting business travelers via Ziff-Davis’
Sky TV in-flight “Bunting’s Window” technology updates.
The company’s 2-5 min. spot will run aboard US Airways,
United Airlines, and TWA, for approx. $6,000, Weiss
tells us. “This is a targeted, business-class audience,
and they’re pretty captive,” she adds.

http://www.experient.com
http://www.skytv.net/bw/index.html

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PRACTICAL KNOW-HOW: Trade-Show Party Tips
----------
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-> 8 Steps for Throwing a Successful Trade-Show Party

Many new business Web sites and Net market-makers are in
for a nasty shock when they try to buy booth space at
trade shows. Most events’ exhibit space will be sold
out months in advance, and the most popular events can
sell out a year in advance! If you can’t get a booth –
or the only booth you can get is so tiny and ill-placed
that you won’t get much traffic -- consider throwing a
party instead.

Step #1. Check with the show organizers before making
party announcements. There may be some times when they
don’t want “unauthorized” parties to conflict with their
own, and you could jeopardize your chances of getting a
booth next year.

Step #2. Pick an activity or theme that fits your
audience instead of just drinks and appetizers. At a
show with mostly female executives offer “chocolate
heaven”, at a show with a huge convention hall run a
“foot-rub clinic”, at a show for an industry that loves
to network, hire a superstar guest for them to meet and
mingle with.

Step #3: Rent the show’s list to send an invitation
mailing a week beforehand. If that’s impossible, get
out invitations guerrilla-style. Have temps hand them
out at the show entrance and arm your staff with extras
to give to people they meet.

Step #4: Provide transportation if your party is more
than a block away from the event. Have a fleet of limos
decorated with your logo waiting outside the hall,
people who hadn’t even planned on attending will be
delighted to hop in, “just for 15 minutes.”

Step #5: Most business parties fail miserably in terms
of signage. Have you ever noticed when attending show
parties yourself that once in the door you often forget
who’s the host? So have signs made up in a wide variety
of sizes to hang on walls, prop on tables next to food,
etc. Bring Velcro tape so you can affix them
everywhere. If your party is in a big hotel, bring
several easels so you can put signs in hallways and
outside elevator banks pointing the way. And don’t
forget the bathrooms! (Some events are even selling
bathroom sponsorship these days.)

Step #6: Train your staff beforehand with a “practice
party.” The rules: wear your name badge on the right so
people can read it easily when they shake your hand.
Carry two pens (one to keep, one to lend) so you can jot
notes on people’s cards to remember later. Maximize
your chances of mingling with each guest by working the
party as individuals, never couples or groups! (This is
the most important and most often broken rule.) And,
practice opening lines--such as “What were you hoping to
get out of this show?”, “What’s the most useful thing
you’ve learned so far at the show?”, “What Web sites do
you visit now?”--that enable you to pick out the best
prospects quickly and start conversations without
getting tongue-tied.

Step #7: Station an employee at the exit to give party
leavers a “goody bag” with a small promotional gift and
your literature as they depart. (If you give it to
people as they come in, they are more likely to put it
down and forget to take it.)

Step #8: Follow-up. Only about 10% of show party-givers
ever bother to send a low-pressure “Thank you” email to
everyone who attended their party. This should be a
quick note sent 2 days after the trade show is over
(giving attendees time to get home and plow through
their excess email) saying nothing more than “thanks for
coming to our party” and containing one short paragraph
about what you can do for them. No, a sales call is not
the same thing! Who wants to be repaid for coming to a
party by being hit with a pitch? Low key is the way to
go here--remember that you’re trying to make long-term
relationships in the industry.

----------
JOBS: Business Development, PR
----------
-> VerticalNet: Business Dev. Managers/Directors

Location: Horsham, PA. MBA preferred. These positions
are responsible for identifying, reviewing, and
negotiating new business opportunities for our
verticals. In addition, these candidates will develop
and facilitate the deal making process and all key
relationships through the deal-closing phase. These
positions require 5-10 years experience in a business
development role in some or all of the following areas:
strategic planning or e-commerce initiatives,
partnership/customer/vendor analysis, supply chain
consulting or management, and marketplace assessment.
Industry/marketplace and supply-side experience in the
following areas is ideal: food/agriculture, utilities
energy/petrochemicals, logistics, hospitality,
electronics/telecommunications, automotive, healthcare
and construction. 25-50% travel.
http://www.grs-software.com/jobposts/vnet/166.htm?JobArea=Marketing

-> VerticalNet: Public Relations, Press Secretary

Location: USA - DC – Washington. Requires Bachelors
degree and 4 years of B-to-B experience. In this role, it
will take an experienced PR professional to partner with
our CEO as he continues to establish his presence and
message. You will be expected to: Identify speaking
engagements where VerticalNet should have a presence;
Prepare presentations and speeches; Sort requests and
inquiries; Respond to contacts made at speaking
engagements; Superior communication skills necessary.
Familiarity and/or experience in the e-business arena is
preferred. International experience is a plus. Extensive
travel may be required.
http://www.grs-software.com/jobposts/vnet/132.htm?JobArea=Marketing

----------
EVENTS
----------
-> The Clarus eC Leadership Conference
June 7-10 – Orlando, FL

At this conference, you will get insight into strategies
and trends to drive your e-business success. You'll hear
from Microsoft and Compaq as well as Ross Perot, of
Perot Systems; David Siegel, of Siegel Vision; and Lou
Dobbs, founder of CNNfn and president of SPACE.com.
You'll also get to take advantage of an opportunity to
hear from leading analysts, like Bruce Temkin of
Forrester Research. Plus, you'll benefit from keynote
presentations, customer and partner success studies,
interactive panel discussions, exposure to cutting-edge
solutions, and meaningful networking opportunities.
http://www.claruscorp.com/eclead/index.shtm

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