How technology is shaping the relationship between B2B marketers and their agencies

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1 How technology is shaping the relationship between B2B marketers and their agencies Justine Arthur, head of communications and campaigns, BT Expedite Brett Willis, head of digital, Westhill Communications Part of the B2B Trail:

2 Why are we here? B2B marketer of the year 2012 Core agency: Westhill Technology has dramatically changed the skill-set required by B2B marketers

3 About BT Expedite One of seven standalone businesses that benefit from the power of the BT brand Retail technology specialist division within BT Solutions cover every area of omni-channel retailing, including: merchandising, point of sale, e-commerce, sales analytics and CRM & loyalty, as well as network infrastructure, hardware, training and professional services.

4 Retail technology specialists within BT Just some of our clients

5 My experience AKQA BT Business Japan BSI

6 How digital has changed marketing Bottom up marketing Customer at the centre Collaborative core agency approach Connecting with the customer Integrated campaigns

7 The spread of new technology has tipped the balance Marketers have online, real-time tools at their fingertips more than a third of the UK population will own tablets by March 2013 ipad users view 2.5 times more video than users of other devices and view for 3 times as long 4G means we'll be watching even more media on mobile devices

8 Content: the key driver of change Content is king Couldn t keep feeding content updates to an agency Content Management System (CMS) was born Similar evolution with: data, , news, video, networking All need content

9 The impact of this on the agency-client relationship Delivering a joined-up, integrated marketing plan to drive brand awareness, acquire new sales and retain existing customers, requires a more open, collaborative approach. Marketers need a content provider in their pocket at all times that they can trust to really understand the business and its aims. It s no longer just copywriting. It s a full editorial role involving content strategy planning, management, writing, monitoring and following up.

10 About Westhill Creative agency with specialist graphic design, digital and editorial teams Formed in 1986 and based in London No account managers Clients cross both B2B and B2C

11 Working together for 10 years Over the years this has included editorial services, designing and producing printed and online monthly magazines, marketing campaign s, award entries, banner stands, exhibition stands, event registration sites, event signage, agenda booklets, posters, flyers, data sheets, product sheets, brochures, web pages, white papers, blogs, content management system articles, print adverts and web banners. Work closely together and trust one another Each year targets and expectations grow Creative marketing in every sense Getting the right mix of in-house skills and agency expertise

12 So the relationship has changed Roles are being redefined The boundaries between agency and client are being blurred Technology and knowledge are at the heart of this transformation Achieving more is possible

13 Every year for the past 10 years and 2013 is set to be the biggest yet

14 How are we doing more with less? In-house Five people in the BT Expedite marketing team responsible for pulling together the event for 40 senior IT customer attendees Three marketing people tasked with getting 200 multi-disciplined customer attendees from IT, Operations, Marketing, E-commerce, Strategy etc. marketing team management

15 The right tools and partners for the job

16 Originally a bi-monthly printed magazine Now online, integrated into the website, with content used across a range of media (blogs, press releases, case studies, videos) Latest issue click-toopen rate over 25%. 50/50 customer and industry prospects

17 Changing skills/changing technology Where does the agency fit into this? Acting as an extension of the team The strategic role (core agency model) briefing early view up-scaling on demand specialist skills e.g. editorial, design, seo, video etc. Equipping people to do more with less Very traditional b2b marketers five years ago are now becoming skilled digital marketers.

18 The agency s role Westhill is just one of several specialist agencies video production Telemarketing event management PR Add value by advising and planning Equip clients with know-how and technology to take on more An extension of the core marketing team

19 Challenges going forward Content, content, content Journalistic role More analytical and data management skills Quality checks Supplier and agency selection and management

20 Keeping on top of technology Ensure Expedite have what they need to do the job Provide specialist skills where needed Have resource available when they need to ramp-up Raise awareness of what s available and how to put it into use Help them with mobile engagement and responsive design

21 So how is technology shaping the relationship between marketers and their agencies? Collaboration Relationships Skills