Can you market B2B and B2C in tandem, or are the tools that best
engage the consumer at home, and the office bound executive, alien from one
another? 50% + of senior executives in the US used web based video to make
buying decisions last year, the videos engaged them, and convinced them.
However, the “on the clock’ businessperson sought out the advertisements.
The
advertising business videos were not inflicted upon them.
The hearts of end consumers are becoming increasingly hardened,
devices like TiVo and their popularity demonstrate that these qualified targets
have a desire to rid their lives of advertisements. “Sorry not interested”
meets telemarketer ears daily well before pitch delivery, and brand impressions
are everywhere (estimated 2,000 deliveries per person per day.)
Can the end consumer be blamed for
wanting to avoid advertisements altogether?
The perfect avatar that enters your site’s optimized keywords
into their search-engine and (thanks to Google’s merging with YouTube) finds
your video above the fold on page 1 is a rarity, and even then your chances of
converting them are only just ‘up for grabs.’
The realities of marketing to end consumers have changed forever.
At
the same time the B2B buying cycle has lengthened dramatically.
An unwillingness to part with money at the senior executive end
until the vending business has earned their trust, that’s the new reality since
the bust. Hard pressed and credit squeezed consumers have limited funds, and
limited tolerance for viewing adverts of offerings they can ill afford. The new
economy is about trust and value, that is what ‘in tandem’ consumers and
executives desire.
The
sales mechanisms to get both targets to reach that point of trusting however
are different.
A business person will not make a choice to buy based on the
“sex sells” device. Their business culture too may not be as open to humour
based marketing, as it is primarily trust they are seeking to achieve. When the
onus is placed on creating an emotional attachment with the brand, be the buyer
a business or your couch based target, this is the main point of mergence for
effective B2B and B2C Marketing.
But
here is the thing: Humour is the most effective means of grabbing end consumer
attention.
The Institute of Communication Agencies (2009 figures)
determined that 67% of Canadians are persuaded by humour based advertising, and
sex based selling has been so overcooked that it now only nets a nickel out of
every dollar sale. In consumer targeted web video, humour is the means to start
the emotional attachment process.
This
raises the question of: Is it possible to kill two birds with the one stone?
If you are a business that wants to sell to businesses, but also
to consumers, you are best served in many instances by having two varied
pitches. The end consumer is by and large seeking to avoid your marketing
efforts; humour can still be harnessed to acquire their attention, to deliver
your multiple brand impressions, and to solicit their trust in your offering by
stealth.
The
best way to sell to end consumers is; if they are almost unaware that they are
being sold to.
Humour is shared and can go viral. If you are relying on
a viral video to get your outfit to critical mass though, we have to be honest:
Viral sales videos cannot be a guaranteed outcome when working with us. We can
aid you compete no end in this global marketplace, but If your business offers
commodities only, and you offer us nothing we can use to set your business apart,
we won’t be able to set you apart.
If
your offer to market is not a good one, your product or service just won’t
sell.
No amount of humour, sex, emotional attachment, or fancy
graphics, will change that fact. Solly Labs have built our reputation delivering
‘on point’ marketing solutions in web video form. We are honest in our customer
liaison, but so too we go to the required lengths and beyond, in understanding
the businesses we serve. We position client offers in formats that net results
in the post bust economy.
The
all important element of a sales video is that strong offers are delivered in
the strongest way.
Of course we’ve served our clients who vend both B2B and B2C
with one all consuming explainer video, sales video, or interactive video when
making a unified offer has been appropriate. We want you to know though, that
the elusive killing of two birds with one stone is not always possible. Two
separate videos or video series will be your best route to achieving your
business goals in some instances.
Whether
the customer is a business or end consumer, they want messages they can relate
to.
Whilst not guaranteeing you a single ‘half billion views of
viral video sensation’ that unifies a B2B and B2C message, pursuing this for
our clients is always part of our focus. By concentrating on the core elements
of promotion and staying cutting edge, creating social videos, harnessing the
latest technology for aesthetic splendour, we guarantee you a video that meets
realistic goals.
Getting
and keeping your message out there, for major ROI on marketing spend.
Solly Labs
www.sollylabs.com
Channels
http://vimeo.com/channels/sollylabs
http://vimeo.com/channels/sollylabs2
http://youtube.com/sollylabs
