The B2B Marketing Crisis: Gee Ranasinha

Show notes

In this episode, Gee Ranasinha suggests that B2B marketing is in crisis because "effective" marketing is sidelined in favour of what he calls "efficient" marketing.

He says much of marketing, which is nearly 100% tactical activities, isn't marketing but communications or promotions.

As a result, marketing within the organization is relegated to a sales support function.

The culprit for efficient marketing

The C-Suite and how marketing is seen as an economic activity in which everything needs to be quantified and measured.

Key takeaways

Cutting the cost of marketing the way you cut the cost of making a widget lowers its effectiveness, because buyers are emotional and don't behave like atoms in a physics model.

Talk to customers directly. Most marketing managers haven't spoken to one in six months, and a third party running anonymous calls gets more candid answers.

Brand awareness is slow to measure but makes sales activation work better. Spend doesn't fall back to zero afterward, because buyers already have you in their consideration set.

Clear brand positioning means saying who you are and who you're not. Without it, customers default to price, and category leaders' materials look interchangeable once you cover the logos.

Don't treat digital as the whole job. Choose channels based on how your customers actually research and buy, including billboards and print trade publications.

The B2B Marketing Crisis: Gee Ranasinha

Show notes

Tell me what's going on with your marketing.