"Everything but B2B Marketing": A "Holistic" Approach to Solving Issues in B2B Companies

I. Challenges in B2B Marketing

In the B2B realm, especially within industrial ecosystems, marketing struggles to find its position. As previously noted, this difficulty primarily stems from cultural issues.

In highly engineered companies, the marketing department often takes a back seat to the sales department, which acts as the true command center orchestrating processes and operations aimed at maintaining steady cash flow.

In the B2B sector, marketing is frequently perceived as merely a "creative entity," essentially serving as an "aesthetic" overseer responsible for creating brochures and promotional materials for trade shows, with responsibilities rarely extending beyond these activities.

Yet, things are changing rapidly.

For those who work daily to balance available resources with growth efforts, it is important to ignite this growth by addressing and solving marketing issues first.

However, in 2024, an industrial, high-tech, or manufacturing company demands a more "holistic" approach to resolving these (long-standing) challenges.

This means possessing (and being willing to use) the ability to manage multiple fronts in a coordinated manner within a multidimensional framework, taking into account assets that are typically overlooked in B2B Marketing consulting.

Today, it's essential to move beyond traditional operational interventions.

In simple terms, it's about doing B2B Marketing without actually doing B2B Marketing.

What does this mean?

Enhancing the brand equity and facilitating stakeholder relationships remain key objectives. However, by breaking down silos and harmonizing the work of resources, solutions can be found to more long-term issues, with significant impacts, especially in terms of revenue and margins.

So, in light of this:

What is the most effective B2B marketing model to adopt, and what are its key foundational elements?

What's the Most Effective B2B Marketing Model to Adopt and What are its Key Elements?

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II. The PPT Framework and How to Integrate It

In today's B2B marketing landscape, launching campaigns, optimizing content, or integrating tools like CRM and automation systems requires careful attention to one essential element: the effective coordination of all involved resources.

Our aim is to streamline internal processes, define roles more clearly, and ensure that there is a functional synergy between roles and tools. To achieve this, we propose partnering with a strategic, external expert who can spearhead internal transformation efforts while offering a customized suite of services.

This approach could precisely be what a highly engineered company needs to unlock its growth potential. But how does one actually make this happen? What are the steps to follow?

One of the most effective models for this purpose is the PPT framework—short for "People, Processes, and Technology." This tried-and-true model emphasizes the dynamic interaction between these three elements, enabling the execution of successful projects with minimal resource wastage.

This strategy aligns perfectly with the primary concerns of C-level executives in B2B firms: efficiently managing both personnel and resources across diverse projects to boost EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) year after year.

Let's dive into the specific roles each component plays within this strategic framework.

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People

In today's forward-thinking B2B consulting, it's not enough to simply integrate technological components to speed up digital transformation. In fact, many consultancies don't even achieve this basic goal. Instead, smart consulting focuses on aligning the workgroup with the newly introduced MarTech stack. The goal is to equip them with the expertise to fully harness these tools' capabilities, ensuring everyone can maximize their utility.

Therefore, it's imperative to provide clear guidance on operational procedures as well, such as regular training initiatives. But this effort has to start early on: identifying the right people—or talents—to manage processes and use the selected technologies is paramount.

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Processes

Striving for optimal process governance is another cornerstone of a comprehensive strategy. It may seem obvious, but if people are unsure about what they need to do and how to do it, achieving the desired outcomes is unlikely, even with the best talent on hand.

People should not merely be trained in the technical aspects of platform management; they also need to understand the underlying "why" of digital transformation—namely, how both the tools and they themselves will be employed to meet pre-defined objectives.

At this stage, there are two main strategies to follow. The first involves automating the most repetitive tasks. The second focuses on raising awareness about various roles and responsibilities. This means not only helping people understand how automation flows operate but also encouraging human intervention when necessary, alongside fostering critical thinking and analytical skills.

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Technologies

Last but not least is the technological aspect—the beating heart of any digital transformation. As we've seen earlier, in many B2B enterprises, technological solutions are often perceived as a one-size-fits-all remedy. Technology is simply conceived as a tool and holds no intrinsic value by itself.

Truly visionary B2B Marketing Consulting must first and foremost be adept at selecting the software that best fits the company's objectives, guiding it through the myriad of available solutions. This is far from a trivial task: according to an analysis by Corrierecomunicazioni, 33% of B2B companies report having adopted functionalities they don't use, while 29% possess technologies that aren't necessary.

Moreover, it is crucial for the newly chosen suite to align with the company's strategies and culture. Without such alignment, technological adoption is ineffective, and the investment fails to deliver the anticipated ROI.

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III. Conclusion

One thing is clear: for growth-driven, highly-engineered companies, the expertise of specialized B2B consultants who grasp the technical nuances of their market is essential. Yet, merely tackling operational challenges is no longer enough.

Today's B2B companies need support grounded in a holistic approach—one that champions organizational transformation by first bringing resources into alignment. This strategy hinges on a deep understanding of standard B2B marketing processes and the ideal needs of each element, allowing for genuinely tailored strategies.

Here's the essence of the seemingly contradictory "everything but not B2B marketing" principle: simply focusing on prospect intelligence, campaign development, and SEO-driven content isn't enough. These elements can't operate in silos anymore.

The true focus now is on processes, people, and technology. More than ever, it's vital to not only map out the supply chain and Customer Journey but also to provide cohesive support in managing personnel, aligning roles with processes, and deploying a MarTech stack that meshes perfectly with everything else.

Only through these strategic actions can we transform the B2B Marketing department into a key driving force of the company, seamlessly collaborating with the sales team.