If you know any architects you’ll probably agree that they can be fiercely loyal to certain brands, especially those that define their sense of style and good taste. Windows, doors, flooring, office furniture – especially chairs – right down to their brand of paint. 

So, when my neighbor, the architect, said that she and her husband were going to drive 40 miles for ice cream one evening I wasn’t too surprised. I just figured, it's a brand thing – Häagen-Dazs or Ben and Jerry’s.

The irony is that there's a great little café two blocks down the street that has wonderful ice cream. They offer a dozen different flavors and they're made right here in Lancaster, PA.

I didn’t know how much our neighbors spent on these junkets, but I assumed that they were doing their part to fuel the recovery. I'm sure that driving their SUV 40 miles cost as much as a couple cones at the local café. 

The
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I have been neglecting my blog. I’m not the only one. About 95% of blogs are abandoned—a number from Technorati based on the fact that only 7.4 million of the 133 million blogs have been updated in the past 120 days. But I have been tweeting. Not because the media has hyped it up or because everyone else is (not true actually, as the top 10% of Twitter users account for over 90% of tweets) but because in order to advise b2b clients on microblogging service, I had to experience it firsthand. After committing to it, I honestly see its value as a part of a b-to-b marketing communications strategy.

I talked about the ---More---

When getting to know other design professionals, I often like to ask a version of "So, what do you do?" Since we all know — in the broad sense — what each other does, I tend to skew the question more toward the "how". "Tell me about your design style," is an invitation to discuss one's work, creative philosophy and tastes. Overwhelmingly, I hear people use the terms "simple" and "clean" to describe their ideal layouts.

Simple, clean designs are often the most clear way to communicate a given idea. A place for everything, everything in its place, with an effective rhythm and hierarchy to the elements on the page can really make a message sing. On its own, this fact is enough to make any communicator set "Simple" as their goal. Another reason is that, in our modern marketplace, with its cacophony of garish printed and electronic messages vying with our own thoughts for our valuable attention, a well-organized, well-planned, simple page becomes a visual
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When the economic recovery begins to vibrate the sales needle in your industry, what's one thing your customers will demand before they buy? Credible references: Other satisfied customers; proof you have handled successfully their type of application before.

Traditionally we tackled this with reference lists and case study articles, often posted on-line with relevant photography. Why not kick this up a notch with video case studies so prospects can see and hear your customers talk directly about their experience with your firm?

Video has impact and authenticity. It's flexible; it can be used on-line and in sales presentations. It is searchable and shareable on the Web, and views can be tracked and quantified. And there is growing evidence that on-line video has a solid place in B-to-B marketing communications and PR programs.

A recent study by Knowledge Storm Inc.
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Ah, yes, the joys of summer! Warm weather has finally arrived in the Northeast. It’s hard to believe that the calendar year is almost halfway gone.

Now is a perfect time for marketers to take stock of their business-to-business programs. After all, the economy is starting to rebound and certain sectors are once again showing signs of life. But the big question is, when will we finally turn the corner? I’m placing my bets on the first quarter of 2010. (Nothing scientific here; just a “gut” feeling.)

In anticipation of a turnaround, marketers should take a step back and put their b-to-b programs under the microscope. Here’s some advice:

1. Revisit your goals and objectives. Is your b-to-b program in line with the goals and objectives of your business? If not, it’s time to make some adjustments.

2. Assess your priorities.
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Summer has officially started, and while some companies have been taking a “vacation” from their marketing budgets due to the economy, the recovery is in sight according to a recent survey by BtoB Magazine.

If you have not been proactive in promoting your web site, and making sure it is optimized for search engines, now is the time, so that when your customers and prospects budgets open up, they can easily find you. Search Engine Optimization is not an overnight fix; when significant changes are made, it can take several months for the top search engines to effectively crawl and index your site. Nor is SEO a once and done project; it should be an ongoing priority as part of your marketing budget.

Here are some key questions to ask if your site is search engine optimized:
•    Can you find the site easily? Not
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Chances are your audience won’t be waiting patiently for you to return as the economy flips its frown upside-down. As marketers, we are challenged to reach our audiences where they want us to reach them, not where we think they’ll be. Listening and researching are imperative in order to offer a successful and relevant campaign.

Here are a few tips to consider:

Think like your audience. Could it be that they are no longer flipping page by page through your industry trade publications but rather reading an online version? Or do they prefer
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With the recent demise (and subsequent resurrection) of Industrial Equipment News, I was once again faced with the question, "Is print dead?"

If you're like me, you've probably noticed that magazines are getting thinner. They have fewer editorial stories and ads. As someone who buys print advertising I may be part of the "illness" that is affecting the print industry. Many of my clients are moving out of print to online. Online, with its ability to track impressions and clicks, seems to be the holy grail of advertising, because you only pay for what you get. Google even allows you to pay only when someone clicks on your ad. 

At Godfrey, we continually talk to our clients about thinking like "publishers." We help them develop websites with interesting content that bypasses magazines to reach their targeted audience.

With that said, I still believe print is
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I don’t think print will ever go away completely, but less and less of it is being produced, in favor of the web, interactive capabilities, search, tracking, etc. And now, with the lackluster economy, and the sustainability trend growing, the web and search have gotten an even bigger boost.

So what does this mean to Art Directors such as myself? More fun! Seriously. It means that we have so many more opportunities to connect and interact with people through different mediums--making it a fun challenge to find different ways of connecting, branding and standing out.

Unlike print, the web is constantly changing. We have so much more data now to analyze the results of creative and make adjustments based on those results. Effective banner design will make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful online ad campaign.

In order to find the most effective marketing design, you must go through a period of testing, by running a banner over a
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While nobody is certain, it is likely that as 2010 approaches, many B-to-B marketers will be in a recovery mode. Rather than looking for ways to cut spending, it will be time to make decisions about where to invest to move the company forward.

Management will be looking for solid answers to questions such as: Where should resources be allocated for maximum effectiveness? What actions should be taken to have the greatest impact on customers choosing our brand? What will be the impact of these actions on our competitors?

But the marketing landscape in 2010 will be different. Things have changed. So the answers to these questions won't be the same as they were before the downturn.

Among the significant changes just might be changes in your own company...or your markets or competitors. So late this year or early in 2010, it could be an ideal time to do a reassessment of your brand equity and that of your competitors.
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