Doing It For All the Right Reasons
- Carla Gonzalez
- Jan 27, 2015
- 5 min read
Before we begin, please note that I am very passionate and very opinionated about strategy for B2B entities. I am a huge advocate of T3* and as such I find myself frustrated when not every “i” is dotted or “t” is crossed. I also tend to operate on my gut, so I base the following thoughts on my Italian intuition and personal experience, rather than hard facts, making it strictly my opinion.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can get on to the good stuff.
The other day I came across an article discussing the excitement around, and potential opportunities for, marketing using Oculus Rift**. Even though it’s still in its infancy (developer kits only), entities like Mtn Dew and Elle Magazine have embraced the awesomeness and already developed or are currently working on virtual reality experiences for consumers—branded, immersive events that engage people in an exceptionally sensory way. Other companies, like Huge, have used the tech to physically design a unique shopping experience for Sonic Automotive’s flagship store.
But there’s a lot of trepidation too. I mean, think about it. Facebook is involved; ads EVERYWHERE! One second you’re stringing three or more gems together with blinding speed, and the next you are waving your hands fervently about trying to close the ad for car insurance that just smacked you in the face.
I myself am on the side of trepidation, but not because I fear Facebook will become the tool of ultimate control and absolute destruction. That’s just a fact; my lord and master, Cthulhu, told me so. No, my hesitation lies in something I see more often than I’d like to admit—B2B entities (and their marketing arms) utilizing new technology platforms because the technologies are, well, new and not because they actually support these businesses’ growth strategies. More to the point, enthusiasm gets the better of strategic thinking and the technology is employed without a well-defined plan.
Let me give you an example of one such technology: Twitter.
Everybody and their brother are on Twitter, present company included. And it IS a great social tool for sharing real-time news (think Arab Spring), for two-way conversations between consumer brands and their prospects (flash sales and customer feedback), and for people to keep up with each other (that goes for the famous, infamous, and the regular Joes). Granted, Twitter has its pitfalls for all of the aforementioned groups, such as reporting on something before the facts are verified (how many shooters in Newtown?) or difficulty controlling the message being put forth (#McDStories any one?). But all of these interactions fall into the realm of B2C communications: I’d argue that even personal tweets are brands (the individuals) putting their best face to strengthen the relationships between them and their consumers (friends/followers).
B2B entities, however, aren’t quite the same animal. While they share the same goals and the same challenges as B2Cs, I feel B2Bs have a decidedly more difficult time developing relevant social content for a sustained program. In plain-speak, it’s hard to find enough meaningful things to talk about to make regular posts. Posts—good post from good programs—provide something of value to the target audience, so many of the conventional B2C approaches just don’t work (while I’d love the discount, I’m not sure how I’d feel about a manufacturer offering me 25% off my order of critical precision components for consumer aircraft, just because it’s Wednesday).
Creating an effective social media program for a B2B entity requires greater consideration, and the program should focus on positioning the company’s thought leadership, insights on the industry, or other points of differentiation. This requires T3 and, unfortunately, some businesses get so excited about putting themselves out there that they fail to think things through (especially if they are trying to keep up with their competitors). The next thing you know, these businesses are either posting for the sake of posting or letting the account fall dormant.
Now back to Oculus Rift. Here is a new technology with enormous marketing potential, but without T3 it may end up being more of a fad for B2B entities than a legitimate marketing tool. I can see it now—in booth after booth, manufacturers (for example) have replaced the ubiquitous facility photographs with a 3D representation that prospects can walk through; the same kind of manufacturing technologies, shown using the same kind of approach.
Swell.
Granted, this is a problem found in traditional forms of marketing as well. But considering the cost difference between an immersive, virtual-reality simulation and, oh let’s say, a double-sided sales sheet that’s digitally printed, no business should allow itself to be just another rider on the bandwagon. The smart B2B manufacturer (we’ll stay with this example) has to use Oculus Rift differently if it wants to set itself apart from the competitor in the booth next door.
Success is part message and part technology application, and although I haven’t given it a ton of thought I could see a few possible approaches that would be unique. For example, maybe the manufacturer makes Oculus Rift a part of its QC or design-for-manufacturability process, creating a very different, innovative way to evaluate components. Or, if showing the facility is indeed important, the manufacturer could develop an immersive experience that positions the business’s thinking and problem solving capabilities first with the facility providing support to the primary story. Maybe here it’s a “real-life” case study, where the user experiences the event as a member of the team that solved a particularly difficult challenge, allowing the user to experience a critically important process in a real way.
Long, long, long story short, no B2B entity should rush in and use new marketing techniques without Thinking Things Through (I’m copyrighting that). The potential benefits are always exciting, but it’s important to stop and really determine how to use the technology in a meaningful way. “We want to be on the cutting edge of today’s marketing trends,” IS NOT a legitimate reason to employ a technique unless it’s supported by a well-conceived strategy that adds value for prospects. In a phrase, T3 people or I’ll take your Facebook privileges away.
*My little way of saying, “Thinking Things Through.”
**For those of you (like me***) who don’t know, Oculus Rift is a virtual reality technology that runs about $350 per headset and is currently for developers interested in testing the bounds of the system. Facebook acquired Oculus VR, the start-up company responsible for the tech, in March for $2,000,000,000.00 (I just wanted to type all those zeros) and just recently the Oculus VR has hinted at 2015 being the year a consumer headset comes to market. Google and Sony have even entered the ring and are developing their own headsets, albeit I’m NOT buying the cardboard version (sorry Google). There’s a point where cheap just becomes silly, especially when you own cats that like to chew.
**I’m an under-informed nerd. My finger isn’t on the pulse so much as it is kind of just poking at a mole on technology’s bicep worrying if should be checked for cancer. I’m a hypochondriac like that. Anyway, the word Oculus to me meant mind-messing movie so when I saw the article title my reaction was something like this: Oo! Oh. :-( Ooohhhh. :-) Oh boy, here we go. :-/
